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STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED
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Packshot
Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games

Game Details
Released
23 November 2007
Format
Wii
Developer
Sega


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Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games

Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games (2007)
Review
Were someone to invent a time machine, take a spin back to the mid-90s and tell a group of hardcore gamers that Mario and Sonic would one day appear in the same game, it’s likely they’d probably be torn limb-from-limb by furious fanboys. But while a game that combines the powers of gaming’s greatest mascots may sound like a dream come true, Olympic Games fails to capture the dynamic duo’s time-honoured charms.

Essentially another Wii mini-game extravaganza, Olympic Games features 24 different events, taking in athletics, gymnastics, shooting, rowing and a host of others. However, what separates the game from the sporting pack is how the motion controls are used; unlike most button-mashing simulations, actions such as running and sprinting see players jerking the Wii remote and nunchuck up and down to mimic the action of a runner’s arms, waving the remote to bounce on a trampoline, or swinging it wildly in the air to move an onscreen table tennis paddle.

But while there are hours of fun to be had in Olympic Games, it quickly becomes apparent that many of the events use exactly the same control scheme, meaning that a nagging sense of deja vu soon creeps in as you work your way through the repetitive tournament. The lack of a proper online mode also squanders an opportunity for players to challenge each other across the internet, making Sonic and Mario’s first love-in a decent weekend rental but not worth the premium retail price.

Reviewer: David McComb

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Your Reviews
Average user rating for Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games
Empire Star Rating

RE: Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games

I got it on the DS a while ago - it's quite good, although not something you can really play whilst on public transport...   Mostly good fun, although some of the controls for the events are a bit overly complicated - some of them are seemingly impossible to master and when you do manage to do them properly, it often feels totally random and difficult to replicate!   Good game but a bit too fiddly for it's own good sometimes! ... Read More

Super Hans About me
13:39, 20 May 2008 | Report This Post

RE: Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games
Empire User Rating

This game is amazing. I never knew Mario games could be so fun and the ideas Nintendo seem to be coming up with at the moment are brilliant. Although the graphics aren't too good, and some of the controls are confusing like high jump and 400m, but it is so enjoyable to play with your friends and the circuits, missions and mini-games are all amazing. I highly recommend you get this game for your wii ... Read More

Bill Murray About me
18:30, 13 May 2008 | Report This Post

Empire User Rating

i don't care i'm sooo getting this game. Not a huge sonic fan but any supermario game is the best in the world!!! you can never go wrong with it. i hope it comes out on Nintendo DS though. ... Read More

mozzy_gal About me
19:50, 23 November 2007 | Report This Post

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