
The next morning, we were feeling less jolly.
It wasn't just the hangovers. Thanks to our exertions in Mario & Sonic, shoulders ached, arms were leaden, and simply putting a shirt on was a painful experience. Despite this, we all agreed we'd do it again. And we did. And yes, it still hurt the following morning. Why am I telling you this? Simple: because it underlines just what a fantastic social experience the Wii version of Mario & Sonic can be. Break the game down in the cold light of day, and it becomes easy to nitpick at its flaws. It's far from perfect. Yet it is immensely fun with friends. It's worth the pain, you could say.
And the DS version? Well ... not so much. In fact, as a social experience, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games on the DS falls a long, long way short of its bigger, stronger Wii brother.
Comparisons between the two versions are inevitable. Despite the absurd number of trinkets that can be collected in the single-player mode of each -- scores of medals, trophies, emblems, and crowns -- neither version is at its best when played alone. Neither is meant to be played alone. These kind of games thrive on banter, on poking fun at your friends, and on getting ribbed yourself when you lose. With this in mind, I spent a significant portion of the last fortnight playing the DS version against one or two friends (who I should thank for their patience). The verdict? It wasn't terribly fun.
I suspect the game itself isn't entirely at fault. Moreover, this is a hardware issue. The DS isn't suited to this kind of frenetic social gaming, while the Wii is wonderfully suited to it. Watching a friend's face turn a curious shade of red as they pump their arms furiously to win an on-screen sprint between a plumber and a hedgehog is funny.
When you play against other friends on the DS, with each of you focusing on his or her own private touchscreen, a lot of the fun simply evaporates. There's none of the silly arm-waving or ridiculous shouting that comes with the Wii version (and as a result, there's noticeably less joshing and jeering). If anything, this is a worrying sign for games to come, such as Konami's New International Track & Field.

Elsewhere, the game uses the DS's unique feature-set in inventive ways, such as letting you psyche up the crowd by clapping into your microphone before you start your run-up to the long jump. The odd event is a flat-out failure -- hello, fencing -- but these are few and far between.
Admirably, few changes have been made from the Wii version, save for the reduced number of participants in some events (where the Wii had eight, the DS has four). That said, this title is easily as polished as any of EA's annual sports franchises. The character models and animation display some of the best 3D work yet on the DS, while the menus are attractive and sensibly laid out.
However, while parts of the game are worthy of praise, it doesn't change the fact that multiplayer is Mario & Sonic's raison d'etre. We've criticized the omission of online play in our previous coverage of the game, and it feels no less silly or inexplicable now (the online leaderboards are a meager consolation). Dafter still, it's not possible to unlock events when playing against friends. Instead, we're expected to slog our way through the game's tiresome single-player mode, facing off against predictable, dull AI opponents.
Ultimately, the lack of an engaging, atmospheric multiplayer mode undermines Mario & Sonic on the DS. If you come to the game without having experienced the Wii version, you may extract more enjoyment from the game than I did, but those who have already waved their arms about like loons in front of the TV with friends in the Wii game are advised to look elsewhere.
Final score: 6/10
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-12-2008 @ 10:52AM
Kylock said...
Gah! You used the dreaded phrase "joshing."
For the sake of Joshuas world-wide, refrain refrain!
Reply
2-12-2008 @ 1:37PM
Saphion said...
Bugger, I was hoping to pick this up to fill the gap until the next decent EU DS release*.
*Read: A very, VERY long time.
Reply
2-12-2008 @ 5:28PM
BlackDS said...
I just got Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games last week, and I like it alot. The game is fun, even in single player. I have gold medals for all characters in the all the track, field, aquatic events and trampoline (so far). I got stuck on the vault with Mario (so far). There's alot to unlock in single player mode.
Granted, I haven't played the Wii version (don't own a Wii), or played the multiplayer yet, so I can't argue with the review. However, it's the first game with Mario & Sonic, so what more do you want? :)
I personally think Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games deserves more than a 6. It's a fun game that is great to travel with. You can just break it out and play for a few minutes and put it away.
Just my opinion, based on only a couple hours of gameplay.
Peace.
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4-22-2008 @ 2:59PM
BlackDS said...
I have gold medals and 1st place for all events and for all characters. I have unlocked all the emblems, except the archery emblem. :) And I've beaten all the minigames and unlocked all the music. Essentially, I beat the game, with the exception of the archery emblem. So I'm revisiting my comments.
The game is worth $35, it's one of the better DS games I own.
The reviewer panned the multiplayer, he didn't mention any DS games that were better in multiplayer. Also, he compared the DS game to the Wii game, which IMO means the review fails big time. Comparing the game to a DS game makes way more sense than comparing a DS game to a Wii game. Pretty obvious IMO.
Multiplayer-wise, it's not Mario Kart, but what is? It's fun like Clubhouse Games in multiplayer, but in a different way (if that makes any sense).
The single player game is really good, the AI doesn't cheat like Mario Party DS (too lucky), and getting Emblems, 1st Place, and Gold Medals can be challenging, depending on the character used and the event chosen. The some missions are challenging, some are not. Overall, lots of content to unlock.
The game itself has some replay value, due to the multiplayer aspect.
This game deserves way better than a 6, I would give it an 8.5. Overall, a unique game with stylus gameplay.
BTW, this game is tough on screen protectors. Between this game and Cooking Mama Dinner with Friends, I put a hole in my Hori Screen protector.
Peace.
4-22-2008 @ 3:03PM
BlackDS said...
I forgot to add, the game looks gorgeous.
Everything looks great (for a DS game).
Peace.
2-25-2008 @ 10:10AM
Tracy Sandham said...
Please can someone help me connect to multiplay on this game i am having real problems i want to connect to wifi but can not find where i start i have tried clicking on versus play but then that just takes me to where i connect with players who are in the same room? i can not get to the screen on the ds that asks me for all the wfc connections im sooo confused please someone help me ASAP!
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