Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Last updated

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
M&s rio 2016 wii u cover art.jpg
North American Wii U cover art
Developer(s) Sega Sports R&D
Arzest/Spike Chunsoft (3DS)
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Hiroshi Miyamoto (3DS)
Eigo Kasahara (Wii U)
Producer(s) Nobuya Ohashi
Designer(s) Harumasa Nakajima (3DS)
Shingo Kawakami (Wii U)
Programmer(s) Keiichi Noda (3DS)
Kouichi Nomura (Wii U)
Artist(s) Hiroshi Kanazawa (3DS)
Hitoshi Furukubo (Wii U)
Composer(s)
List of composers
Series Mario & Sonic
Platform(s) Arcade, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U
ReleaseArcade
  • WW: February 2016
Nintendo 3DS
  • JP: February 18, 2016
  • NA: March 18, 2016
  • EU: April 8, 2016
  • AU: April 9, 2016
Wii U
  • JP: June 23, 2016
  • NA/EU: June 24, 2016
  • AU: June 25, 2016
Genre(s) Sports, party
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games [lower-alpha 1] is a 2016 crossover sports and party game in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series, released for the Nintendo 3DS in February 2016 in Japan, March 2016 in North America, and in April 2016 for Europe and Australia, and for the Wii U worldwide in June 2016. [1] The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee, as have the other games in the series. [2] It was developed by Sega, with assistance from Arzest and Spike Chunsoft, and published by Nintendo. It is the fifth title in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series. [3] The game is a collection of Olympic sports themed mini-games featuring characters from the Mario series and the Sonic the Hedgehog series. [4]

Contents

The game received generally mixed reviews upon release. A sixth game in the series, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 , was released in November 2019 for the Nintendo Switch. [5]

Gameplay

The game features forty-two playable characters from Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog franchises, as well as the option to use a previously made Mii character in-game. In the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, Mario, Sonic, and Mii are the only characters that can be used in all events; other returning characters are exclusive to two events while new characters are only playable in one. In the Wii U version of the game, all returning characters from previous games are usable in all events, while new playable characters (known as "guests" in-game) are only playable in one.

The characters new to the series that can be used in both versions of the game include Diddy Kong, Nabbit, Wendy O. Koopa, Larry Koopa, Rosalina, Dry Bowser, Jet the Hawk, Rouge the Bat, Wave the Swallow, Espio the Chameleon, Zavok, Sticks the Badger, and Zazz. In the Wii U version, Toad is featured as an exclusive character. In the 3DS version, Roy Koopa, Ludwig von Koopa, Dry Bones, Birdo, Dr. Eggman Nega, E-123 Omega, and Cream the Rabbit all appear as exclusive characters. Each character has their own individual statistics for 'power', 'speed' and 'technique', which affect the player's performance depending on the variables of the minigame.

Rugby Sevens, Archery, and BMX debut in the game alongside refined versions of returning events, such as athletics, volleyball, archery, swimming and equestrian. [6] In the Wii U version, some of the minigames have motion control functionality using the Wii Remote controller.

Each minigame is held in a re-creation of its corresponding venue in the actual 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. [6]

Development

The game was first revealed on the Japanese Nintendo Direct website on May 30, 2015. [7] Like the previous games, the game was officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee. [2] Both versions of the game released worldwide in 2016. [8] An arcade edition of the game was also announced by Sega, which was released in Japan in 2016. [9] [10] It was released in North America and Europe on June 24, 2016, alongside the Wii U version. [11]

Reception

On the review aggregator Metacritic, both the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game received "mixed or average" scores of 60 (based on 30 critics) and 65 (based on 26 critics) respectively. [12] [13] The game was criticised for being too similar to past installments of the Mario & Sonic series. Nintendo World Report gave the Wii U version a 7/10, stating "While the limited amount of events are the major downer here, I had fun playing them alone or with friends". [18]

Stuart Andrews of TrustedReviews gave the Wii U version a 7/10, stating, "It’s every bit as shallow and silly as previous titles, taking on a broad range of disciplines without ever really mastering any. Yet, if you’re looking for a fun game to play with the family then it’s one of the most enjoyable I’ve played this year." [19]

Notes

  1. Japanese: マリオ&ソニック AT リオオリンピック, Hepburn: Mario ando Sonikku atto Rio Orinpikku, lit. 'Mario & Sonic at the Rio Olympics'

Related Research Articles

<i>Mario Party</i> Party video game series published by Nintendo

Mario Party is a party video game series featuring characters from the Mario franchise in which up to four local players or computer-controlled characters compete in a board game interspersed with minigames. The games are currently developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo, being previously developed by Hudson Soft. The series is known for its party game elements, including the often unpredictable multiplayer modes that allow play with up to four, and sometimes eight, human players or CPUs.

