Mario Kart 7 online features detailed, classic tracks teased

Mario Kart has been a consistent hit for Nintendo's various platforms, and the company is hoping to replicate that success with the upcoming Mario Kart 7. Today Nintendo released new details on the latest kart racer, including new info on the online multiplayer, and StreetPass and SpotPass features.

Mario Kart 7

You can race using the local wireless or a wifi connection, and Nintendo has added a Community feature to let players create groups. You can set specific rules to customize your racing preferences, and then share your community with others using the StreetPass. The StreetPass and SpotPass features will let you trade racing scores, win/loss records, coins, and ghost data. Community leaderboards are being included as well, and you can set up a 3DS Mario Kart Channel to keep up with all the latest news.

The game will support gyro controls for steering, and even a first-person perspective for those who prefer a more realistic experience while playing a game with rocket-powered turtle shells.

Mario Kart always slips in several legacy courses alongside the new ones, and this edition will follow the lead of its DS and Wii counterparts by offering an even split of 16 new courses and 16 retro courses. Some new courses take place on Wuhu Island from Wii Sports Resort, and Retro Studios has made a course set in the jungles of Donkey Kong Country Returns. The classics include Luigi's Mansion from Mario Kart DS and Koopa Beach from Mario Kart 64.

If you want to amuse yourself until the game comes out, try explaining to your non-gaming relatives why Mario Kart 7 is coming out almost 15 years after Mario Kart 64, and watch their eyes roll back in their heads. The game is due December 4.