Team GB go go go (Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii))

Member Name: abbadabbado

Product:	Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
Date:	16/08/08 (68 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fun family game

Disadvantages: probably expensive now the olympics are on

I bought Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games because I was bored of my wii games and wanted something different, active and fun. It retails at around £29.99 but you can find it cheaper on Ebay etc.
Obviously with the Olympics going on at the moment, the game will probably appeal to more people than normal, however this wasn't the reason I bought it. I had heard it was a good upper body work out and was a lot of fun, which was the main reason I chose it.

** Starting up **

When you first start the game you are required to put in your name, and choose the country you wish to represent. You are then taken to the Menu screen. There are lots of different choices here and it makes the game seem massive, but in fact it's not that big or confusing and you'll soon be finding your way around.

** Games **

There are different ways to play and compete in this game. There is the option of completing missions, single player, multi player, and circuits. There are different aims and objectives depending on which method you choose from above.

** Single Player **

In single player mode, you choose your character from the list of 16 including all Mario and sonic characters and sub characters. At the beginning of the game only selected events are available for you to play, however as you progress through the games and complete certain tasks (that are not made clear at the beginning), such as getting a gold medal, playing all track games etc, more games are unlocked and then you can play more and more until you unlock all games in all modes.
As you complete races and events using one character, you can do them all again using all 16 characters if you wanted to. Each set of four characters have different abilities, i.e. speed, agility, etc.
All of the single player games are also available to play as multi player up to four players with their own wii motes.

** Missions **

In mission mode, each character has five missions they have to complete. At the beginning not all missions are available, depending on which new events you have unlocked at the time. As soon as you unlock an even it then becomes available on mission mode.
The missions range from coming first in a race to coming third, beating a certain opponent, reaching a certain distance. They are not always as easy as they first seem, but with a bit of practice usually see you there.

** Circuits **

There are various circuits to complete, and each one consists of three or four different event which you have to complete and come first in to gain the best points. If you get on the podium at the end of the events (first, second or third) out of 12 competitors, then another circuit will be unlocked for you to play and compete in.

** Controls **

The races and events all need to be completed using the wii mote and most of the time the nun chuck as well. All the buttons will be used at some point, but the controls are simple and easy to remember. The one fiddly thing here is when you have the nun chuck attached to the wii mote, and are using the running motion to compete in a race ( waving your arms up and down in a running fashion) then the lead between the two controls can get a bit restrictive.
All events can be played with just the wii mote so if you don't have a nun chuck don't worry.

** Events **

The events are based on typical Olympic events such as 100m, 400m, hurdles, track, hammer throw, javelin, rowing, table tennis, gymnastics, trampolining, swimming etc. There is something for everyone, and you'll find games you love and games you hate. I found swimming very hard to master to begin with but once I got the hang of it I loved it and excelled at it.
I am currently struggling with single skulls.

** Other Features **

The game has a record collection where you can view your medals you have won with which characters, and there is also a mini function where facts and quizzes are available about the Olympics. This doesn't appeal to me but may to the younger children as they play.

** Overall **

This game will appeal to young and old alike. I have spoken to people that have said it's too easy and has been completed in a very short space of time, and also people who have found some events difficult
I like competing against other people and also using the races and missions to set myself mini challenges. The game will give you a good upper body arm work out, but beware you may ache the next day.
The game is quite addictive and I can see the appeal where it can be completed in a short space of time, however I don't have the time to spend all day on there so for me it's a couple of races or missions for me to keep the entertainment factor up.
The game is holding its money very well, which shows me straight away it's a popular game and I think it will be for a long time. If you're looking for a new game for the wii you can't go wrong with this one.

** Wii fii **

There is a wii fii function in the game where you can see who is ranked leader in each race and where you rank against the rest of the world. I scored very badly at this each time I thought I'd got a good time and beat the game's set world record for example there were thousands of people in the world who had done better than me.

Summary: a great fun family game