Karting wonderland is a 3D burst of colourful fun, writes Bruce Gorton

GAME: MARIO KART 7

SYSTEM: NINTENDO 3DS

RATING: ALL AGES

COST: R462.95

My first  impression of Mario Kart 7 was that 3D was good for the series.

The bright graphics and clean textures make for attractive, fun races.

The coins used in Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Super Circuit make a comeback.

Collecting the floating coins increases your kart speed. I found that, after gathering 10 coins, my lead became unbeatable. Even the infamous blue shell (which hits whoever is in first position) wasn't going to dent my lead.

Racing underwater didn't feel different enough from racing on land.

The environment changes but not much else, and the new gliding mechanic is underutilised.

The kart customisation adds variety, though the list of available drivers has been trimmed from 25 to 17.

I found the controls less than ideal. With the 3DS you need to keep the console fairly still if you are 3D-enabled or you will end up seeing double.

Tilting the console to steer in first person mode isn't such a great idea. I found that third-person mode, using the traditional controls, became uncomfortable after a while.

That said, the overall game is immensely enjoyable.

The courses, the real stars of the show, are varied, and 3D graphics add to the sense of dropping into a wonderland where you rescue the princess from the dragon on Tuesday and go karting with them both on Wednesday.

THE GOOD

It's pretty and it delivers many of the experiences we have come to love about the series. If you are new to the franchise, or a fan, you will enjoy this game.

THE BAD

If you fall between being new to the series and a fan, it doesn't do enough to distinguish itself from its predecessors.

RATING: 6/10