I had the fortune of participating in a press Mario Sports Mix tournament in New York City recently. While I was bounced out in the second round, I got to check out each sport, and watch as the New York champion fell to the San Francisco champion in the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection finals. If you want to hear more about that, Nintendo Week was filming the tomfoolery, so look for that (and maybe me) in an upcoming episode.

As for the game, it seems to be solid. Basketball and hockey were highlights for me, as they were fast-paced and competitive. Dodgeball and volleyball, on the other hand, were very slow-paced and seemed to rely more on waiting for the other guy to mess up rather than displaying any kind of skill. With dodgeball especially, I was hoping I could compare it to the pinnacle of dodgeball-related video games, Super Dodgeball for NES, but it didn't compare favorably to that game at all.

Hockey actually plays kind of like an arcade soccer game. It's all about fighting for control of the puck, which is a coin, and trying to break away from defenders and getting a shot on goal. The player vs. player hockey matches were intense and fun. The hockey has some downsides, though. When playing against another player, one team is always going towards the screen (as opposed to side-to-side) to score. To help out, the goal on that side isn't visible. That would work fine if it weren't for the fact that you can go behind the goal.

While basketball was the sport I played the least of, it's one I want to play again. The gameplay is similar to NBA Jam, but with a decidedly Mario twist. There are over-the-top dunks, complete with "Shablam!" onomatopoeia, and an emphasis on stealing the ball from your opponent or shoving them down. You goaltend the hell out of the game, and oftentimes that is what you have to do to win.

The stages also complicate things. While some of them are normal, there are a few wacky ones. A western-themed level featured a train that ran right through the middle of the playing field, knocking out goalies in hockey. Bowser Jr.'s level had a ridiculous amount of on-court multipliers in basketball. In the final showdown at the event, the San Francisco champion drilled two x10 shots, effectively giving her 20 points per shot and a ridiculous lead. All that tells me is that if people ever play this game competitively, I doubt that stage will be used much.

Mario Sports Mix is due out on February 7 in North America. Coincidentally, that's the day after the Super Bowl, which seems like it might have been done on purpose. If it was, it makes the lack of a Mario American Football game even more painful.