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Mario & Sonic Olympic Winter Games (Wii)

When Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games arrived on Wii back in 2007 the general consensus was positive. Not only had Mario and Sonic teamed up resulting in millions of fanboy’s all over the world bed-wetting, the game was also a nice retro-refit of the old track and field games. And with ten million Wii owners going on to own the title, Mario and Sonic’s first outing was a revelation for both Nintendo and SEGA.

So surprisingly (or not) here we are again, ready to do battle against each other in a wealth of serious events and a ton of ‘dream’ events - each more surreal and fantastical than the last. So sit back, pull on your winter warmers and settle into our extensive Olympic-sized review...

Keeping in tune with the original title, M&S whimsically entices you into its world via a beautifully produced cinematic at the beginning of the game. Looking stunning and setting the scene perfectly this introduction blew us away and as we delved deeper into the game we found that the presentation throughout the package had been dialled up resulting in a far slicker look over the original game. As we cavorted around the menus looking to see what SEGA had delivered we also noted that these Olympics seemed to offer a lot more content than the original...

WINTER GAMES FESTIVAL: (1-4 Players)
Delivering what is essentially the main crux of the title, The Winter Games festival mode takes you through a 16-day Olympic festival offering many events, a fair few shopping opportunities and tons of battles with foes you probably thought you’d never see here. The festival mode is enjoyable, gives the package a cohesiveness which the first game lacked and brings about a means to unlock content in a manner in which you would expect from a traditional videogame.

SINGLE MATCH:
Just like in the original title, for those wishing to have a quick game in the event of their choice, the single match option reigns supreme.

BALANCE BOARD: New to M&S, the Balance Board presents a wealth of new event opportunities. There is some serious fun to be had here yet the sensitivity of the board as well as the ability for only one board to be used puts a damper on the potential. Still... most of the events really suit the board, (even though some are repeats from other titles it is nice to have a lot of these events in a unified package) and we guarantee you’ll revisit this area when there are a group of people looking for laughs.

TRAINING: Offering a multitude of training goals in each event, the training mode suitably impresses with its fun goals and genuine attention to detail. For older and younger gamers it’s a well deserved option but due to the actual simplicity of the controls, this option will rarely get used.

PARTY GAMES: Offers an alternative delivery to just picking your favourite events. The party mode is focused around balloon popping, wheel spinning and panel flipping and choosing random events in-between. Fun in short bursts, but Cream the Rabbit annoys and the drawn out text is a million miles away from just jumping into the events and having a blast.

SHOPPING: Proving that M&S (that’s Mario and Sonic, not Marks & Spencers you Brits) is a jack of all trades, shopping gives you the option to buy decals for accessories and events as well as new costumes. Special mention must go to the excellent music jukebox and the character body suits for your Mii’s. Seeing your Mii dressed up as Mario and Sonic characters is too cute for words.

WIFI RANKINGS: See how much better the Americans are at the events with online rankings. Does what it says on the tin and you’ll even get an ‘emblem’ for connecting. Imagine if Nintendo DID achievements and trophies. Whoring out comes to mind...

Yes the content is there, yes the options for multiple party set-ups are there and the festival mode certainly adds a ton of longevity and replayability for the lonesome gamer. Throw in the tweaking of the presentation as well as slicker loading times, slightly improved graphics and the added character roster and M&S appears to be everything a sequel should be!

Or is it? Read on to find how the actual events pan out, and those important final scores – will Mario and Sonic reign over their Summer outing or end off bailing into the snow?