Nintendo and Sega’s mascots reunite to compete once again…
It’s been a number of years since I last played a Mario and Sonic title, the last being the London 2012 Olympics for the 3DS. The big question is whether there have been any improvements to the series since then?
The latest title offers Amiibo support that boosts either Mario or Sonic characters outfits once a day. The Wii U version is yet to be released, it’s actually out in about 2 months, so 3DS owners get to see what the deal is first. There’s your standard option to pick any individual Olympic event against AI, but there’s also a Story Mode that lets you pick or design a Mii and let him/her compete in the Rio Olympics, but also choose to join Mario or Sonic’s camp…doing so changes who can train you and how the story unfolds.
There’s a neat RPG element here as training will level you up and improve your overall performance in the events…the only trouble is that some events can be really tough and you will have to win in order to move forward in the story…of course, the idea of one person being able to compete in every Olympic event is ludicrious, but there you go…
The events utilize the 3DS’ tilt controls. For example, you will have to aim moving the 3DS for the Archery events, while others will make you flip the handheld up, down or to the side in time with a prompt like during synchronised swimming. Most events are great fun and definitely seem an improvement over the last Mario and Sonic I played, they are still tough to play at times…but less so than before. What I’m trying to get across is that it’s more accessible now, which is something the series definitely needed.
The Verdict
Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for 3DS is a great entry in the Mario and Sonic series. It’s a much needed improvement over past entries and has all the replay value you could imagine, especially with a pretty engrossing Story Mode and improved controls for the actual events. It’s still a tricky game to master, but it’s one definitely worth trying.