Posted on: February 24, 2012 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Few games have taken full advantage of the Nintendo 3DS console. There seems to be a desire for companies to cut corners and use only the lowest amounts of the console’s power; Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics, on the other hand, pushes the console to its limits. I believe that the 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics is also special because it is a logical step forward from the Wii version that was released late last year. The control scheme for the various events just feels better; representations move more fluidly and the events seem to have some component replicated in the Nintendo 3DS version of the title.

I like the multiplayer aspect of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics; up to four players are able to compete in their favorite events with this feature. The sheer amount of mini-games that are available to players (over 50 in all) means that this title will stay in a 3DS long after one picks it up. Where there is only the lightest trapping of stories usually present in these mini-game-heavy titles, I believe that what Sega whipped up here is more than satisfactory.

To go back to the unique qualities of the 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics, I find that having to blow (to approximate the use of oxygen) during the backstroke event is visionary. Furthermore, the inclusion of an event that takes full use of the 3DS’s gyroscope (balance beam) will take no time to do but longer to master. Pick up a copy of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics for the 3DS today; the sheer amount of fun that one can have is incomparable.
Rating: 9.2/10

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics (Nintendo 3DS) / 2012 Sega / http://www.sega.com

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