Almost but not quite. This Mario Kart doesn't have that MK Zing we all know and love...
The graphics in these games are flawless. The Kart pieces, characters, tracks and even the logo are all smooth and shiny and great for a Kart fan. Imagine the Wii graphics on a handheld, with great 3D effects, and that's Mario Kart 7.
The music is same ol' same ol'. Nothing new.
Tracks are returning from the SNES, Wii, GC, GBA and DS, and there are new ones too, so that's really awesome.
I can't explain it much, but this isn't as good as Mario Kart DS. It could be because of cheaters online who never loose balloons/coins in battles when hit by shells, because of the Gyro Controls I never use because I don't like them, or the fact that Waluigi and the VS. Race mode doesn't return, but it doesn't feel like the other entries.
I also don't like the fact that there is only like seven battle tracks you can choose. I miss the giant DS one. :(
Gliding and Diving are good editions, that add depth to this game, and I like them both a lot.
Ghost trials are cool too. You can race against yourself, people you have raced online and Nintendo staff members.
Grand Prix is still there, this time, you can collect a maximum of ten coins in each race, and get stars if you're lucky. One star if you barely get coins and come second, third, fourth or fifth in some races, two stars if you get some coins, and come second in about one race, three stars if you get ALL 40 coins in a Prix, and win ALL races.
Kart Customization is also cool. You can take your pick of strong and week points, and there are even golden Kart parts which are cool.
Closing comments: This IS NOT a bad game by any means, I just didn't enjoy it as much as the others.
If you like MK games, buy it. I give this a 7.5 out of 10.