Hands on with Mario Sports Mix

by Josh MouldsJuly 7, 2010

Mario and his mates are back for another athletic outing. Check out our impressions of two of the games included sports that were on show at E3

Mario sports games are a hoot. Beneath the colourful, kid-friendly, veneer of games like Mario Power Tennis and Mario Strikers Charged Football, there usually lies a surprisingly deep and competitive game that has the potential to ruin friendships and destroy families. With the announcement of Mario Sports Mix last month at E3, we now have another excellent assortment of sports game with a strong focus on local multiplayer. From what I was able to play, it appears the rough competitiveness of previous sports titles has been scaled back more than just a tad in favour of a more family-friendly experience, but the experience is altogether a very fun one.

There were two sports available in the E3 build of Mario Sports Mix – Basketball and Beach Volleyball. Both play quite similarly, and we expect the controls will be roughly consistent across each of the final game’s sports (so far we know that basketball, volleyball, hockey and dodgeball will be included). As per usual for Mario sports games, there are a range of different levels to select from, each with their own environmental impacts on the game.

The basketball in Mario Sports Mix is instantly accessible and delivers fun by the bucket load.

Basketball

The basketball game is played with a top-down view that has the court running vertically along the display, meaning that one side will be playing up and the other towards the bottom of the screen. You might think that playing to the bottom of the screen puts that team at a disadvantage, but the angle is high enough to get a clear view of the game and the lower backboard and hoop goes translucent to expose players to the action.

Players work together in teams of two to rack up as many points as possible. Movement is controlled with the analog stick on the nunchuk, and to shoot a double move of flicking the remote to jump and again in the air to release the ball is required. Taking a shot nice and close to the rim will put your character into a dunk maneuver. Dunks are a little trickier for your opponent to block, but they keep your character up in the air for an unnaturally long period time thus giving time for the opposition to co-ordinate their position. The A button will pass the ball when on offense, and will be used to attempt a steal when defending. There’s items galore, with the usual gamut of shells, bananas and other power ups, all of which can be activated with the B button.

Smash, slam, shoot and score – Each character has their own unique power-up.

As per a regular old game of basketball, there is a three-point line to shoot from to get more points, but alas, this is a Mario game. Littered across the court are golden star-decorated squares that will reward you with extra point if you manage to score a bucket from that spot. Of course there are power-ups to collect, and each characters have their unique strengths and abilities. Players can charge up their character’s special move and activate them with a double-button press. Most of those moves will put the character into a near-unbeatable position to land a shot, however, these can still be blocked or rejected by the opposition and require good timing in order to rack up the most points.

Point scoring is a very Mario Party-esque affair. Players are encouraged to go for combos and multipliers that can reward risky moves with higher points. As such, the losing side can flip the tables on the scoreboard in a matter of seconds, keeping your opponents on their toes and ensuring the game is as manic and fast-paced in the closing seconds as it was at the first blow of the whistle.

Volleyball will keep you on your toes and will require a high level of co-operation.

Volleyball

Volleyball employs a top-down vertical perspective similar to that in Basketball and the controls are quite similar. Players work together to position themselves for a strike and landing the ball on the ground on the opposition’s side will net a variable amount of points. An incoming ball will be indicated by a coloured circle on the field which will gradually shrink in size as it approaches the ground. A flick of the remote at the right time will have your character pass the ball to a team mate. After the third pass, your character will automatically go for a spike shot, so there is ample time to set yourself up for the optimum scoring position. Button presses are limited to using items and power-ups.

The playing area is little cramped, but you’ll still need some pretty good timing to position yourself in the best spot and land a goal. Again, there are power-ups and items to be had and the score can change dramatically at any moment due to score multipliers. A successful team will be aware that the path to victory lies requires good positioning on the court and the game is at its most rewarding when both players on a side have a good understanding of their team mates position and work in tandem to score a point.

Compared to basketball, the volleyball game has more potential for ruining friendships as it can be a little embarrassing to pass the ball to a teammate and have them miss the shot. However, it is mighty fun to be on the receiving end of a cracker spike and slide in and receive it at just the right moment. Regular shots are a little too easy for the opposition to receive, so you will be encouraged to take advantage of power ups and special moves in order to land points.

Mario Sports Mix is best enjoyed with others. The guys from Nnooo – makers of some of the best-selling stuff on DSiWare – joined me for a rousing match of volleyball (left to right: Stephen Ogden, Bruce Thomson, Nic Watts and myself).

All’s fair in love and Wario

Both of the Mario sports games on show at E3 were fun to play and had a lively and bright visual presentation. The usual cast are here and their special attacks fit nicely with what we expect from our favourite characters – Yoshi’s tongue gives him a bit of extra range and Wario’s farting and butt-cheek dunk move never ceases to entertain. The controls were simple yet accessible, and each of the games in the final build are likely to provide ample content for your dollar. It is a ’Mario’ sports game in every sense of the word, with the emphasis on fun frantic, albeit light-hearted gameplay.

Mario Sports Mix is definitely more towards the party game end of the spectrum and lacks the feverish competitive drive of legacy Mario sports games. Scores can change dramatically in an instant but at least that will guarantee a few good-spirited laughs in your living room to have your leading score usurped by the opposition at the last minute. Both the basketball and volleyball games take seconds to learn how to play, it is just unfortunate that there isn’t much room to develop and hone those skills. The evening out of the competitive playing field means that the game will be much more accessible to players of different skill levels, so it’s likely that the final game will be best enjoyed in a party atmosphere. For those wanting a more brutal competitive experience, it may be best to stick to Mario Strikers Charged Football.