Yesterday, I was given the opportunity to attend a community event celebrating the launch of Mario Sports Mix - a collaboration project between Nintendo and Square-Enix. The event took place at a YMCA in Toronto, which was a perfect setting due to the type of game that it is. The event was also for Big Brothers and Sisters of Toronto, who were invited to attend. In addition to being able to try the game early, the kids were given a chance to play different sports (I saw them playing volleyball and hockey) with half being on Team Mario and the other half on Team Donkey Kong. Mario and Donkey Kong both were in attendance and they took part in the sporting events, making sure to take some pictures with the kids at the end.
The event was an hour and a half in duration and I managed to get a chance to play the game for a little while. I also watched others play it. What I did get to play was quite fun. Out of the four sports available to be played in the game (dodgeball, hockey, basketball and volleyball,) the only one I didn't get a chance to try was dodgeball. Each of the three I played were very over the top, fast and frenetic, like other Mario sports titles.
Hockey was definitely the best one out of the three that I did get to play. I found it to be the most fun, especially since it played a lot like Mario Strikers (which I'm a huge fan of and became addicted to.) Checking is a very important aspect of the gameplay, which is a lot like Strikers. Both games are quite hectic and somewhat chaotic in that sense, which I find fun. Players use the nunchuk to control their team and can switch on the fly by pressing C. Motion controls are used for faceoffs, shooting the puck (which is a gold coin,) special moves and checking. Traditional Mario items (like shells) are able to be used to try to stop your opponent. They worked pretty well. It was quite easy to score, which was the one major downside, although it was still very competitive.
The basketball mode was fast-paced, frenetic and fun. I had a tough time scoring, but that was most-likely because I was new to it and hadn't become accustomed to the control scheme yet. Its motion controls were what you'd expect and felt somewhat natural: you'd raise the Wiimote up and then swing it forward to shoot from far away or to dunk (if you're close to the basket.) Timing is important, so it's something that will come with practice. I thought it controlled pretty well and was fun. There is one court available where random point multipliers will appear on the court in circular pads. If you shoot from one, you will receive the shown benefit (or lack thereof, considering there are negative point pads too.) This allows for there to be some pretty weird scores, and is fun. I'm glad they only chose to leave it restricted to one court though.
Volleyball actually plays a lot like basketball in terms of its control scheme. In order to serve, you must lift the Wiimote up and then tilt it forward. The height, length and power of your serve will change depending on the speed and power you use. Motion controls are also utilized for the other maneuvers, such as volleying and attacking the ball. The controls are pretty simple, but I thought that the motion controls were a bit inconsistent at times. I enjoyed playing it, but not as much as the other two sports.
Although I didn't get a chance to try dodgeball, I did watch a couple of people play it for a minute or two. It had different rules than the traditional dodgeball rules. Instead of being out after being hit once, they added life bars. It seems like you must completely eliminate an opposing player's health bar to get them out, which is certainly a different take on the sport. However, it makes sense from a video game perspective (especially an arcade sports game like this one,) because it allows the game to last longer and invokes some interesting new strategy.
Each game mode allows for players to choose the amount of players there will be on each team (seemingly limited to 2 on 2 or 3 on 3.) Location selection is available, with some having their own unique attributes (such as the aforementioned basketball court, as well as a volleyball court that continuously slides left and right.) Said attributes change the game up a bit by adding new challenges and elements. Of course, items and special moves also play a big part in the experience, with a myriad of well-known items being available in each mode. There are 14 courts available, and some are limited to certain sports. A handful return from Mario Hoops 3 on 3. The career mode is set up with a myriad of different cups/tournaments in each sport, similar to Mario Kart.
All of the characters have their own special moves in each sport, such as Mario's ability to dunk from anywhere on the court in basketball and Peach's distracting special move that sends out a ton of huge hearts in volleyball. There are nineteen playable characters available, such as the traditional (and popular) Nintendo icons Mario, Luigi, Peach, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and Wario, as well as your Mii. Additionally, the game contains 7 unlockable Square-Enix characters, such as the Ninja, White Mage, Black Mage, Slime and Moogle. Each one has its own stats and specialties, allowing for people to select their ideal type of team.
The game featured some nice animations, decent looking graphics and very colourful environments. Just by looking at it, it's easy to tell that it's a Mario sports title. Its sound design also seemed pretty good. Mario Sports Mix appeals to a wide-range of ages, but is targeted towards kids the most.
I enjoyed attending the event and getting a chance to try the game. I look forward to playing it this week. Check back for a full review in the near future.
Mario Sports Mix is out tomorrow (February 7, 2011) for the Nintendo Wii.
