Mario, Sonic Offer Early Taste of London 2012 Olympics

(ATR) In perhaps as true a testament to Olympism as a plumber and hedgehog can provide, Mario and Sonic are once again setting their differences aside for the good of the Games video games.

First in Beijing and then in Vancouver, the Nintendo and Sega icons teamed up for two of the IOC’s finest – and quirkiest – officially licensed titles to date.

This time around, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games pits the franchise faces – and 18 of their closest friends – in competition across 21 real events and 10 "dream" variants.

Out now for Nintendo’s Wii and February 14 for the portable 3DS, the latest installment in what’s becoming a series is also the greatest so far.

Look of the Games

From its opening screen on, everything about Mario & Sonic screams London 2012.

For better or worse, LOCOG’s famous pink and blue color scheme runs throughout. So too does the bold typography and sense of style by now associated with the Look of the Games.

With that also comes the historic venue roster that differentiates and may well define these Olympics.

Beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade … Check.

Equestrian at Greenwich Park … Check.

Canoeing at Eton Dorney … Check.

Shooting at the Royal Artillery Barracks … Check.

Outside of London, this game is as close as you’re going to get now to the Games next year.

For anyone already counting down to July 27, it’s worth every penny of its $49.99 asking price just for the field of play.

Unfortunately, the gameplay itself is another story.

Feel of the Games

Despite the Summer Olympic program shrinking in between Beijing and London, this installment still only includes a dozen of its current 26 sports.

Fans of athletics (100m, 110m hurdles, 4x100m, long jump, hammer throw, discus, javelin); gymnastics (uneven bars, trampoline, rhythmic ribbon); aquatics (100m freestyle, synchronized swimming); canoeing (1,000m sprint); equestrian (show jumping); badminton (doubles); beach volleyball; table tennis (singles); football; shooting (pistols); fencing (epee); and cycling (team pursuit) will feel right at home.

Archery, basketball, boxing, hockey, handball, judo, modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling enthusiasts need not apply.

To casual gamers,big deal. To constituents of the Olympic Movement, big deal indeed.

What’s more, three of the 12 sports – canoeing, table tennis and cycling – were done better years ago on Wii Sports Resort and the football predictably pales in comparison to FIFA 12.

I understand the lack of basketball, boxing and tennis – other disciplines already done to perfection by existing franchises – but there’s no killer handball or hockey titles floating around last time I checked.

Simplistic versions of both would quickly become their definitive digital versions while also attracting new appreciation for their athletes.

Verdict

That said, eight of the 12 sports are included for good reason.

Badminton feels appropriately frantic, shooting appropriately exact, fencing appropriatelystrategic and equestrian appropriately complex.

Beach volleyball is perhaps the deepest and most replayable whereas synchronized swimming and rhythmic ribbon – my wife won a gold medal on her first routine – are instantly enjoyable.

Athletics ranges from embarrassingly straightforward (100m) to frustratingly difficult (hammer throw).

Because everything understandably demands different control schemes, different Wiimote orientations (horizontal or vertical) and different accessory combinations (nunchuk or no), the learning curve across the board is such that you’ll rarely feel the need or desire to actually take the time to get good at any one event.

What’s more, too many of the sports are too dependent on the Wii equivalent of button-mashing. You’ll quickly realize that any racing event is essentially just shaking your Wiimote up-and-down or back-and-forth.

Given the wild popularity and proven staying power of two other multi-sport games that feature animated characters and focus much more on simplicity than realism – Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort – I can’t help but wish this game was published by Nintendo with cooperation from Sega and not the other way around.

It’s neither Mario nor Sonic’s best foray onto the field of play.

But if an early taste of the London Olympics is all you’re after, you can’t do better than joining the plumber and the hedgehog, together again in 2012.

Reviewed by Matthew Grayson

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.