Ever since the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, there has been a Mario & Sonic game pertaining to each major event. Available exclusively on Nintendo video game consoles (obviously), these games allow players (and in later games, their Mii) to participate in a number of Olympic events from a range of disciplines. This year’s Olympic Games in Rio will be no different.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is scheduled for release starting April 9th on the Nintendo 3DS, and will be followed up by a Wii U edition later on this year. This latest instalment will feature 14 Olympic disciplines and 14 special “Plus Events” the latter of which will put a unique Mario and Sonic twist on the athletic action.
On top of classic events including archery and swimming, new experiences await players. Golf will make an appearance at the Olympic Games for the first time in a whopping 112 years, and the developers haven’t left it out of this game. Players can swing with the stylus and shoot for the cup. I don’t see it beating a dedicated Mario Golf video games, but still. Players can also try their hand at the Plus Events. Dive through and ride on waves caused by a Thwomp to set the fastest time in 100m Freestyle Swimming Plus, or use power-ups to reach the finish line even faster in the 100m Plus Event.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will feature the largest playable character cast yet. 20 new characters such as Rosaline and Rouge will be making their debut, for a total cast size of 40.
Aspiring athletes who dream of seeing themselves atop the podium can also go solo and play as their Mii in Road to Rio mode, arriving in Brazil ready to take on the sporting elite and discover the on-going rivalry between two gyms, led by Mario and Sonic respectively. It’s up to the player to decide which team to join, with story events unfolding along the way.
You can find some screenshots of the Nintendo 3DS version below:
