Gold medal or back of the pack?
During the events, using the stylus feels so much better and is certainly more intuitive than using the Wii-mote. With the DS you have a surface in which to press onto rather than trying to mimic the exact motions in mid-air with the Wii-mote and thanks to some superb implementation and great gameplay ideas the stylus works extremely well in the majority of events.There are many events in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games that involve running. Using the stylus to power up before you start and then sliding it quickly to the right when you hear the starter pistol and then feverishly sliding it left and right on the screen did remind me of those finger-aching days of Daley Thompson’s decathlon. In the more difficult levels you’re determination is really tested during the likes of the 400 meters and when you win a race it really does feel that you’ve worked for and thoroughly deserve that gold medal.
The stylus is fun to use in most of the events. You may need to draw an angle when you leap from the block in the long jump, or move it in a continuous circular motion during the hammer throw, and it’s been used to even better effect in events such as trampoline where you need to move it in an upwards motion when you hit the trampoline and then pull off numerous eye catching moves by imitating the shapes that pop up on screen. Archery is equally as good, pulling back the stylus as if you’re pulling the bow and the moving the target whilst trying to judge the speed of the wind. Sega has put together some great ideas that make many of the events interesting to play and, apart from a few stinkers, such as fencing and table tennis; it’s a solid and pleasing conversion of the Wii game.
The presentation is equally as impressive with clean menus, slick 3D cartoon graphics and crowd scenes and detailed backgrounds that give the game that Olympic feel. The idea to add replays is also a nice touch, and though it would have been nice to view them from multiple camera angles, they still look great and give you a chance to assess just how well you started that 100metres or why you fell flat on your face during the vault.
Overall, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is an impressive demonstration of how to make the most of the DS stylus. You’ll soon get through the 24 events on offer, but with the added incentive of online leader-boards and all of the unlockable content to plough through, the game has been padded out enough to keep you entertained over the Olympic Summer.
Pros
Excellent presentation
Great use of the stylus
Some entertaining sports
Online leaderboards add replay value
Cons
If more attention was paid to every sport it could have been better; there are some stinkers
Should keep you going through the Olympic summer. Great use of the DS stylus.
HEXUS Awards
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
