I don't think MK7 deserves its reputation of being a "yeah, that happened" game in the series. I feel that MK8 owes most of its identity to this game. The controls in 8 are extremely similar to 7's, making it really easy to jump from one game to the other. Gliders and underwater driving are huge additions to the series that allow tracks to have more memorable and varied layouts; 1 lap tracks are also a great concept for the same reason. Kart customization is another great addition that I feel people take for granted. MK7 is an incredibly important game to the series, and is very fun to boot, as much as people seem to think that it's just whatever.

I actually think this is the best handheld Mario Kart game. DS easily has this game beat in terms of single-player content and... having a VS mode (I can't believe 7 excluded it), but 7 has a much better track lineup, both new and retro, and unlike DS, the controls are not horrendous. Sorry DS lol

Also, Honey Queen