Jeremy Parish, Editor-in-Chief: Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Nintendo releases a sequel to a big-name franchise for the 2011 holiday season. It’s very well made, and it’s a lot of fun, but you just can’t shake the feeling that you’ve seen it all before — that Nintendo, the company that has made its swimming pools of money in recent years with terms like “blue ocean” and “disruptive design” is playing it uncharacteristically safe. First was Super Mario 3D Land, then The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword; now we have Mario Kart 7, which seems to have its eyes set on the been-there-done-that prize.
Familiar is not the same thing as bad, of course. On the contrary, MK7 is leagues better than its predecessor, the deeply disappointing Mario Kart Wii. Nintendo has dialed back all the design flaws that made MKWii such a bracing letdown: The hyperactive party-game feel has been toned down, and even on the upper-level 150cc courses you’re much less likely to have victory snatched away at the last second by yet another Blue Shell. MK7 feels far better balanced in favor of fairness (rewarding skill) rather than “fun” (based on random luck and chaos).
