Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games

Last updated

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
Mario & Sonic Sochi 2014.png
North American cover art
Developer(s) Sega
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Hiroshi Miyamoto
Takamichi Nitta
Producer(s) Nobuya Ohashi
Eigo Kasahara
Takehiro Ishida
Toyokazu Nonaka
Designer(s) Naohiro Hirao
Programmer(s) Mitsuru Takahashi
Artist(s) Hiroshi Kanazawa
Composer(s)
Sega Digital Studio
Series Mario & Sonic
Platform(s) Wii U
Release
  • EU: November 8, 2013 [1]
  • AU: November 9, 2013 [2]
  • NA: November 15, 2013 [3]
  • JP: December 5, 2013 [4]
Genre(s) Sports, party
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games [lower-alpha 1] is a 2013 crossover sports/party video game for the Wii U. [5] 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, [1] November 9, 2013, in Australia, [2] November 15, 2013, in North America, and December 5, 2013, in Japan. [4]

Contents

It's the first title in the series to feature an online multiplayer mode, and the first to be published by Nintendo globally, as previous titles were published by Sega outside Japan and unlike previous instalments, the game was released solely on home console, and does not have a portable version. The game formed the second part in Sega's exclusivity agreement with Nintendo after Sonic Lost World back in mid-October 2013 and followed by Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric and Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal in November/December 2014.

The game received mixed reviews from critics who praised the visuals, multiplayer, and addition of online play, but criticised its controls and lack of innovation from previous games in the series. A fifth game in the series, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games , was released for Wii U in 2016. Sochi is the second and, as of 2024, most recent Mario & Sonic game based on the Winter Olympics.

Gameplay

The players can only choose one of twenty characters that return from the previous two games and participate in a series of sixteen Olympic events. Events are controlled either using the Wii Remote (Plus), Nunchuks, or the Wii U GamePad, with some events, such as the biathlon, utilizing both control methods, for the Wii U version. Along with returning events, such as skiing, bobsledding and curling, [6] new events include figure skating pairs and snowboarding slope style. Like in the previous games, players can also participate in one of eight fictional Dream Events, including a new mixed event in which cases can be simultaneously played with snowboarding, skiing and bobsledding players. These events are played in places from the Mario and Sonic franchises. [7] A new addition to this game is the Action & Answer Tour, where players answer questions to score points while competing in various events hosted by Orbot and Cubot from Sonic Colors and Sonic Lost World .

Reception

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games received generally mixed reviews, with most critics praising the visuals, multiplayer and the online mode, but panning the game's similarity to previous Mario & Sonic series games and motion controls. It has an aggregate score of 55/100 at Metacritic. [8]

Gaz Plant of Nintendo Life gave the game 6 out of 10, summarising that it "...feels like a minor progression, but not a huge leap you might be expecting. Taking a lot of its cues from the 2010 game, and ignoring the rapid-fire party experience of 2012, this latest edition hits some of the right buttons, but they're the same unremarkable buttons that were hit four years ago. The inclusion of online is certainly welcome, but too limited, while the inventive TV idea used on the GamePad is never taken far enough. But that said, with a group of friends, there's still a lot of fun to be had here; it's just hard to shake that feeling that you've done it all before." [13]

Digital Spy's Liam Martin scored the game 3 out of 5, praising the game's visuals, multiplayer aspects and family-friendly fun but commented on the game's lack of "spark" and progression in the Mario & Sonic series, stating that "When the action is go and games are in full swing, the game is a flashy and fun mini-game compilation for all of the family. Despite some enjoyable multiplayer encounters, the game is lacking the sublime to go with the star power". [17]

IGN 's Scott Thompson, gave the game 4.5 out of 10; praising the games online multiplayer but panned the games unresponsive motion controls; summarising that "[The game] has some good ideas but it's weighed down by bad motion controls". [12]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: マリオ&(アンド)ソニック AT(アット) ソチオリンピック, Hepburn: Mario ando Sonikku atto Sochi Orinpikku, lit. 'Mario & Sonic at the Sochi Olympics', stylized as Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games: Sochi 2014

Related Research Articles

The Olympic games have been featured in numerous sport video games officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee or not. These games have more than one event and/or several sports, and have an Olympic theme.

