Review Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

Features Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

* Mario and Sonic, 2 of the most beloved icons in the world, join forces for the first time, at the Olympic games

* Play as or against a range of familiar characters including Mario, Sonic, Luigi, Knuckles, Yoshi, Tails, and more

* Select favorite playing style with 4 player types to choose from--all-around, technical, speed, and power

* Compete in stylized Olympic venues; choose from track and field, archery, skeet shooting, table tennis, gymnastics, and more

* Single Match, Circuit, and Mission modes; unlockable stages; up to 4 players can play together on the Wii

Details Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

* Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.

* Weight: 3 pounds

* Media: Video Game

* Release Date: November 6, 2007

Description Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Two of the most beloved icons in the world, Mario and Sonic, are joining forces to star in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. Developed exclusively for the Wii video game system and the Nintendo DS system, this momentous agreement marks the first time these two renowned stars have appeared together in a game.

Featuring an all-star cast of characters from the amazing worlds of both Mario and Sonic, players will be able to compete as or against a range of familiar characters including Mario, Sonic, Luigi, Knuckles, Yoshi, Tails, and more. Innovative usage of the Wii and DS control systems to maneuver your favorite character will allow players to race the likes of Mario and Sonic down the 100m track, leap over the high jump, or churn water in a swimming heat, all while competing for the much sought-after Olympic gold medal. With up to four players on the Wii and on the DS, the stage is set to catch the fever this holiday with Mario and Sonic.

Features:

* Compete in stylized Olympic venues with authentic sports and events to choose from including track and field, archery, skeet shooting, table tennis, gymnastics, and more.

* Select your favorite playing style from the all-star cast of Mario and Sonic characters with four player types to choose from: all-around, technical, speed, and power. Examples: Mario (All-around), Peach (Technical), Yoshi (Speed), Bowser (Power), Sonic (Speed), Knuckles (Power), Tails (Technical), Amy (All-around).

* Game Modes: Try out each event individually with Single Match mode, compete for the highest overall score in a series of events in Circuit mode, or take on challenges created specifically for each character in the Mission mode. Up to four players can play together on the Wii. DS allows up to four players to compete via wireless connection.

* Unlockable stages where familiar items from the worlds of Mario and Sonic enhance the challenge of each unique event.

Lots of fun for the family., January 18, 2008
By John Mossaad "Tehcnology Guru" (Bear, DE, USA)

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was a Christmas gift to my wife. As with all of the group based Wii games, we found ourselves instantly addicted. She beat me at every game we played, but I had a ton of fun playing.

Been in the Olympics? Play this and you will...., January 17, 2008
By Victoria Tarrani "writer, editor, artist, des... (Betwist FL and CA, USA)

You will at least feel as if you had participated in some of the winter sports.
My hand to eye coordination is off, but even I have fun playing. I love watching the family play.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was is great to bond families. Want to talk to your kids -- here is a starting place.Everything is electronic, and this game (as well as other Wii) games keep you up-to-date; even if you're 83.This game is loaded with mini-games inside, and it is really fun for the family.
Victoria Tarrani

AWESOME CARDIO WORKOUT, January 16, 2008
By Eric D. Edelman "EZBNME" (GEORGIA)

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was is a truly fun game. It will work your arms to death with the running and swimming events. Not difficult to learn how to play each game. Controls are all basically easy. Hardest games are pole vault relay races. Do not get discouraged at first. I know a couple of people who gave up very early on Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Gameswas saying it was too difficult. Once you get the hang of the games none of them are devastatingly difficult. Only draw back was having to win all of the circuits to unlock all the different games. However, this also helped me to get the hang of the games better as it gets increasingly more difficult.

The Inside Scoop of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (by Laura), January 15, 2008
By Female Spy

Introduction:
If you read my other reviews, you'll know I'm actually a huge Sonic fan. I'm also a little bit of a Mario fan (although the characters there seem significantly stranger). So, being a fan of both, it makes sense to look forward to and get a hold of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. I got it for Christmas, and I have to say, I'm nowhere near disappointed! You might want to know, however, that there is no option for left handed people; so it might be harder for those who are left handed. I played this game hard over the holidays, and I've unlocked a lot of cool stuff; so, here's the inside scoop.

