Mario and Sonic at The Olympic Games

Mario and Sonic at The Olympic Games - (Wii)
Developer: Sega
Format: Wii
Genre: Arcade

Track and Field with the two biggest names in the game

For the first time, Nintendo's moustachioed plumber Mario and Sega's blue hedgehog Sonic compete head to head in a videogame depiction of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. This fun party game is just in time for the festive season and makes good use of the Wii's unique motion sensor control system which makes it surprisingly easy for anyone from a seasoned gamer to a complete amateur to compete in the wackiest Olympics you're likely to see anytime soon.

Sprinting, throwing, jumping, swimming - there's a whole host of track and field events to get stuck into. And it's not just Mario and Sonic - Luigi, Knuckles, Yoshi and Tails are also vying for the medal podium!

An interesting addition is the unlockable dream events, which basically consist of various elements from Sonic and Mario's respective gameworlds. Dream Race for example, combines the classic Mario Kart formula tied with the bonus ring collecting sequences found in Sonic games. Dream Platform Diving is more like skydiving, soar through hoops and perform aerial tricks while avoiding obstacles and opponents to reach the finish line first.. It adds a certain twist to the ore predictable button bashing events and once again underlines the arcade feel to this outing.

Wii is not short of mini game titles (Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 and Carnival Games stand out) and nor is it short of a definitive sporting title that makes great use of the Wii Remote (Wii Sports anyone?) But regardless, Mario and Sonic is just great fun to play and even better with friends - and with that in mind the game delivers on what it promised.

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