GENRE
	Sports
	DEVELOPER
	SEGA
	PUBLISHER
	SEGA
	LOCAL WIRELESS MULTI-PLAY
	Yes
	Wi-Fi/GLOBAL ONLINE MULTI-PLAY
	Yes
	MICROPHONE
	Yes
	BUY NOW AT

Mario’s schedule seems to get busier each year. The mustachioed hero spends time racing go-karts, playing soccer, partying, smashing it up and running around on paper. But even with this versatility, the Nintendo mascot has never been able to make the Olympic Games. If that wasn’t enough, the blazing, blue Sonic the Hedgehog is waiting with his followers for a showdown between two of the most famous video game mascots ever. The hype is set for a spectacular face-off.

visuals

Even though the Nintendo DS has graphic capabilities similar to Nintendo 64, the system continues to receive a copious amount of sprite-based graphics that compare more to SNES. Mario & Sonic illustrates the strengths of the portable with detailed 3D characters that show off such nuances as the yellow scales of Bowser. In addition, the smooth animation of the characters during events adds depth to the title, along with a solid framerate to produce a good sense of speed during races.

Overall, the graphics compare well to Super Mario 64 DS, although the backgrounds and locales seem more trivial and uninspired. Take, for instance, the Dream Race event, which draws parallels to Mario Kart DS because of the red shells flying during the contest. Sadly, the event features only one track, and the 2D sprites that comprise the background seem out of place. The same could be said for much of the game; however, if you consider Mario & Sonic to be basically a mini-game compilation, which it is, this title boasts visuals far better than expected for this genre, if not platform.

audio

Most Mario titles and even some Sonic games contain tracks that will stick in your head after playing. Yet for Mario & Sonic, none of the songs will stay with you. This does not mean the soundtrack is awful, but it does leave you wishing for more. But not all is lost, as completing mini-games in the Gallery mode will unlock classic tracks, such as the Green Hill Zone theme from Sonic the Hedgehog. With five different songs from each mascot, this might be the first place music enthusiasts may want to go.

The game does contain voice-overs for each character, with Tails, for example, claiming, "He can do it," after being selected for an event. These short quips add personality to each character and demonstrate high production values in the game. In addition, a male announcer chimes in from time to time. The announcer can become redundant and annoying, but for the most part, the statements are short and varied.

gameplay

Mario & Sonic focuses on two different modes Circuit and Mission. These options are basically stolen from the Mario Kart series. The Circuit mode separates into three different classes: Beginner, Advanced and Master's. These classes proceed to break down into astronomy-based names, such as Supernova and Cosmos. As players progress, the circuits will contain more events and competitors will become more challenging. In addition, by completing circuits, gamers will unlock Dream events. The Dream events exemplify the frantic and fantasy elements of an event, such as the Super Long Jump. In the Super Long Jump, players fly through the air for up to 2000 meters and earn Mario Kart-ish weapons, like red shells, to knock opponents out of the air. This idea may sound good in theory, but the weapons additions merely downplay the skill and increase the chances of winning on luck.

For shorter bursts of playtime, Mission mode allows players to pick a character, like Wario for example, who will have five distinct goals to obtain. These goals may be to finish in something like 2nd place in the 400-meter sprint instead of merely winning the race outright. This adds a layer of strategy to mix. On a whole, these missions seemed a tad harder than the Circuit mode, but are a breath of fresh air for when Circuit mode becomes stale. In addition, the incentive to complete the Mission modes relates to gaining character-specific emblems. An emblem, such as Bowser's emblem, has no effects on gameplay or stat boosts; instead, it merely fills up a boring menu screen, which is rather disappointing.

Mario & Sonic contains 24 events, including a few Dream competitions, such as the aforementioned Dream Race. Gamers will control the majority of these contests with a stylus, but a couple will only use the face buttons. The stylus controls are well implemented, albeit somewhat simplistic and repetitive. You will rub the touch screen from side-to-side for running and swimming or tap for jumping hurdles. But the Shooting and Archery events have the best execution. Players will aim with the stylus on the bottom screen to shoot clay pigeons or to nail the center of a target. The sensitivity of the touch screen, along with the L or R shoulder button, allows you to shoot moving objects with ease. In addition, the two events that bypass the touch screen and focus on buttons -- Table Tennis and 10-Meter Diving -- work extremely well and mapped intelligently. For example, Table Tennis makes use of three buttons: your outside buttons, Y and A, are your sidespins, and B is your flat, more powerful shot. The D-pad manages player movement, as positioning and timing are the keys to beating an opponent.

Unfortunately, there are a few events that sloppily apply the stylus controls. Fencing, relying heavily on the stylus, was frustrating and more luck then strategy. The main gimmick of this event relies on seeing a little star-like shape appear above your opponent's head. Unfortunately, by using the stylus, your hand will cover your rival most of the time, making it far too difficult to see the star-like icon when it appears. Also, the Vault event creates problems because gamers must first rub the screen back and forth, tap the vault at the precise time, hit numbers from low to high for tricks, and then finally tap the screen again to stick the landing. This control method complicates matters and the vague directions had me confused initially on the order of hitting the numbers.

Ultimately, the events control smoothly for the majority of the game, but the few hiccups are frustrating. Gamers may find themselves bypassing Circuits that contain Fencing and even the Vault. Mission mode does offer a plethora of new challenges, but all in all, the minigames won't have lasting appeal. Like most minigame collections, Mario & Sonic is best played in quick, short bursts.

multiplayer

Mario & Sonic had the chance to shine while carrying the torch with multiplayer, but the flame vanished before they even started. The title only contains Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection capabilities for comparing your record times against the world. While this creates healthy competition, the ability to play against anyone in the world would have been great when the solo mode grew stale. With faster paced and more visually expansive games like Metroid Prime: Hunters going online more than two years ago, this is a major omission. However, the game does allow for single and multi-card play, which feature all of the events of single player, so that you and a friend or two can compete for a gold medal.

overall

Many an older gamer will remember childhood lunches spent fighting over who was better: Mario or Sonic? Finally, the chance to address this question arrives (along with the superior Super Smash Bros. Brawl) and manages to nail a lot of game mechanics, slick production values and a great 3D graphic engine. However, the inconsistent mini-games and exclusion of online play drags this title down. A sequel that addresses these issues could give this series a gold medal. As for now, Mario & Sonic showcases an assortment of good and mediocre mini-games and winds up with a silver medal.

7.5/10