Mario Kart 7 (3DS) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Transmission

There are many different combinations of bodies, wheels and gliders to choose from, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some wheels increase acceleration at the cost of some speed, while others favour speed over handling. Gliders are automatically deployed at certain jumps while racing, and can reduce the weight of the kart, allowing it to glide further and for longer. Unlike 'Mario Kart Wii', there is no option to choose your preferred transmission (automatic or manual). While it is not necessary, drifting is certainly advised when taking corners, as your kart speed will reduce by turning normally.

Answer: Bowser Castle 1

'Mario Kart: Super Circuit' is also the only game from which only one track returned for the Retro cups. Bowser Castle 3 made a return appearance in 'Mario Kart Wii', as did Shy Guy Beach.

Answer: Super Leaf

The Super Leaf creates a tail behind the kart and allows the player to spin it and knock away nearby opponents and items. The Leaf is an obvious reference to 'Super Mario 3D Land' and 'Super Mario Bros. 3', from which it originally came. In these games, Mario dons the Tanooki suit and gains the ability to hover and knock away foes with a spin.

The Fire Flower item is also new to 'Mario Kart 7', and allows the player to throw fireballs towards opponents in a similar manner to both Mario and Luigi's special items from 'Mario Kart: Double Dash'. Rather interestingly, the Fake Item Box, a staple of previous instalments, does not appear in 'Mario Kart 7'.

Answer: Mario Kart Wii (Wii)

Mushroom Gorge, the third track from the Mushroom Cup in 'Mario Kart Wii' features as the last course in the Shell Cup, while Coconut Mall (previously in the Flower Cup) appears in the Banana Cup, and ex-Star Cup tracks Maple Treeway and Koopa Cape are playable in the Leaf and Lightning Cups, respectively. Also injecting a sizeable dose of nostalgia into the Retro cups is 'Mario Kart DS', with Luigi's Mansion, Waluigi Pinball, DK Pass, and Airship Fortress making a return appearance.

Answer: Cheep Cheep Cape / Maka Wuhu

Cheep Cheep Cape is the PAL name, while in NTSC regions, it is Cheep Cheep Lagoon. Other tracks which differ between regions include Piranha Plant Pipeway (Piranha Plant Slide), Wario's Galleon (Wario's Shipyard), and Wuhu Mountain Loop (Maka Wuhu).

Answer: Donkey Kong Country Returns

As the pre-race cinematic plays, it is quite clear to see that DK Jungle has a distinct 'Donkey Kong Country Returns' feel to it. It's not surprising, since the developers of that game, Retro Studios, co-developed 'Mario Kart 7' with the Nintendo EAD team. Donkey Kong's hut can be spotted during the course, whilst you avoid roaming Tiki Tak foes and fly past screeching pillars during the gliding section.

The icing on the cake, however, is the remixed version of the immortal Jungle Hijinxs theme from the original SNES game 'Donkey Kong Country'.

Answer: Rosalina

Rosalina first entered the 'Mario' universe in 'Super Mario Galaxy', and subsequently featured in 'Mario Kart Wii' and 'Super Mario Galaxy 2'. She returns as a playable character in 'Mario Kart 7', along with her very own course, Rosalina's Ice World. Metal Mario, of 'Super Mario 64' fame, makes his debut appearance in the racing series, as does the Honey Queen, who also featured in the 'Galaxy' games. Lakitu finally becomes a playable character in this game, after years of starting races and rescuing stranded drivers, though this playable Lakitu is coloured differently to his referee counterpart.

Answer: Skyscraper (from 'Mario Kart 64')

The perilous rooftop of 'Mario Kart 64's Skyscraper map featured instead in 'Mario Kart Wii'. Instead, the Nintendo 64 offering comes in the form of Big Donut, a circular map with a large pool of lava at its centre. Palm Shore has a tropical beach flavour to it, and changes constantly in accordance with the rising and falling tide. Battle Course 1 is a square map lined with low walls that offer quick protection against incoming projectiles, but easy lines of sight to targets.

Answer: Ten

Collecting a coin gives you a small speed boost, and holding ten of them at once gives your kart a slight overall increase in speed. You will lose coins, however, if you are hit by an item or go out of bounds. At the end of a race, the number of coins in your possession goes towards your overall total, which in turn offers rewards in the form of new characters and kart components at each 50 and 100 coin milestone.

Answer: Three complete laps of the course

Instead of having you drive around the track three times, this particular Rainbow Road is divided into three sections, marked by banners similar to the start and finish lines. Wuhu Island Loop and Wuhu Mountain Loop (Maka Wuhu) also follow this trend and divide the length of the tracks into three separate sections.

This adds an element of difficulty to the race, as there are no opportunities to set traps for opponents in later laps, for instance. This Rainbow Road therefore requires precision driving and speed along with strategic use of items if you are to triumph over the other racers.

The track's music also features a part of 'Mario Kart 64's memorable Rainbow Road theme, which is sure to flood even the hardest of players with feelings of nostalgia.