YouTube channel, KIMI TALKZ, has had the chance to chat with Retro Studios environment artist Ted Anderson, about the teams work on the Nintendo 3DS smash hit, Mario Kart 7, which launched back in 2011. The team at Retro Studios were initially tasked by Nintendo to help polish up the game so that it was ready to launch. However, Mr. Anderson says that they ended up making some of the courses from scratch, which was a daunting task for the studio given how highly regarded the Mario Kart franchise is (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains the best-selling Nintendo Switch game so far) However, Anderson felt very enthusiastic about the task that they were given, as he felt that what he was doing was simply a dream come true.
“Initially I think we were supposed to help them finish stuff out and help them get over the finish line. It ended up being where we ended up making more than that; we ended up making entire tracks from scratch. It was kind of funny, because I remember initially that a good deal of the team was kind of not super-duper excited about that, but I was stoked, I was thinking “this is gonna be awesome”. Everybody else was kinda like “ok, I guess we’re gonna do this”, and I’m like “what are you talking about, we’re gonna make a Mario Kart game for the 3DS – wow!”
Mario Kart dominating Kart Racers, the closes I’ve come in comparison would be Nickeloden Kart Racers and Fast & Furious Spy Racers. Nickeloden Kart Racers 2 is almost identical to Mario Kart with the exception of playable characters. Always perfer playing as the TMNT, it even has Shredder as an unlockable character.
Insightful. Retro has been Nintendo in other games too. Just like Monolith Soft.
I don’t think Retro Studios outlined anything in this interview.