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Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

by Nick DiMola - June 3, 2009, 2:45 am EDT
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One of the show floor demos offered up three unique two player events.

During my time in the Sega booth I was able to play three events with Reviews Editor, Michael "TYP" Cole. Though there were other demos available showcasing Balance Board support, and single player experiences, I focused my efforts on this particular aspect of the game.

The first event we were able to attack was Bobsledding. Unlike the other two events, this was the only co-operative event. The PR rep suggested we stand in a similar fashion to how the bobsledders were sitting within the Tobaggan. In order to start the event both TYP and myself needed to waggle the controller in a swatting motion to push the bobsled forward. Upon reaching the proper location and speed, players must tap A and hop into the sled.

As we rushed down the course, it was necessary to stay towards the center of the track in order to grab a convenient speed boost. This was done by holding the Wii Remote to our respective chests, and leaning left and right in accordance with the construct of the track. As expected, more congruent and accurate movement yielded the fatest times down the track. The motions were intuitive and easy to perform and the event was fun and exciting. I can imagine with four players, it would be even more hectic and exciting.

The next event was Speed Skating. This game was competitive, pitting TYP against me. To start the event we again needed to quickly waggle to get an initial starting boost. Following this initial spurt we then had to swing the Wii Remote left to right in a specific rhythm in order to move the fastest. Each swipe was graded with a ranking from Bad to Perfect. I was able to get a hold of the rhythm quicker than TYP which resulted in a win for myself.

Our final event was a Downhill Slalom. In this event, we needed to start the race with a push out of the game using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. As we started moving we needed to hold the controllers as if they were ski poles. We leaned forward and shifted our bodies in conjunction with the controllers left and right in order to steer down the hill. Going down you also needed to steer through thirty-six gates. As you pass through your speed is slightly increased, missing a gate drops your speed down to the base. Passing closely through the gate, touching the flag gives you a small speed boost. Again, the controls were smooth, comfortable, and very intuitive, and the gameplay was fun and interesting.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games appears to be coming along admirably, and hopefully further events will continue the trend exhibited by this small showing.

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Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Box Art

Genre Sports
Developer Sega

Worldwide Releases

na: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Release Oct 13, 2009
PublisherSega
RatingEveryone
jpn: Mario & Sonic at Vancouver Olympics
Release Nov 05, 2009
PublisherNintendo
RatingAll Ages
eu: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Release Oct 16, 2009
PublisherSega
Rating3+
aus: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Release Oct 15, 2009
PublisherSega
RatingGeneral
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