What do you think needs to be done to make the game better/more 'fun', in terms of the gameplay itself (aka not track designs/character choices/options, the general game mechanics)? In my opinion, this is what I think should be changed:
Items
Blooper should be removed, or perhaps seriously improved. Really, I think the problems with this one are obvious, but can be described as the equivalent of throwing paint on the wind shield of a fighter jet/modern battleship. They have radar (like the touch screen), making the idea of blocking their vision pointless, homing weapons (making the point about being able to see their opponents null, they don't need to know where they are to hit them) and a lack of defences (if you can only carry paint, you're useless). Not to mention it only covers some of the screen, which still lets people see much of the action anyway (and if people have been able to watch TV while driving and not crash, then a bit of squid ink on the window is hardly gonna do a whole lot)
Also, status items are always kind of useless in competitive games anyway. Doing things like blocking part of the view or playing sounds or annoying music is entirely useless to your average person online.
Obvious fix would be to make your kart affected like the CPU karts are. If you drifted semi randomly and swerved from side to side, you'd actually have a pretty chance of hitting something/someone. Also, make it so you get the item in a higher position.
Tanooki Tail should have some way to discard it other than getting hit for obvious reasons.
The Blue Shell should be more easily dodge/blockable. Maybe have it so if you hold another Blue Shell, it can protect against an attacking one (see, Mario Kart 64), and make it so there's more like a 40-45% chance of getting a Mushroom, and 5-10% chance of getting a Star in first.
Admittedly, it's better in this game, you can dodge a Blue Shell with a Mushroom even on 50cc, since it's now more about the timing than anything.
Get rid of or nerf coins, since there's a way too large a gap between 'speed possible with them' and 'speed possible without them'. They should also be completely removed in time trials (and maybe your speed set to how it would be with max coins), since it reduces the time trial process to literally 'collect 10 coins on lap 1, actually do decent on laps 2 and 3', and completely removes the chance of doing well in lap 1 in the first place (since because you start with no coins, you can NEVER do as well as you would in lap 3. Your times will always be about two seconds slower on the first lap)
Completely remove the chance of getting crap items in a low position. Getting a Blooper in any place below about fourth means you've at least ruined a fair amount of the lap for yourself, and getting stuff like a Banana or Green Shell in last (yes it happens) pretty much guarantees failure.
Make sure Triple Red Shells can't be gotten in second. Really, as it is right now, you literally only have a 20%-25% chance of not getting hit if second place gets this item, since only a Triple Banana will block them all. Make it so it's gained only in fourth place or below, hence being always possible to dodge.
General
Mushrooms/items should not be lost if you fall off the track in time trial. This never used to happen as far as I recall...
Computer opponents in GP/vs mode should not gang up on the player and should be trying to beat each other at all costs, like real opponents would. Ideally, it should work so that you don't know who's going to be the better opponent in each race, so that when you knock someone out, they have to fight their way back through the pack rather than everyone slowing down to let them re get into position. Will it make the game easier? Yes. But the way to fix this is to up AI drastically, make the opponents all really tough to beat in the first place.
Tricks need to be set to the D Pad again, I've sometimes messed up and jumped when I wanted to use a trick because of this change, and sometimes it means my character ends up flying over the ramp and into the abyss. Giving tricks and jumps different controls would make it much more precise.
Characters shouldn't affect stats if different kart designs exist. If all karts are the standard again, then make characters the deciding factor. The current system is honestly too confusing and complex.
Add something to do on straight roads, because without 'snaking' or wheelies, they're kind of boring now.
Remove the 'cap' of 10 coins a race. After 10 they shouldn't affect speed, but they should still be counted. This way, doing well means we could get things like the gold glider/kart/wheels at a far faster, more interesting rate. Not to mention coin collecting communities would work better.
Estimate computer opponent 'positions' after the race ends, not the minute you cross the finish line. Hence if say, you're Mario, Bowser is third and Luigi is second, and you hit Luigi with a Green Shell as you cross the line, it might say Bowser is second and Luigi fell down to fourth or fifth from the hit.