Super Smash Bros. is a crossover fighting game series published by Nintendo. The series was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who has directed every game in the series. The series is known for its unique gameplay objective which differs from that of traditional fighters, in that the aim is to increase damage counters and knock opponents off the stage instead of depleting life bars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mii</span> Avatar on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps

A Mii is a customizable avatar used on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps. The name Mii is a portmanteau of "Wii" and "me", referring to them typically being avatars of the players. Miis were first introduced on the Wii console in 2006 and later appeared on the DS, 3DS, the Wii U, the Switch, and various apps for smart devices such as Miitomo. Miis can be created using different body, facial and clothing features, and can then be used as characters within games on the consoles, either as an avatar of a specific player or in some games portrayed as characters with their own personalities. Miis can be shared and transferred between consoles, either manually or automatically with other users over the internet and local wireless communications.

<i>Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games</i> 2007 video game

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is a 2007 crossover sports and party game developed by the Sega Sports R&D Department. It is the first installment on the Mario & Sonic series. It was published by Nintendo in Japan and by Sega in other regions, and released on the Wii in November 2007 and the Nintendo DS handheld in January 2008. The first official video game of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, it is licensed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through exclusive licensee International Sports Multimedia (ISM), and is the first official crossover game to feature characters from both the Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog series.

<i>Sega Superstars Tennis</i> 2008 sports video game

Sega Superstars Tennis is a sports video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It is the second title in the Sega All-Stars series, preceded by Sega Superstars (2005), and crosses over characters, locations, and soundtracks from several Sega franchises, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Channel 5, and Super Monkey Ball.

<i>Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games</i> 2009 video game

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is a 2009 sports and party game developed by Sega. Like its predecessor, it was published by Nintendo for Japan and Korea and by Sega in the Western world. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through exclusive license International Sports Multimedia. The game is the third official crossover title to feature characters from both Mario and Sonic's respective universes, the first and second being the game's predecessor Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Super Smash Bros. Brawl respectively. It was released on the Wii and the Nintendo DS in October 2009, and is the first official video game of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

<i>Mario Party 9</i> 2012 video game

Mario Party 9 is a 2012 party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The ninth main installment in the Mario Party series, it was announced at E3 2011 and released in Europe, North America, and Australia in March 2012, followed by Japan a month later. It was the first game in the series not to be developed by Hudson Soft, which was acquired and dissolved by Konami on March 1, 2012, the day before the game's European release. Instead, development was taken over by Nintendo studio NDCube. This was also the final Mario game to be released on the Wii.

<i>Mario</i> (franchise) Video game franchise

Mario is a Japanese multimedia franchise created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for video game company Nintendo which produces and publishes its installments. Starring the titular Italian plumber Mario, it is primarily a video game franchise, but has extended to other forms of media, including television series, comic books, a 1993 feature film, a 2023 animated film and theme park attractions. The series' first installment was 1983's Mario Bros., although Mario had made his first appearance in 1981's arcade game Donkey Kong, and had already been featured in several games of the Donkey Kong and Game & Watch series. The Mario games have been developed by a wide variety of developers including Nintendo, Hudson Soft, and AlphaDream. Mario games have been released almost exclusively for Nintendo's various video game consoles and handhelds, from the third generation onward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toad (Nintendo)</span> Fictional character in Nintendos Mario franchise

Toad, known in Japan as Kinopio, is a fictional character who primarily appears in Nintendo's Mario franchise. A humanoid with a mushroom-like head, Toad was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, and is portrayed as a citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom and is one of Princess Peach's most loyal attendants, constantly working on her behalf. Toad is usually seen as a non-player character who provides assistance to Mario and his friends in most games, but there are times when Toad takes center stage and appears as a protagonist, as seen in Super Mario Bros. 2, Wario's Woods and Super Mario 3D World.

<i>Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games</i> 2011 video game

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is a 2011 crossover sports and party game developed by Sega Japan. It was published by Nintendo in Japan and Korea and by Sega elsewhere. As the third instalment in the Mario & Sonic series, it was released on the Wii on 15 November 2011 in North America, 18 November 2011 in Europe, and 26 December 2011 in Japan. It was also released for the Nintendo 3DS in February 2012. Mario & Sonic is the official video game of the 2012 Summer Olympics and is licensed by the International Olympic Committee through exclusive licensee International Sports Multimedia. The game is the only Wii title to come in a yellow keep case.

<i>Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS</i> and <i>Wii U</i> 2014 video games

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U are 2014 crossover platform fighter video games developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U video game consoles. It is the fourth installment in the Super Smash Bros. series, succeeding Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The Nintendo 3DS version was released in Japan on September 13, 2014, and in North America, Europe, and Australia the following month. The Wii U version was released in North America, Europe, and Australia in November 2014 and in Japan the following month.

