Similar to previous games in the series, players participate in go-kart racing on various Mario-themed tracks, playing as one of seventeen different Mario characters. It was developed by Nintendo EAD and Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the seventh major installment in the Mario Kart series and the third to be released for handheld consoles. Mario Kart 7 is a 2011 racing video game.