Much better than just immediately basing it off what position everyone was the minute you crossed the line.
What do you think should be changed in Mario Kart 7?
Items
Blooper should be removed, or perhaps seriously improved. Really, I think the problems with this one are obvious, but can be described as the equivalent of throwing paint on the wind shield of a fighter jet/modern battleship. They have radar (like the touch screen), making the idea of blocking their vision pointless, homing weapons (making the point about being able to see their opponents null, they don't need to know where they are to hit them) and a lack of defences (if you can only carry paint, you're useless). Not to mention it only covers some of the screen, which still lets people see much of the action anyway (and if people have been able to watch TV while driving and not crash, then a bit of squid ink on the window is hardly gonna do a whole lot)
Also, status items are always kind of useless in competitive games anyway. Doing things like blocking part of the view or playing sounds or annoying music is entirely useless to your average person online.
Obvious fix would be to make your kart affected like the CPU karts are. If you drifted semi randomly and swerved from side to side, you'd actually have a pretty chance of hitting something/someone. Also, make it so you get the item in a higher position.
Tanooki Tail should have some way to discard it other than getting hit for obvious reasons.
The Blue Shell should be more easily dodge/blockable. Maybe have it so if you hold another Blue Shell, it can protect against an attacking one (see, Mario Kart 64), and make it so there's more like a 40-45% chance of getting a Mushroom, and 5-10% chance of getting a Star in first.
Admittedly, it's better in this game, you can dodge a Blue Shell with a Mushroom even on 50cc, since it's now more about the timing than anything.
Get rid of or nerf coins, since there's a way too large a gap between 'speed possible with them' and 'speed possible without them'. They should also be completely removed in time trials (and maybe your speed set to how it would be with max coins), since it reduces the time trial process to literally 'collect 10 coins on lap 1, actually do decent on laps 2 and 3', and completely removes the chance of doing well in lap 1 in the first place (since because you start with no coins, you can NEVER do as well as you would in lap 3. Your times will always be about two seconds slower on the first lap)
Completely remove the chance of getting crap items in a low position. Getting a Blooper in any place below about fourth means you've at least ruined a fair amount of the lap for yourself, and getting stuff like a Banana or Green Shell in last (yes it happens) pretty much guarantees failure.
Make sure Triple Red Shells can't be gotten in second. Really, as it is right now, you literally only have a 20%-25% chance of not getting hit if second place gets this item, since only a Triple Banana will block them all. Make it so it's gained only in fourth place or below, hence being always possible to dodge.
General
Mushrooms/items should not be lost if you fall off the track in time trial. This never used to happen as far as I recall...
Computer opponents in GP/vs mode should not gang up on the player and should be trying to beat each other at all costs, like real opponents would. Ideally, it should work so that you don't know who's going to be the better opponent in each race, so that when you knock someone out, they have to fight their way back through the pack rather than everyone slowing down to let them re get into position. Will it make the game easier? Yes. But the way to fix this is to up AI drastically, make the opponents all really tough to beat in the first place.
Tricks need to be set to the D Pad again, I've sometimes messed up and jumped when I wanted to use a trick because of this change, and sometimes it means my character ends up flying over the ramp and into the abyss. Giving tricks and jumps different controls would make it much more precise.
Characters shouldn't affect stats if different kart designs exist. If all karts are the standard again, then make characters the deciding factor. The current system is honestly too confusing and complex.
Add something to do on straight roads, because without 'snaking' or wheelies, they're kind of boring now.
Remove the 'cap' of 10 coins a race. After 10 they shouldn't affect speed, but they should still be counted. This way, doing well means we could get things like the gold glider/kart/wheels at a far faster, more interesting rate. Not to mention coin collecting communities would work better.
Estimate computer opponent 'positions' after the race ends, not the minute you cross the finish line. Hence if say, you're Mario, Bowser is third and Luigi is second, and you hit Luigi with a Green Shell as you cross the line, it might say Bowser is second and Luigi fell down to fourth or fifth from the hit.
Much better than just immediately basing it off what position everyone was the minute you crossed the line.
What do you think should be changed in Mario Kart 7?