<i>Sonic Generations</i> 2011 video game

Sonic Generations is a 2011 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, and Nintendo 3DS. Produced in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the game follows Sonic and his sidekick Tails as they form an alliance with their modern selves. It features two gameplay styles: "Classic", which plays from a side-scrolling perspective like that of the original Sega Genesis Sonic games, and "Modern", 3D levels similar to those in Sonic Unleashed (2008) and Sonic Colors (2010).

<i>Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed</i> 2012 video game

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is a kart racing video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U in November 2012; for PlayStation Vita in December 2012; for Windows in January 2013; for Nintendo 3DS in February 2013; and for Android and iOS devices in January 2014. The PS3 and Wii U versions of the game were released in Japan on May 15, 2014.

<i>Sonic Lost World</i> 2013 video game by Sega

Sonic Lost World is a 2013 platform game developed by Sonic Team. It is part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and was released in October 2013 for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in PAL regions by Nintendo and by Sega in North America and Japan. A port of the Wii U version for Windows was later released in November 2015.

<i>Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games</i> 2013 video game

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games is a 2013 crossover sports/party video game for the Wii U. It is the fourth game in the Mario & Sonic series, the first to be released on the Wii U and is the official video game for the 2014 Winter Olympics that were held in Sochi. It was released on November 8, 2013, in Europe, November 9, 2013, in Australia, November 15, 2013, in North America, and December 5, 2013, in Japan.

<i>Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal</i> 2014 video game

Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal is a 2014 action-adventure game developed by Sanzaru Games and published by Sega for the Nintendo 3DS. Along with its Wii U sibling Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, Shattered Crystal is a spin-off of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and is a part of the Sonic Boom sub-franchise, which consists also of an animated television series, whose games serve as its prequels. The two games together formed the third and final part in Sega's exclusivity agreement with Nintendo, following Sonic Lost World and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games in 2013.

<i>Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric</i> 2014 video game

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric is a 2014 action-adventure platform video game developed by Big Red Button and published by Sega for the Wii U. Along with Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal for the Nintendo 3DS, it is a spin-off of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series and is a part of the Sonic Boom franchise, which also consists of an animated television series, a comic series by Archie Comics, and a toyline by Tomy. The storyline follows Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy, who must stop Lyric the Last Ancient from acquiring the Chaos Crystals by powering up a robot army and wiping out all organic life, after Sonic accidentally awakens Lyric from a thousand year rest, while escaping Doctor Eggman.

<i>Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020</i> 2019 video game

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is a 2019 sports video game based on the 2020 Summer Olympics. It is the sixth game in the Mario & Sonic series, a crossover between Nintendo's Super Mario and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchises, and the first since the Rio 2016 Olympic Games edition. It was developed and published by Sega for the Nintendo Switch in November 2019 and for arcade cabinets in 2020.

References

  1. Futter, Mike (June 1, 2015). "Nintendo Confirms 3DS Chibi Robo, Doctor Mario, Bravely Second, More For North America". Game Informer . Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Whitehead, Thomas (May 31, 2015). "Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is Dashing to Wii U and 3DS". Nintendo Life . Nlife Media. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  3. "Sonic at the Olympic Games". Archived from the original on November 20, 2008.
  4. "Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games". Nintendo . Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  5. Wong, Alistair (March 30, 2019). "Sega Celebrates Tokyo Olympics With Four Different Games, Including Sonic Smartphone Game". Siliconera. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U) - Super Mario Wiki, the Mario encyclopedia". www.mariowiki.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2017. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  7. "Nintendo - MARIO & SONIC AT THE RIO 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES E3 2015 Trailer". YouTube. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015.
  8. "MARIO & SONIC AT THE RIO 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES - Nintendo @ E3 2015 - Gameplay Images, Videos". MARIO & SONIC AT THE RIO 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES - Nintendo @ E3 2015 - Gameplay Images, Videos. Archived from the original on August 19, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  9. "Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympics Arcade Edition to be launched in Spring 2016 in Japan". July 24, 2015. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  10. "マリオ&ソニック AT リオオリンピック™ アーケード(仮称)公式サイト | 株式会社セガ・インタラクティブ". am-show.sega.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 28, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  11. "Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Arcade Edition (Sega) - IAAPA 2015". YouTube. November 18, 2015. Archived from the original on December 7, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  12. 1 2 "Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for 3DS Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 17, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for Wii U Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 2, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  14. "Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Review (Wii U) | Aces high". Nintendo Life . September 12, 2021. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  15. "Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Review (3DS) | Aces high". Nintendo Life . September 12, 2021. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  16. Koopmaan, Daan (September 12, 2021). "Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on March 15, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  17. Koopmaan, Daan (September 12, 2021). "Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (3DS) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  18. "Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Review - Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on March 15, 2017. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  19. "Mario & Sonic at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games Review". TrustedReviews . June 22, 2016. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
Preceded by Official videogame of the Summer Olympic Games Succeeded by