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The best things in life come in moderation and sporting events like the World Cup and the Olympics are no exception. Every four years we have a worldwide celebration of sport, athleticism and skill and with it come the usual drunken claims that “I can do that,” as we watch England fail abysmally. As we approach the review of Mario and Sonic the game presents itself as an important event, arguably alongside the actual Olympics. For a gamer, the only real monument about Mario and Sonic is evident in the title, Mario and Sonic, once bitter enemies now allied in a watered down handheld version of a party Wii game. We use the term “watered down” not in a derogatory sense, but to simply point the obvious; it’s on the Nintendo DS. With other Olympic themed games and a plethora of min-gamed games on the DS does Mario and Sonic unite and conquer or does it get torn apart by bitter rivalry?

Hypothetically the game uses the same formula for its minigames as Track and Field all those many years ago. Hit two buttons over and over in succession until you finish the event. With the DS’s touch screen at Sega’s disposal the premise stays the same; draw circles or lines back and forth until you’ve completed the event. There’s a handful available ranging from the 100meter sprint to the hammer or javelin. The rules are pretty much standard, minus a few instances when you’ll be able to pick up powerups, grounding Mario and Sonic firmly in game-reality. If your impatient and just want a five minute play then the single event mode will basically grant you a choice of any character and any event and let you play through it. If you’re looking for something slightly more structured then you’re going to want to partake in the circuits. These are multi-event, single-character orientated and playing them will unlock you more circuits.

The character roster is typically varied and picks your favorite characters from both franchises. The characters are sorted under three attributes; Power, Speed, Technique or a choice of an All-Rounder. To begin with, the disciplines don’t actually matter and the average player will breeze through the circuit events. Later on you’ll have to be a bit more strategic and actually use the right tool for the right job. The aim is simply finish top after the events and the chance to double your points on a single event helps you to your aim. It’s best used on the sport you’re sure you’re going to win otherwise it’s a waste.

While we’re on the topic of waste, we can firmly say that the developers haven’t wasted one drop of the DS’s power. The graphics are decent and conform to the artstyle that we’re familiar with. Vibrant colours and cheery text light up the DS’s screen from start to finish. The framerate is kept stable throughout even when there is a lot of action on screen. Sound effects are to a fair quality but will unlikely get you excited.Mario and Sonic definitely has the Nintendo bug of “just one more go.” Its genre is perfect for the handheld ethos and it’s going to keep you entertained for a while. It’s not devoid of embarrassing moments as several events require you to clap / shout to the game which when you’re on a busy tube isn’t exactly going to appeal to the grumpy businessman next to you. There’s mini (mini?) games where beating them will reveal some interesting information about the Olympics. The core mechanic is pretty much simple, but a keen eye will see that mastering all the events will take time and practice. There’s a small introduction to each event in case you forgot how to play and the control / interaction varies from event to event, reducing the mundane and generic.

There’s WIFI multiplayer so you can play with your friends, and overall enough content to warrant a purchase. There’s the odd stylus problem, but nearly every DS game has that problem. AI is a bit quirky on occasion and once you’ve mastered the game, easily beat. It’s the perfect portable title, just not the perfect video game. If mini-game action is your cup of tea then be sure to pick this one up but otherwise, keep to your Zelda. All in all a decent effort.

Score: 7/10

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