Mario & Sonic Return to the Podium
It wasn’t so long ago that Nintendo and SEGA were arch-nemeses. Both were leading developers of premier consoles bound and determined to take a stranglehold on the market. Each had their number one character that identified their brands, Mario for Nintendo and Sonic for SEGA.
Jump to the present day and these one-time rivals are now tag-teaming in video games. Sure, they’ve graced the same game before, notably in Super Smash Bros Brawl., but that was a game more conducive for each to beat the hell out of the other. And much like Roddy Piper and Keith David in They Live , Mario and Sonic have buried the hatchet after an excruciatingly long battle in Smash Bros. and seem to have put the past behind them. In fact, the unlikely duo has an ongoing case of Olympic fever carrying over from last year’s Summer Games. Naturally, they are teaming up for the most noble of all missions: to save the Winter Olympics.
As luck would have it, Bowser and Doctor Eggman have joined forces for the most diabolical of schemes. Presumably angry that they have yet to taste real success against their respective foils, Bowser and Eggman have kidnapped the magical spirit creatures that create the snow needed for the Olympic Games. Naturally, Mario and Sonic were en route to take in the festivities anyway and are quickly on the case, freeing the spirits and adding allies along the way. But, instead of bopping foes on their heads or blazing through them at breakneck speeds, Mario and Sonic have found a more peaceful solution: healthy Olympic competition.
The games may not all be exact interpretations of Olympic events (I don’t believe I’ve ever seen two Olympians taking aim at each other in high-powered snowball machines), but they are varied and fun. There are too many to list here but rest assured variety abounds. Alpine skiing is a fast-paced reflex game, where as cross country skiing utilizes more of a strategic skill set. Rifle shooting has you touching the stylus quickly to shoot targets as they appear while avoiding the wrong type. Mixed in with the regular games are “Dream Events”; four-player simultaneous games that add a distinct Nintendo multiplayer twist. Curling Bowling, Fever Hockey, and Extreme Snowboarding are a few of the options available here and are great for a party group looking to get in the Olympic spirit.
Controls are a strong suit, with each Olympic contest giving its own unique actions for gameplay with about perfect control sensitivity. Alpine skiing was one event I had particular trouble with for awhile until eventually figuring out the ins and outs of the controls. Most are much more straightforward and only require an attempt or two to get the gist, but it takes much longer to get really good. Of particular enjoyment (and don’t judge me for it) was the figure skating game, with it’s entirely unique control scheme and a (somewhat) relaxing pace compared to many of the more frantic events. Regardless of which games you tend to gravitate towards, a title like this could easily be ruined by subpar controls. Fortunately, SEGA Japan has done a great job keeping the experience enjoyable.
I’d be remiss to not mention the slew of characters available to play as. If you’re starting off in the story/adventure mode you begin with just Sonic and Mario before quickly assembling quite a team one at a time. But pop over to the other modes and you have no less than 20 different characters from the Mario and Sonic universes, each with their own unique skill sets and ability. For example, both Mario and Luigi are ranked as well-rounded, but Mario is slightly more powerful (compact frame, don’tcha know) while Luigi has slightly better jumping ability, a nod dating all the way back to Super Mario Bros 2.
Graphics are fun and accessible utilizing many of the design staples of Mario and Sonic games. When dealing with such familiar characters, the only question is how the graphics hold up for the games and events. It’s all good and does as much as can be done on the DS. Sound effects are similarly strong, from the rushing sounds of the bobsled over ice to the oh-so familiar pipe warp. Music is strong for the most part, although I found the need to mute it on a couple occasions when the overly happy and chipper beats became too much to take. Voiceovers are limited, as they are on all DS games, but make the most of it with the charming voices of the selectable characters used in selection, winning, and losing screens. Being a big Luigi fan myself, I felt somewhat bad at the laughs I got from Luigi’s forlorn exhortations of defeat.
As if there weren’t enough game mode variants to keep you occupied, there are also a slew of ways in which to enjoy them. Beyond the aforementioned Adventure Mode, there is single play which allows you to jump right in and compete, either one game at a time or in a series of events. Ghost mode allows you to race against your own best times with a shadow standing in to mimic your previous run. All games are playable in multiplayer along with a few extra modes designed specifically with groups in mind. There’s a bingo multiplayer game in which you compete for, well, bingo against up to three other friends or CPU-controlled characters. When balls are drawn, occasionally there is an event ball that has all players compete against each other for the right to cover the corresponding space on their bingo sheet. Similar principles are in place for card and slot-based games as well. These modes offer a wide variety of ways to engage your Winter Olympics experience and enough tweaks to keep things interesting. Perhaps best of all, if only one of your friends has a copy of the game, other DS owners can connect wirelessly and download events to still get in on the action. I absolutely loved the convenience of the Download Play feature in Phantom Hourglass and I love it here.
Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games is a fun, enjoyable, and approachable experience that improves upon last year’s Summer Games outing. The variety of both game types and style make for a highly enjoyable experience. Just don’t be fooled; this isn’t a hardcore game of any sort – it’s essentially a collection of Mario-fied mini-games themed around the Winter Olympics. But with its brimming supporting cast pulled from both Mario and Sonic’s past, gamers have an instantly recognizable world full of character to explore. Its non-violent and engaging gameplay is sure to appeal to many, while the multiplayer design of the events make it a prime travel or “pass the time” option. It’s obvious that developer SEGA Japan put a lot of time in the Nintendo DS version, crafting an experience that stands proudly on its own two feet.
RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.0 Graphics
In-engine graphics are generally good, but characters stand out. 4.0 Control
Simple and easy to learn with variety of control schemes between events. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Music is solid, if occasionally muted-worthy. Voiceovers add a tremendous amount to the whole package. 4.5
Play Value
Adventure mode gives a story to progress through and a slew of multiplayer options with Download Play capabilities making for an ideal party/travel game.
4.2 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.
Game Features: