This game was inevitable, the previous release Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was a very popular game and so the Winter Games version is sure to be the same. Join Nintendo favorites like Mario, Luigi, Peach, Wario and Bowser as they go head to head with Sonic, Tails, Eggman and Metal Sonic in 16 winter sports influenced games. Each character has been placed into categories, Speed Types have Yoshi and Sonic, Power Type caters for the big hitters like Donkey Kong and Wario, Skill Types include Tails and Peach and the All-around Types have the likes of Mario and Luigi. You can also take you Mii's out for a run, each in their own cool looking winter wear.

 

 

It would be unfair to call this a minigames collection like so many other games on the Wii as there is a lot more skill and playability than the quick play games we are all used to.

 

After the usual stunning FMV that SEGA are so good at is out the way, we then have the main screen. The game is split into a few modes like single play and Festival mode. The games you play in Festival are later unlocked in other modes. Festival is based on the Winter Olympics themselves and run on the days between the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Each day you will have two events, these can be practice or the main events and at the end of the tournament, the player with the most points wins.

 

The Winter Olympics is all about the sports types on offer and Mario & Sonic doesn’t disappoint. Of the 16 available there are some really strong modes like Skeleton. This is a one man sledge with the aim to get to the end as quickly as possible. With a shake start to power you up you then jump on and hurtle at some crazy speeds around an ice track, the aim is to steer as close to the track markers as possible to keep up the speed and not hit the sides. The Snowboard Cross has you snowboarding down a course, pulling jumps with a quick flick of the Wii-mote and performing stunts. Individual and Team Large Hill needs you to get some speed before you launch yourself off a ramp to get the longest distance and my favorite, Speed Skating, where you rave around an oval course and build speed by swinging left and right in time with your character.

 

There are a few surprising extras that I was not expecting on this title that really extends the re-playability of the game. During the Festival you also have Rival challenges where a boss character has a one on one race with you on certain tracks, be warned though as these guys play dirty. There are also Dream Events that are a great mixture of Sonic and Mario titles, like on the Dream Ski Cross you will race around a course with Mario Kart power-ups and Sonic like speed boosts and loops. There is also a Party Games at Winter Party Park with games like Balloon Attack, Wheel Challenge and Panel Flip which are all based around playing the main events to gain advantage in each party game.

 

Away from all of the Wii-mote waggling there are also Village shops to purchase music, decals to personalize boards and skis, boutique for clothing and a library about the Olympics which you can spend with your points earned in game.

 

As with most games like this there are a few sports that don’t quite work, sadly the Ski Cross and Alpine Skiing are not as good as they could be, the controls are based on holding the two controllers like ski poles, tilting to turn corners and pulling back to slow down but the overall control just makes you miss most of the turns and markers.

 

 

The game is also Wii balance board compatible for most of the titles and is really fun to play, but you probably won't get many medals using this method as it can be tricky. The best mode when using the board is the Skeleton and Bobsleigh where you sit on the balance board and turn around the bends by shifting your weight just like the real thing.

 

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is a strong title that offer loads more fun sports to play but it does not have the overall impact of the first title.