Features:
Basically, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games came out in celebration of the Beijing (hopefully, I spelled that right) Olympics. It has at least most of the classic sports: track (many versions, including hurdles), swimming, table tennis, trampoline, high jump, long jump, triple jump, hammer throw, javelin, pole vault, single skulls (a rowing competition), springboard, fencing, skeet (a shooting competition. Don't worry, nothing alive; just clay discs), Archery (again, just targets), and even a sky diving competition (I'm not sure if that one is traditional)! You can play as sixteen characters (eight Sonic and eight Mario) classified into four groups as follows:

Power type: Knuckles, Bowser, Vector, and Wario.
All around type: Mario, Amy, Luigi, and Blaze.
Speed type: Sonic, Daisy, Shadow, and Yoshi.
Skill type: Peach, Tails, Waluigi, and Dr. Eggman.
This selection is only the in game characters, as you can also select a Mii you've created. A Mii's type isn't explained, but play as him/her a while to figure it out (I think mine is a speed type).
The Menu:

Single Match Mode: Play with one to four players in one event at a time. the specified fields are Athletics, Shooting, Gymnastics, Dream Events, Rowing, Aquatics, and Fencing. A couple of events need teams of four; if you are playing alone, you can choose how many you can control, or be COMs (Computer controlled). Please note that some events need to be unlocked; like the Dream Events. You can unlock events by getting gold medals, the easiest way being to find sports you're good at and win with all of the characters (that's sixteen medals per sport). The Dream Events are fun, and include: Dream Race, Dream Fencing, Dream Table Tennis, and Dream Platform (the skydiving one). You'll want to unlock these events, as Dream versions of Fencing and Table Tennis, is a lot more fun than the original versions.

Circuit Mode: Earn trophies by competing in three to six events in a row for overall first place. You have to win gold medals in Single Match Mode to unlock the circuits. I've only beaten the Beginner ciruits.

Mission Mode: Play various missions as the characters. These missions can be anything from placing in a certain place, beating a rival, or scoring a certain amount of points. I'm almost certain you earn something if you complete all of one character's missions (completed missions are shown with yellow stars); but I haven't been able to do this yet. Also, note that some missions require you to be in events you need to unlock in Single Match Mode.

Gallery: A great place to take a break from the major olympic games. Play the simple mini games: Voice Memory, Card games (like matching and memory), Whack a mole, Count Master, and Bound Ball. If you accomplish getting a certain score in these games, you'll learn very interesting things about the Olympics like: how to participate, who Beijings mascots are and what they stand for, Olympic history, and more! Did you know they didn't always give gold medals to the Olympic winners? How about that one person won track bare footed? Unlock all of the information in a section to get cool museum background music from the Sonic and Mario games. This is easily the most educational place in the game.

Collection Mode: View medals, trophies, emblems and world records. Good if you don't quite remember what you already won.

Options: Configure a couple of things. I don't remember what 'cause I hardly ever go there. For left handed people, I'm sorry to say you can't access a configuration for left handed control, even here. I'm right handed, so this isn't a problem for me; but I understand how it can be a problem.

Other interesting things: If you're a fan of Mario and/or Sonic, knowing these little details may make the game further appeal to you. Even if you're new to both, these things may still interest you.

1. Heavy Sonic fans will know that Sonic can't swim. So, in every event that deals with water (Swimming, Rowing, and even Dream Platform), he wears a life jacket. This is kind of funny and cute.

2. Although the sixteen characters I mentioned are the only Sonic/Mario characters that are playable, others make appearances. Espio, Charmy, Shy Guy, and Lakitu all take part in events like Javelin to calculate things like how far you threw. They also follow you around in events like swimming (look at the background on the pool's side). Cream the Rabbit also fires a starting gun in events like track.

3. The audience is interesting. One time, I took a glance behind a character who had already performed, and I noticed the only people watching what I do are Toads and Chao. For those not acquainted, Toads are characters from the Mario series; they're characterized by their mushroom-like hats and simple apparel. Chao are from the Sonic series; theyre the cute blue bubbly things, with the small yellow balls floating over their heads.

Conclusion: So there you have it; the inside scoop. Some other comments before I close: If you want a good workout, then participate in a lot of aquatics; it's exhausting. Don't play Voice Memory too much, unless you enjoy being annoyed. You're not going to pick up on every event right away, so just keep practicing. Always go for the gold!

Not Wii-like, more like button mashing, January 15, 2008
By Pray For Wind "Jim" (Austin, TX USA)

Yes, you do use the motion-sensitive aspects of the Wii controller, but in often in a non-intuitive way. Unlike Wii Sports, where you feel like you're playing the sport, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games feels like games on other platforms where you mash buttons really fast or in a certain order or timing to get ahead. For example, the trampoline event did require you to wave the controller up and down to jump higher, but then to do tricks you had to do a series of button presses/controller twists. In fencing you do push the controller forward to lunge, but parrying requires pressing the A button in addition to a sideways wave, feinting requires B button instead of a feint with controller. Other events just require moving the controller/nunchuk up and down really fast.This isn't a bad game, it's just that it is much like all the other Olympic games that have come out for PS/2, GameCube, etc., and just doesn't feel Wii-like.