Mario, Sonic and a host of other fan-favourite characters go for gold in dozens of exciting sporting events in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, which has now arrived on the Nintendo 3DS family systems. Set in Rio de Janeiro, host city of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, the latest instalment of the series features 14 Olympic disciplines, as well as 14 special Plus Events that put a unique Mario and Sonic twist on the athletic action.
On top of classic events including archery and swimming, new experiences await in this supercharged collection. Golf makes an appearance at the Olympic Games for the first time in 112 years, and players can swing with the stylus and shoot for the cup exclusively in the Nintendo 3DS version. If competitors are up for another challenge, they can try their hand at 14 Plus Events, which put a special spin on classic disciplines: dive through and ride on waves caused by a Thwomp to set the fastest time in 100m Freestyle Swimming Plus, or use power-ups to reach the finish line even faster in the 100m Plus Event.
We were sent a copy to review and Isaac has suddenly fallen back in love with the 3DS. This game sees a host of new and familiar faces from both the Mario and the Sonic series who greet you in Rio. Next to favourites such as Yoshi and Amy Rose, there are 20 new characters will join the fun – including Rosalina and Rouge – for a total cast of 40 playable competitors.
Aspiring athletes who dream of seeing themselves atop the podium can also go solo and play as their Mii in Road to Rio mode, arriving in Brazil ready to take on the sporting elite and discover the on-going rivalry between two gyms, led by Mario and Sonic respectively. It’s up to the player to decide which team to join, with unique story events unfolding along the way; completing the story will reward you with a Mario or Sonic Mii outfit, depending on whose side you chose.
Becoming the very best will require focused training, so players can get to grips with each event by practising at the local ginásios before taking on more difficult challenges. Next to a tough training regime, players can equip all kinds of useful sports gear, from golf clubs to full character outfits, to boost their abilities. If players dress their Mii in a Mario outfit and tap the Mario amiibo, or wear the Sonic outfit and tap the Sonic amiibo, that outfit’s abilities will receive a short-term boost – perfect for getting an additional competitive edge when it really matters.
Once certain of their skills, players can challenge family and friends in multiplayer mode to determine who the real champion is. With Download Play, up to four players can face off against each other with just one copy of the game between them, or see how they stack up against faraway players in global leaderboards. Another new feature, the Pocket Marathon, counts the steps players take with their Nintendo 3DS system, unlocking rewards on the way to the finish line that help increase the abilities of Mii characters and saw Isaac marching around the room trying to overtake everyone in front of him.
A computer game that gets kids up and moving – that is a winner with me!
For more information about training up Mii characters, the events on offer and much more, visit the new Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games website.
This looks so much fun! I used to play with Mario too years ago. My youngest brother still plays it on his Wii and when we visited, he taught little T how to play and now we’re wondering whether to get a Wii, but I think T is too young.
Ah this is a blast from the past, I was a Sonic fan as I had a Sega game gear (how old am I?) didnt have Nintendo so dont have as many fond memories of hours spent racing through levels catching rings etc. Be great if this sort of thing is still going when my boys are a little older, would love to beat them at a game or two.
I was a huge Sonic fan back in the day when we had a Sega system.
Anything that gets the kids up and moving around can only be a good thing!
Stacey loves these games, and we bought her a Wii U console for Christmas so I think we’re definitely going to have to treat her to this when it comes out! She’s doing amazingly well at school this year so maybe it could be her treat? And mummy can play it when she’s not around to know 😉
Louise x
I love Mario, I’ve got a Wii but never tried this, I sure will now X
My husband would love this he is a huge sonic fan. This looks like lots of fun to play too.
It’s so funny because I used to play Sonic all the time. Now he’s joined forces with Mario, it’s even better as it’s the new games have all the great characters.
I love super mario and sonic, this looks like a great game.
This does look fun – sometimes I wish we had a DS as they have some nice games.
Mario games are always a classic hello Mario Nitendo 64? I like that Issac found it as fun as I did just looking at the page!
Who doesnt love a good game of Mario? I get quite competitive with Mario Kart x
This looks like something my two would like – they love Sonic and Mario x x
My boys would love this. I remember the Mario and Sonic game from the last Olympics and they loved that
Hubby owns a computer game shop so I have seen this. I’m a huge fan of all things Mario!
Cat x
Emma is not into Nintendo DS (thank goodness!) but this does look like a very fun game for little ones to get excited over, now with the Olympic Games approaching.xx
This looks great! One to to mine, ahem I mean my children’s collection of DS games!
It’s good to see the old classic characters coming back. This sounds like a lot of fun. I wish the boys in my house still played games like this, I would play this
I know my 9 year old would love it. I remember having a similar sport game when I was little, and even though I hated playing any sport, I loved playing that! 😀
We all love Sonic the hedgehog as a family