Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games
When I posted my last review, I noticed that my next blog entry would be my30th post here on YourHub, which I think is a bit of a special occasion.In recognition of my 30th anniversary (sort of...), I've chosen to review a game, a media I haven't review yet here on YourHub. But this isn't just any game...this is a very special game.
Let me list off a few of my favorite video game series...Mario, Sonic, and Halo. While it would be sweet to see Mario and the Master Chief square off, it's a dream of every gamer's to see Sonic and Mario in a game together...well, that wish has finally come true. Sonic and Mario at the Olympic Games is a historic occasion. After all, the point of the Olympics is to unite peoples that may be foes under the banner of friendship, at least for a short while. And there's never been a gaming rivalry like Sonic and Mario; the eighties and nineties were hot with competition between Sega and Nintendo, trying to make their respective characters win the gaming war. And now, under the Olympic banner, these two former foes have been united as friends.
And all their friends are along for the ride. Essentially a very beefed up version of games like Wii Sports, you can play as 16 characters, 8 from the Mario series and 8 from the Sonic series. I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing Sonic and Mario (or Wario and Tails, or Luigi and Knuckles, etc.) racing each other, or fencing, or any number of events in the game. No matter how good this game is (we'll get to that in a moment) it's worth the price of the disc to see these two teams go at it.
Gameplay and Presentation: 7/10
It's obvious that, as the offspring of both Sega AND Nintendo, that this game would have very high production values, and it does. The menu interface is very well designed and easy to use. The multitude of events is sorted into categories like Track, Gymnastics, Shooting, Swimming, etc., and it's easy to find the event you're looking for. You can play a single match of any event (with multiplayer up to four), or you can go into Circuit mode and play a pre-determined string of events, or create your own (also with multiplayer.) Also of note is single-player mission mode, in which you pick a character and play through a series of mission unique to that character.
Events themselves include the 100-meter dash, the 110 w/hurdles, various swimming relays, Trampoline, Skeet, Archery, etc. Almost all of these are very fun to play, especially with the motion controls. For instance, in the 100-meter dash, you run by moving the remote and nunchuck up and down. I guarantee your arms will get tired. In the swimming event, there's a variety of motion controls you have to use. In skeet, you aim at flying disks and shoot to score.
I would have to say my favorite events are Trampoline, Skeet, Archery, Canoe, and a very challenging event called dream race. In Trampoline, you jump up and down while inputting a series of buttons to do tricks, and archery, while overly complicated, is fun in its own right. The dream race is probably the deepest mode gameplay wise; you run like you do in the 100-meter dash, but there are plenty of obstacles like sand pits and hurdles. You can collect items and throw them at foes, like in Mario Kart. This event wore me out quite a bit, but is fun nonetheless.
The controls are responsive in most cases, but some events simple don't work. The long jump events are laughably bad; it never responds to the control for jumping, and either fouls you or gives you 2 feet. I tried it for about 15 minutes and could never get it to work.
Overall, the gameplay is quite fun, but is even better when playing with a friend or, better yet, friends (in the plural). Plus, seeing your favorite characters from Sonic and Mario together while you play is just awesome.
Graphics: 7/10
The graphics complement the gameplay quite well; there's never slowdown, and all the onscreen information is made clear. Textures are good, and the colors are vibrant and jump off the screen. Of course, the Wii can't do what the Xbox 360 or PS3 can in terms of Graphics, so in general the game looks like a high-end GameCube game. But this game isn't about great graphics. They don't detract from the experience, and are quite fun to look at, drawing you into the game even more. And in my book, that's what defines good graphics.
Sound: 8.5/10
The music in the game is an imitation of music played at the real Olympic games, and a very good imitation at that. Horns and Trumpets take center stage, but each event has its own music which really enhances the gameplay. Sound effects are clear and well produced, and as with all Wii games, sound comes out of the remote at key times. I personally got a kick out of hearing the Invincibility music coming out of my controller. I'm a little disappointed at not hearing more Sonic and Mario game themes, but it's a small complaint. Like everything else in this game, the sound has very high production values.
The Fun Factor: 9/10
What's this rating about? Well, a game can have bad graphics, bad gameplay, and terrible sound and still be fun to play, so it would be unfair to games like that not to include this rating. Thankfully, S&M at the Olympic Games excels in most areas. Despite some flaws with the controls, this is an incredibly fun game to play, especially if you can get multiple people together to play. My brother and I played this for nearly two hours without even noticing the time. Plus, this game will give you a workout. My arms still hurt...
Plus, the fun factor goes up an extra point for being a game with Sonic AND Mario. Playing with characters from both series really pushes this game over the edge to make it the best party game of 2007. For Wii owners, I'd recommend picking this game up. It'll also be coming to Nintendo DS on March 22 nd for handheld fans (with any luck, I'll be checking in with a review of that game in a week or two).
Long live Mario and Sonic!
Overall Rating (Not an Average): 8/10