Platform: Nintendo 3DS (THIS GAME IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH EARLIER DS SYSTEMS)
Price Range: £21.99 -£39.99
Age Rating: 3+
Genre: Sports
Design:
So once again from out of the large boiling pot of games that is SEGA comes yet another Mario and Sonic adventure, this time the heroic duo are taking on the London 2012 Olympic games, you know just like they did with Beijing but with more London flags and a poor rip off of the Olympic stadium. The game allows for varying modes of gameplay in the form a story mode which has you battling Dr.Eggman and Bowser because they haven't been invited to the Olympic games. Your task is to challenge each bad guy to an Olympic event and destroy the strange fog machines that have been whipped up around the city and an Olympic mode which I really haven't figured the point out of yet, it seems to be just a quick play mode with no real point or cause, an extended Multiplayer mode would have been much more suited to the whole competitiveness of the Olympic games. Now after that opening paragraph it sounds a bit corny and a bit cheesy and it is, but strangely it works, don't get me wrong you soon find yourself skipping all the cut-scenes because once again thank's to SEGA's inability to find voice actors all the characters say is 'YES!' or 'HUMPH' you have to actually read the script displayed on screen rather than listening to your favourite Sonic and Mario characters saying it for themselves. The game plays out nicely though, the story is fluid and the events are great fun to play in although at times can seem a little simple and tedious to play but even so it is a pretty decent game to pick up and play when you feel yourself drifting between consoles.
Gameplay:
Players challenge Olympic events against the bad guys in story mode with over 50 events available so you very rarely find yourself repeating an event that you have literally just played. I touched earlier on an extended Multiplayer mode which should have been included, for example going up against people all around the world over the Nintendo wireless connection to determine who is the best at each event, surely that is what the games are all about rather than SEGA's strange take on them deciding to only have a Multiplayer mode that you can only play with those closest to you, literally ten feet away. The plus side is that you don't just play as Mario or Sonic throughout the story all the characters from the Mario and Sonic universes are involved in some way which gives it a nice touch, especially when Silver the hedgehog pulls off an amazing gymnastic routine. Olympic mode seems pointless especially if you play games to unlock new characters and such like because it really doesn't offer that at all, the only thing you can unlock are badges and even they don't have a point apart from being collectable. Players use the touch screen, stylus, buttons and microphone to complete events and win gold medals in original Olympic events, each of the control methods work well with each other especially the microphone, even when it tells you to 'roar' at it all you have to do is blow gently and you instantly have top points, a big help really when you think about it, it doesn't exactly scream 'physical exertion'.
Presentation:
Okay so the backgrounds really aren't that great and the Olympic stadium just looks like any other stadium but apart from that this game really holds its own for a handheld console especially through the characters which look great in either 2D or 3D. The menus have a simple layout which is easy to follow and the game is packed with bright colours to keep younger users entertained, the 3D mode works well at about 50% after that it starts to become too strong and the gameplay becomes distorted. The background music is in perfect timing with situations and events that arise which helps increase the overall feel of the Olympic experience. Instructions displayed on the top screen before each event starts can be too brief at times, I found myself starting a wrestling match with a vague idea of pressing 'A' at some point and then having my backside planted to the floor by a very quick and totally overpowering Bowser. The game also makes use of the accelerometer installed in the console's top screen and to be honest it might as well not have bothered when playing events like Basket Ball and Fencing you find yourself shoving the console forwards and backwards and still not obtaining the desired effect (also I managed to bash the cat on the head as she was sat on my lap so please make sure all unsuspecting pets are out of the way before they take a 3DS to the face).
Summary:
Mario and Sonic make this game great but only just, I know it is aimed at a younger market but I think at times it really feels too simple to get that gold medal that everybody aims for. It's fine as a game to pick up now and again but I constantly found myself going over to Mario Kart 7 or Pokemon White just to have a break from it for no apparent reason which really isn't what you want from a game. So if there are any parents reading this if you want your 4-6 year old entertained for hours on end then get this game anybody with a son or daughter over the age of six make sure you find another game.
Ratings:
Design: 7.9
Gameplay: 8.2
Presentation: 8.0
Overall: 8.0
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