Review

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

The gaming industry’s two biggest mascots have been feuding since the ’90s. Slinging around phrases like “Genesis does what Nintendon’t”, the world’s most favorite multi-talented Italian plumber and blue hedgehog battled across the advertising pages. And now, gaming’s longest standing rivalry comes to a head in China.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is the latest installment from the Sega development team, and while it does pander heavily to its gimmick of allowing the two giant’s mascots to compete, the game is surprising solid and delivers an enjoyable experience, at least in short bursts. The game plays out in a series of events based around the various sports represented in the summer Olympics, including Track and Field, Gymnastics, Aquatics, and Fencing. Each of the events is short, tending to range from ten seconds for the 100-meter dash to two minutes for fencing bouts or table tennis matches. Events are played using one of 8 members of either team or one of the Miis saved on your console. Each gets grouped into one of four categories; Sonic and Yoshi are Speed characters, while Bowser and Knuckles are Power focused. Characters in a category share a strength in that particular stat (all of the characters in the Skill category have a high Skill stat, although exactly how high and the strength of the other stats varies from character to character) or, in the case of the All-Around category, are well balanced. The stats tend to play out equally in most events (fencing tends to see every stat useful, allowing fast characters to sprint across the mat while power characters can use stronger lunges), although that isn’t always the case (power isn’t very useful in the 100-meter dash).

Most of the events are quick and engaging. The 100-meter dash is run by drumming with the remote and the nunchuck, swinging the remote in a circle whips the hammer around, and stabbing with the remote scores points in fencing. Some of the events are more difficult than I would have liked, however. Skeet shooting requires pinpoint accuracy and perfect timing, which can be extremely hard to pull off, especially because the event isn’t forgiving when you screw up (you only get as many shots as there are skeet, so you can’t correct if you miss). The long jump requires lightning reflexes and a sharp eye in order to jump perfectly from the end of the track. Some of the races (the 100-meter dash or the aquatic relays) can be determined entirely by how a big boost you build up before the gun goes off. In general, though, the events are well designed, and no character feels pointless.

The main game can be played through three modes: circuits, single events, or missions. Single events are self-explanatory; simply pick an event and jump right in. Circuits are a series of events (the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, the hammer throw, and skeet, for example) that award points according to placing in each event. The player with the highest score at the end of all of the events wins the gold. A twist has been added to this; for one event of the circuit, you can choose to bet double or nothing that you’ll place in the top three (so you win 20 points for coming in first and 0 points for coming in fourth). Missions are specific tasks assigned to each character, such as winning a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle with Mario or performing a perfect trampoline routine with Shadow. Some of the missions are extremely hard (Mario has to beat Sonic in a 100-meter dash), but they tend to show off the character’s strengths.

Accomplishing tasks such as completing missions or using particular characters in multiplayer earns you prize ribbons, which you can view in your record gallery along with all of the medals you’ve won with each character. Each character has a separate section in the records, so winning a gold with the best character for each event isn’t going to cut it if you want to fill out the gallery. And unlocking the extra events (like the Dream Events, which borrow heavily from pieces from the Mario and Sonic franchises) means running the events with some of the most unlikely characters.

Mario & Sonic also uses the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to connect to global leader boards, showing the current records for each event. Once you clear the missions for each character, it’s impossible to resist trying to break the records for your strongest events, though it’s far from easy. The other form of multiplayer is local play, which allows up for four players compete in each of the events. Most of the events work as a free-for-all, making each player race individually. One of the most fun multiplayer moments, however, is getting three other people to run the 4×100-meter freestyle relay as a team. Working together to try to beat the record, either preprogrammed or on the leader board, is enough to fill an evening.

The game is best played in short, intense sessions. After half an hour, the events start to feel repetitive, and the constant drumming required in the races is exhausting very quickly. There’s enough depth in the way the different characters’ stats change the way the events play to keep you coming back to try new strategies, but there isn’t enough depth to make your play sessions very long.

Is the game worth getting? Yes. It’s excellent when you don’t have the time or the interest to devote to a full night in front of the TV or when you’ve got a few friends around to pad out the competition. It won’t replace any of the games you’re current playing, but it makes a great supplement. While it would have been very easy to skimp on the gameplay and let the title characters sell the game, Sega made sure that the game is fun as well as a fanboy’s dream. I’d recommend waiting for a price drop if the idea of having a game meant for casual play isn’t your cup of tea, but if you like seeing the kind of gameplay that only the Wii can deliver, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is a great title.