Proto:Mario Kart 7

This page details one or more prototype versions of Mario Kart 7.

On October 25, 2025, the E3 2010 demo of Mario Kart 7, known as Mario Kart Preview, was released. This build is a non-playable in-engine autodemo featuring Mario and Luigi racing around on Mario Circuit, Rock Rock Mountain, and Wuhu Loop.

It has a build date of June 3, 2010, which would be a year and a half before the final version was even released in Japan. Although the demo is not playable by default, patching the build gives access to a debug menu, allowing the game to be played.

Plus, there's quite a bit of interesting unused content found beneath the demo-ridden surface.

Sub-Pages

Early Resources

Course Differences Rock Rock Mountain had an alternate path?!

Unused Content

Unused Models Well, there are some things here that make you think, why would there be a sofa in Mario Kart 7???

Unused Courses Some really interesting things here, from scrapped tracks to test tracks!

Unused Audio Numerous leftover sounds from Mario Kart Wii are present here!

Build Date

Jun 03 2010  19:24:42

This is the build date for this prototype. It can be viewed in the debug menu, but it can also be seen by Holding R + L + Start on the title screen.

Demo Sequence

On the bottom screen, it has some information about the game, with the touch screen stating that it is a non-interactive, although views can be adjusted by using the Slide Pad.

General Differences

• There are no glider ramps, no coins, no item boxes, no hud, and different shading.
• In this version, sound effects are disabled because they are incorporated into both audio tracks played in the demo preview.

Menu Differences

To do: Document the differences seen in the UiTest menu.

Title Screen

E3 2010	Final

• The logo is still a placeholder from Mario Kart Wii, and has a "Preview" text below to indicate that this is indeed a preview build.

Thanks Screen

E3 2010	Demo Kiosk

• The screen displays "Thank You!" instead of "THANKS FOR PLAYING!" because we are not normally able to play.
• The copyright is dated "2010" instead of "2011" for obvious reasons.

Graphical Differences

Boost Panels

• The boost panels look similar to how they are in Mario Kart Wii.

Emblem

E3 2010	Final

• It does not have the gray ring that surrounds the emblems.
• The M or L in the emblem are slightly larger.

Audio Differences

To do: The jingle for when starting the preview, a sound used for starting a race in the final, is different compared to both the E3 2011 demo and final. This should be ripped and compared.

Sounds

Thanks Screen

E3 2010	Demo Kiosk	Final
VO_MR_GOL_GOD.bcwsd	SE_THANK_YOU_A.bcseq	SE_THANK_YOU_A.bcseq

• The Thanks Screen uses audio of Mario saying "Oh yeah! Next time!" taken directly from Mario Kart Wii when Mario wins first place.

Music

Demo Preview (Main Theme)

E3 2010	Final
W_BGM_E3_A.bcwsd	STRM_WATCH_RACE.bcstm

• The audio file is a bit larger, which results in the music taking longer to finish compared to the final version.

Wuhu Loop/Maka Wuhu

E3 2010	Final
STRM_DEMO_2010E3_B_ISLAND.bcstm	STRM_CN_WUFU_ISLAND1_N.bcstm

• The sample rate in this build is 32000 Hz, but was upgraded to 32728 in the final. This wasn't completely changed, though.
• The first half has sound effects that were, again, baked into the file itself.
• The second half can never normally be heard, since the demo ends as soon as Mario shouts.
• The guitar is slightly louder.

(Source: Stewie1.0)

Disabled Sounds

Interestingly, the prototype has sound effects, and they can be seen in the folder called "GRP_SE_2010E3". However, by default, the sound effects are disabled because they are played within the music seen in the demo preview, but they can be reactivated by modifying the following hexadecimal codes in the ROM:

• Place $0010A0E3 in the 0x810AC.
• Place $0010A0E3 in the 0x82210.
• Place $00 in the 0x1AEEFA.

If you want to mute the background music so that the sounds can be heard better, change this in the ROM:

• Place $02 in the 0x8113C.
• Place $02 in the 0x82270.

It's also worth noting that all the sounds presented here, such as the sounds of items, the kart accelerating, etc., are taken directly from Mario Kart Wii, possibly as a placeholder until the new sounds were added.

(Source: Marioiscool246)

Mario Voice Clips

Although the sounds are used in the demo preview, they are embedded into the stream - "W_BGM_E3_A.bcwsd" or "STRM_DEMO_2010E3_B_ISLAND.bcstm" - their original files are never used.

E3 2010	Final
VO_MR_ITM_TRW	GRP_VO_MR_PC_00000000

E3 2010	Final
VO_MR_ITM_TRW2	GRP_VO_MR_PC_00000001

• The sounds of Mario throwing items are taken directly from Mario Kart Wii.

Luigi Voice Clips

Although Luigi doesn't speak at any point in the demo preview, some of his audio is present!

E3 2010	Final
VO_LG_ITM_TRW	GRP_LG_MR_PC_00000000

E3 2010	Final
VO_LG_ITM_TRW2	GRP_VO_LG_PC_00000001

• The sounds of Luigi throwing items are taken directly from Mario Kart Wii.

Debugging Content

Debug Menu

This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this.

A debug menu can be accessed by setting 0xf3e0c to 01. It can be accessed anywhere by pressing either Start or Select.

Option	Information
TITLE	Empty menu.
RACE	Allows the player to race on any track. In this mode, both Mario and Luigi appear and are controlled by the player simultaneously.
E3	Starts the demo sequence.
Demo	Gives control to the player similar to RACE, but presumably for the purpose of creating replays for the autodemo. On most tracks, the camera is fixed to one angle the entire time and does not move to account for the player's change in position. The exception to this is test_SfcCourse_lightON, in which the camera follows the player around the entire track
UiTest	Loads a very early menu.
Sound	Empty menu. Presumably a sound test.
@SRIW	Empty menu.
@SZKI	Empty menu.
@KNSI	Empty menu.
@OBYS	Empty menu. Presumably a model viewer.
@Kart	Empty menu. Presumably the kart selection menu.
@Field	Empty menu.

Debug Features

Among the gameplay controls in RACE mode are some debugging controls.

Moon Jump

Holding L and pushing Circle Pad up makes the kart perform a "Moon Jump" - it jumps similarly to a Mushroom Bounce.

Item Cycler

You always have infinite items. Pressing X cycles to the next item in this order:

• 1. Banana peel
• 2. Green shell
• 3. Blooper
• 4. Mushroom

Unused Graphics

Early Title

An unused temporary logo for the game, possibly intended for a preliminary title screen (besides the preview title screen).

Early Cup Icons

The cup icons from Mario Kart Wii. Most notably is the icon for the Leaf Cup, which would later be updated to reflect its appearance in Super Mario 3D Land.

Movie Bar

This would be used as the top and bottom bars displayed in the pre-cup preview videos.

Movie Placeholder

This texture appears to have been used as a placeholder for the pre-cup preview videos shown before selecting a cup. The image itself depicts Luigi Circuit, directly taken from Mario Kart Wii.

Numbers

The unused number font is very similar to the one used for the timer in the Mario Kart Wii HUD.

Tab Menu

A tab that would likely be used in some menu.