Super Smash Bros. is a crossover platform 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.

<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>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</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 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.

<i>New Super Mario Bros. Wii</i> 2009 video game

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a 2009 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. A follow-up to New Super Mario Bros., it was first released in Australia, North America, and Europe in November 2009, followed by Japan a month later. A high-definition port for the Nvidia Shield TV was released in China in December 2017. Like other side-scrolling Super Mario games, the player controls Mario as he travels eight worlds and fights Bowser's henchmen to rescue Princess Peach. New Super Mario Bros. Wii was the first Super Mario game to feature simultaneous cooperative multiplayer gameplay; up to four people can play in cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, taking control of Mario as well as Luigi and one of two multicolored Toads. The game also introduced "Super Guide", which allows the player to watch a computer-controlled character complete a level.

<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, 17 November 2011 in Australia, 18 November 2011 in Europe, and 8 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>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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Off-TV Play</span> Feature of the Wii U GamePad

Off-TV Play is a feature of Nintendo's eighth-generation video game console, the Wii U. Like all video game consoles, the Wii U uses a console and a controller to manipulate an image on a television screen. The Wii U's unique feature is that its controller, the Wii U GamePad, has its own built-in screen for displaying images. It can display an entirely different image, or duplicate the television screen into the Wii U GamePad. Off-TV Play is the term used for when an entire game is played strictly on the controller, without the use of a television. The GamePad also features two speakers that can be used for Off-TV Play. There is no standardized way to activate Off-TV Play and how it's implemented depends on the game.

<i>New Super Luigi U</i> 2013 video game

New Super Luigi U is a 2013 platform game developed by Nintendo for the Wii U. It is an expansion pack for New Super Mario Bros. U (2012), part of the Super Mario series. The plot and game mechanics remain identical to New Super Mario Bros. U, but Luigi replaces Mario as the protagonist. Luigi jumps higher and has less ground friction than Mario, and every level is redesigned to increase the difficulty level. The expansion adds Nabbit, a non-player character from New Super Mario Bros. U, as an invincible playable character.

<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>Super Mario 3D World</i> 2013 video game

Super Mario 3D World is a 2013 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It is the sixth original 3D platform game in the Super Mario series and the sequel to Super Mario 3D Land (2011) for the Nintendo 3DS.

<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 Rio 2016 Olympic Games</i> 2016 video game

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games 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. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee, as are the other games in the series. 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. The game is a collection of Olympic sports themed mini-games featuring characters from the Mario series and the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

2014 Winter Olympics marketing was a long running campaign that began when Sochi won its bid to host the games in 2007.

<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. 1 2 "Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games reconfirmed for Nov. 8th release". GoNintendo. September 20, 2013. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "NINTENDO ANNOUNCES LAUNCH DATES FOR ANTICIPATED Wii U & NINTENDO 3DS TITLES FOR 2013". Nintendo Australia. October 2, 2013. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Overview". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Nintendo Direct 2013.10.1 | Nintendo" (in Japanese). Nintendo Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  5. ↑ "FLIPNOTE STUDIO 3D RELEASE DATE + Other Nintendo 3DS News". YouTube. June 3, 2013. Archived from the original on October 1, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  6. ↑ Martin, Liam (May 17, 2013). "'Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games' announced". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Mario & Sonic at the Sochi Winter Games & 3rd Sonic Nintendo Exclusive Revealed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games for Wii U Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 8, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  9. ↑ MacGregor Burleson, Kyle (September 12, 2021). "Review: Mario & Sonic at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games". Destructoid . Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  10. ↑ Gaston, Martin (September 12, 2021). "Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Mario and Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games review | Aces high". GamesRadar . September 12, 2021. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  12. 1 2 Thompson, Scott (November 9, 2013). "Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Review - IGN". Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  13. 1 2 "Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Wii U) Review". Nintendo Life. November 3, 2013. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  14. ↑ Kaplan, Zack (September 12, 2021). "Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  15. ↑ Riendeau, Danielle (November 5, 2013). "Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Review: Thin Ice". Polygon . Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Mario and Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games – review | Aces high". The Guardian . September 12, 2021. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  17. ↑ "'Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games' review (Wii U) – Gaming Review". Digital Spy. November 4, 2013. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.