DITCHING the funky naming convention of past Mario Kart games such as Double Dash or Super Circuit, Mario Kart 7 may be bucking the trend in terms of name, but when it comes to fun and familiar gameplay, there’s no let-up at all.

That said, there are plenty of new features to get racers revved up and ready to go.

There’s the usual selection of cups to enter, each being a series of races which continually tot up the players score and places them in an overall ranked position. Each and every course of vibrant absurdity is either brand-new or a re-made classic.

As always, random armoury boxes are scattered across the tracks, each packing a bonus item such as banana skins, green shells, bloopers and more. There are also three new items thrown into the mix.

There’s the fire flower which grants the power to shoot little balls of fiery death, the super leaf which causes the kart to spout a tail perfect for hitting the enemy, and the Lucky 7, the rare bonus which gives players seven different weapons to utilise.

Coins have made a re-appearance, granting those who collect them with a speed increase, and with ten coins stashed away, top speed is reached. A crash however will cause the coins to spill across the track and the top speed is capped once more.

To cater for the competitive, there’s a whole bunch of multiplayer options. Whether you want to compete locally, globally or with your streetpass friends, the options are there.

Extra racers become available with a little hard work, as do pieces of kit to customise karts with. Not only does this customisation change the appearance of the vehicles, it also changes their racing properties, giving players a tailored experience.

The 3D is used brilliantly throughout. Even with the 3D slider firmly notched up to eleven, it’s never really enough to make you go wince or go cross-eyed. It’s subtle, yet perfectly clear.

With solid and well-defined racing, the fantastic use of 3D, and a host of new and exciting features, Mario Kart 7 is a clear winner for us. If a friend or loved one has a 3DS, Mario Kart 7 is the perfect Christmas gift.

TITLE: Mario Kart 7
PLATFORM: Nintendo 3DS
GENRE: Racing
PUBLISHER: Nintendo
PEGI RATING: 3
SCORE: 9/10