SegaShiro: Pure SEGA HARDCORE!

A funny thing happened to me while I played Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games on my DS around the city. I kept spying people who were looking over my shoulder to see what I was playing on the subway. The best incident occurred when an older gentleman – who had just watched me furiously take Sonic speeding around the Olympic track – politely tapped me on the shoulder to ask me what I was playing and where he could buy a copy of the game for his grandson.

I live in a pretty big Canadian city, so when people take the time to be polite and ask questions on public transit it can only mean that they are genuinely intrigued. There is no doubt that SEGA’s latest DS title has captured the interest of gamers and casual audiences alike, but is Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games right for you?

You have to save the snow sprites to bring snow back to the Olympic Games

SEGA’s Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games features two of the most memorable icons in gaming history side-by-side and it combines this epic video game lineage with a historical event. The portable DS version and the Wii edition have a lot in common beyond Vancouver 2010 Olympic backdrop; however, the play experience is fundamentally different. The Wii version is an active multiplayer party game while the DS version contains a deeper single-player experience.

Where as the Wii version runs gamers through a gauntlet of Olympic events in day-by-day Festival mode, the DS version has players working through an Adventure Tour that involves foiling the combined evil plot of Bowser and Eggman.

The fearsome twosome have launched a nefarious plot to steal all of the world’s snow for their own evil version of the Olympics. When Mario and Sonic arrive to the scene to enjoy the official Olympic Games they quickly realize that they must stop the villains to allow the historic games to continue.

Mario and Sonic get down to saving the Olympics

The title does not have the strongest story but it does serve as an adequate backdrop to bring all the characters from the Sonic’s universe and Mario’s world together in a game. The title has an RPG-lite feel focusing on fetch quests and character interactions. There are lots of unlockables and hidden items in the various towns and the cast of characters is very colorful and well known.

The game play in the Adventure Tour revolves around exploration and finding the right characters and the right items to unlock events and challenges. Once events are unlocked new areas are opened up for gamers to explore. There are 15 Olympic styled winter events such as Hockey, Skiing, Speed Skating and Curling and 12 fantasy Dream Events available in Adventure Tour and in the single player modes.

Explore, Speak, Compete...Repeat!

The Adventure Tour can be tedious at times as the writing is very simple and not very nuanced for reasons of accessibility. It is very easy to tell that SEGA is targeting younger gamers with this title. Yet, despite the focus to appeal to younger gamers there are some real bright spots in the single player campaign for gaming veterans.

One memorable and cute moment involved using Princess Peach and her feminine charms to woo an angry Thwomp who is blocking the path forward by blowing it kisses (this is achieved by mini-game involving blowing into the DS microphone).

I never knew Princess Peach was so flirty...but I always knew deep down that Luigi was figure skater

The Dream Events are a bright spot which allow for more imaginative graphics and game play than the regular events. For example, the Supersonic Downhill event has players flying down a steep 2D hill stretched across both DS screens frantically collecting mushroom power-ups.

Another Dream Event has gamers battling it out against other characters in an arena with a tank-like snowball machine. These Dream Events are great fun and provide a nice change of pace.

In terms of graphics, the title is very strong and the 3D pushes the rendering capabilities of the handheld into the realm of the N64. The game has a very clean art style with solid animations that don’t disappoint. Perhaps the only problem with the art style is that while is is solid it fails to feel fresh. SEGA has decided to play it safe and keep the art style in the realm of familiarity.

The sound design is suitably charming and catchy as one would expect from a title with Sonic and Mario attached to it; however, over extended play sessions some the sound effects and voice work can get a little repetitive.

SEGA’s treatment of the respective universes helped to make the Adventure Tour enjoyable despite its relative simplicity.  The development team made sure not to change our long held perceptions of these beloved characters: Luigi is still a bit of a coward, Sonic still has his attitude, Mario still pirouettes with glee, and Toad’s gender and sexual orientation is thankfully still in question.

Both Sonic and Mario are required to complete the game

SEGA has made the menu system very easy to navigate and made some smart presentation decisions. Each winter sport begins with the options to review the controls which really helps gamers get a handle on the title and eases players through the learning curve.

There are a variety of modes in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games including: party mode, single match, and multi-round matches. The game also features ghosts and a trading mode that allows you to trade your ghosts with other DS players. The title also features the standard Wi-Fi Leaderboards and local wireless multiplayer.

The character list features over 20 selectable fan favorites who all fall into a specific class (All-round, Power, Speed, and Skill). Each class each has a set of specific rankings in five categories: speed, jumping, power, technique, and stamina. Each character is ranked on each attribute category and the development team has done a good job ranking each character in a way that makes sense. For example, Sonic is the fastest character in the game while Donkey Kong is the strongest; Tails can jump the highest while Mario is well-balanced.

The majority of the winter events like the Speed Skating, Figure Skating, Snowboard, Curling, Luge, Cross-Country Skiing and Bobsleigh all feature great controls and are fun to play. However, a few of the control schemes that are implemented on the DS version are downright odd. The hockey mini-game is awkwardly controlled via the stylus and pulls the you out of the experience.

The ski jumping controls seemed to continually seemed to misread my stylus movements regardless of how often I practiced. This made for an occasionally frustrating experience. That said, the controls were generally solid and SEGA often decided to stick to the standard d-pad and button configuration. Most of the winter sports which utilize the traditional control scheme are lots of fun to play.

GOOOOAAAL!

If you are trying to decide between the Wii and DS version, unlike other review sites which tended to prefer the DS version over the more casual Wii version, I still prefer the console edition due its multiplayer focus and active play style. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is a sports game and in my opinion it feels much more interactive when you are miming the in-game motions and waggling away with the Wii-mote.

Lots of fun winter sports to try and play

I personally preferred the tactile sensation of playing on the balance board and the Wii-motes but that does not mean that the DS version is a weaker experience – it is just a different style of game.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games on the DS is a solid experience for younger and casual gaming fans. Veteran Sonic and Mario fans might find that the DS version offers more content over the console edition. It won’t blow you away or change your life but it is a fun, solid title that brings two of the industry’s most famous mascots together.

Related Posts:

1. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Wii Review
2. Mario & Sonic At the Olympic Winter Games is in Stores!
3. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games – DS Adventure (Trailer 11)
4. New Gameplay Footage for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games!
5. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games DS Demo Live on US Nintendo Wii Channel