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Nintendo: Mario Kart 3DS completed as "act of emergency"

Metroid Prime developer rushed in to help.

Nintendo considered completing Mario Kart 7 on 3DS by the end of this year "an act of emergency", the game's producer has admitted.

Mario Kart 7 initially started life as an internal project staffed by eight people, producer Hideki Konno revealed in a new Iwata Asks interview (via NeoGAF).

But several production designers were moved to work on 3DS launch title Nintendogs + Cats to ensure that game was ready for the handheld's release line-up.

Nintendo eventually called on the services of Metroid Prime Trilogy and Donkey Kong Country developer Retro Studios to make sure Mario Kart 7 was finished this year.

Nintendo previously stated Retro had helped design a Donkey Kong Country-themed course. It now appears Retro worked on revamping the game's entire 16 classic courses line-up, leaving Nintendo's team free to create the game's roster of 16 fresh tracks.

Mario Kart 7 is released next Friday in Europe. Alongside last week's Super Mario 3D Land, the two Nintendo titles are the company's big hopes of securing strong Christmas sales for its fledgling handheld.

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