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
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.