Some of these power-ups include the series staple items Koopa Shells, Banana Peels, and Super Mushrooms.

Jump actions let players obtain a brief burst of speed when hitting a button prior to driving off ramps, hang glider attachments sometimes allow for controllable gliding segments as well.

[4][5] In the previous installments, driving the kart into a body of water has been considered going out of bounds and would penalize the player by delaying them or being picked up by Lakitu.

Like in the previous installments, characters are divided into three different weight classes, which impact their driving styles.

[4] Mario Kart 7 features four single-player game modes: Grand Prix, Time Trial, Balloon Battle, and Coin Runners.

In Grand Prix, the player races against seven computer-controlled opponents in one of eight different cups, each featuring four tracks.

After all four races, there will be an award ceremony and the player receives a trophy if they place in the top three of the final standings.

[9] The ability to customize the player's kart was added in order to make gameplay more strategic and to boost the multiplayer experience.

Because Nintendogs + Cats was scheduled to be released first, Mario Kart 7 was given lower priority and only eight staff members were assigned to begin work on it.

[18] Nintendo World Report gave the game an 8.5, stating that it is more of the same and the gliding mechanics feel underutilized.

[28] On the more negative side, James Stephanie Sterling of Destructoid gave the game a 5/10, stating that "sticking to tradition has not worked in Nintendo's favor" and saying the new glider and underwater sections "exist to provide the illusion of variety rather than actually altering the core experience".

[17] Giant Bomb scored the game a 3/5, noting "your enjoyment of Mario Kart 7 will likely hinge on your continued appreciation of [the series'] formula".