How do you like Mario Kart 7’s choice of retro tracks?

Just a few more days until Mario Kart 7 turns your 3DS into a portable Grand Prix of insanity! Of all the games announced this year, this one tops my wish list. I love Mario Kart–every single incarnation.

As fans know, most Mario Kart games since Super Circuit have featured two sets of tracks: New and Classic. We can’t judge the new courses until we play the game, but it’s fun to look at the retro tracks and see which favorites made the cut this year. The complete track list has become available recently online, but today I’d like to just focus on the oldies. WARNING! Don’t read further if you want to keep the track selection a complete surprise.

Okay, here are the retro tracks chosen for Mario Kart 7:

Luigi Raceway (N64)
Bowser Castle (GBA)
Mushroom Gorge (Wii)
Luigi’s Mansion (DS)

Koopa Beach (N64)
Mario Circuit 2 (SNES)
Coconut Mall (Wii)
Waluigi Pinball (DS)

Kalimari Desert (N64)
DK Pass (DS)
Daisy Cruiser (GCN)
Maple Treeway (Wii)

Koopa Cape (Wii)
Dino Dino Jungle (GCN)
Airship Fortress (DS)
Rainbow Road (SNES)

So, that’s 1 GBA track, 2 SNES tracks, 2 Gamecube tracks, 3 N64 tracks and 4 each for DS and Wii.

Even the most casual glance reveals this is certainly the most…er…familiar list of retro tracks to date, mainly because fully half the tracks are from the Wii and DS games. It seems like just last week I was racing along Koopa Cape, Maple Treeway and Coconut Mall…because it was just last week! Awesome courses. They certainly chose the Wii tracks most often selected by online players…including (blech) Mushroom Gorge. Seriously, who keeps picking that track every time I play online? I’m hoping the new glider action adds a new twist to the layout, because I am not a fan of the bouncy-house intermission. Personally, I would have replaced it with Moo Moo Meadows (yeah, I’m the guy picking that one online.)

No complaints about the four DS courses! Airship Fortress and Waluigi Pinball were a pair I’d wished were on the Wii game, and I can’t wait to see them again!

I’m surprised to find only 2 Double Dash tracks: I thought for sure they’d include the DD Bowser Castle. Daisy Cruiser’s a fun pick, though a bit similar to Coconut Mall.

Solid N64 choices; can’t wait to hear the Koopa Beach music! As for the GBA and SNES tracks, they ought to be great for online play, and I love that the original Rainbow Road is the closing track for Mario Kart 7.

What do you think of the these oldies (and not-so-oldies)? Did any of your favorites get passed over again? Did any make you groan in dismay as much as I did when I saw Mushroom Gorge? (I’ll keep an open mind until I play this new version of my least favorite Wii track.)

One thing’s for certain: I can’t wait until Sunday!