Mario Kart 7 also features three items new to the Mario Kart series: the Fire Flower, the Super Leaf, and Lucky 7, which bestows seven items at once.
Several returning items like Koopa Shells, Banana Peels, and Super Mushrooms are present. There are 32 selectable tracks of which sixteen are new tracks, and the others are enhanced tracks from previous games. The customization also introduces new features in building the ultimate vehicle, choosing from various frames which range in weight, a selection of tires which affect the handling of the vehicle on certain surfaces. The mechanics of Mario Kart have evolved allowing the race karts to transform in the middle of a race between a hang glider and a hydro submersible vehicle upon encountering aerial of underwater course segments respectively. The game continues the tradition of featuring various courses for eight players to race through while using a number of different power ups avoiding banana peels, and launching red shell projectiles at rival opponents. Mario Kart 7 is the seventh installment of the fast paced kart racing game which features an all-star cast from the Super Mario universe.
