Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for Nintendo 3DS, the latest installment in the famous Mario & Sonic saga, the mascots of Nintendo and SEGA, has just been released. This game was announced on May 31, 2015, with a 2016 release date, but it wasn't until 2016 that its release date was announced and it was released in both versions.
It's one of the largest installments, with more game modes and a large number of playable characters from the worlds of the plumber and the hedgehog. Today we're analyzing this video game in its 3DS version, as another version was released for Wii U:
The story begins when you arrive in wonderful Brazil and meet a tourist who asks if you're here to watch the Rio Olympics. You reply no, you're here to compete. Suddenly, two fans from the Mario and Sonic gyms appear and ask you which team you're joining; this decision won't affect the entire story, but only the first time you play through it.
The game is divided into days; each day you'll have to play a preliminary and final match for a specific sport, while there are four training sessions and a character to unlock, as well as various hidden items. There are exactly seven days, and on the first and last days, different training sessions will appear before and after you've completed the preliminary match for your chosen sport. Along with all of this, you'll have to uncover the mysteries of Mario or Sonic, depending on which story you choose.
Personally, I chose Sonic's gym to start with, and I found the story to be very fun and original, reminiscent of the real Olympic Games. The story sends you a small message throughout: even if you have a lot of disagreements with another person, you don't have to throw stones at each other. By the way, the story includes real-life locations in Rio de Janeiro, so you'll be more immersed in the place where this competition is taking place.
On the other hand, Mario's part of the story is very similar to Sonic's but has different secrets. There's also a secret story with the two teams teaming up against villains, so it can be tiresome to replay it multiple times, especially if you want to unlock the latter.
The gameplay in this title is the same as the previous Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Each sport requires you to use certain buttons, use the stylus, or even move the console with the gyroscope; the latter is especially used in archery and gun sports. During the story, the controls are like any other game of this genre: the stick or D-pad to move and the A button to talk or open chests. Later, in Pocket Marathon, you'll have to walk using StreetPass and the Nintendo 3DS pacer to make a course, outrunning people you encounter along the way. In any case, the special modes aren't very impressive, and the lack of online functionality makes it even more difficult.
Although it's for Nintendo 3DS, the graphics caught my attention, not because of the graphics themselves, but because of the new character models, including the Mii characters, your very own characters. The textures used in the new models are smoother than all the previous releases, something that surprised me and really caught my attention, especially in Super Mario, the character who shows the most noticeable change.
The soundtrack of this title reflects Rio de Janeiro during the Olympic Games and is composed of classic Brazilian musical instruments, filled with the joy and the city's carnivals. These instruments also appear in the video game, right at the end of the story, along with the appearance of Mario and Sonic. It's a soundtrack that includes many variations of different music tracks, so it doesn't become too tiresome throughout the game; you won't find music as cheerful anywhere else.
This installment has a fairly entertaining story, suitable for both beginners and experienced players of the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series. It offers average gameplay, sometimes easier and sometimes more difficult, but with new models and smoother textures than other installments. It has many modes, sports, and playable characters, making it one of the biggest titles in the series and featuring a very upbeat soundtrack, in addition to being faithful to the location where the 2016 Olympic Games are being held. It all comes together to make it one of the best installments in the series, even though it doesn't even come close to reaching the level of the originals.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is available for Nintendo 3DS or in the Wii U version, which includes an exclusive sport called Rugby Sevens and features a redesign of both the graphics and the gameplay of the sports. The main problem is that this Wii U version doesn't have a story mode like the 3DS version.
Worst parts of the game
- Even trying with all his might, he can't reach the level of quality of the original games in the series.
- The story is very simple and even tho it's fun, repeating it 3 times is pointless.
- Still doesn't included online.
Best parts of the game
- The character models are newer and smoother.
- The sports minigames have been enhanced with unique and fun gameplay.
- The interactions between the characters are heavily scripted and designed in great ways.
- The setting has been perfectly recreated.
- Some of the special modes are so fun to do and very creative, like the Street Pass Marathon
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