Although the series has been known for it's best-selling Wii iterations, handheld versions of the first two titles (Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games/Olympic Winter Games) received a rather graceful translation from the main games, at least compared to countless rushed handheld versions of already terrible licensed games. Usually unable to implement the same motion controls as the Wii, the DS (and soon-to-be 3DS) games focus on precise button presses to offer a similar level of challenge with the available technology. The 3DS version of London 2012, however, will offer gyroscope controls to better simulate the Wii experience.

The game itself is set to include 50 original and unique special events, including many not found in the Wii version, as well as 20 characters from among the two franchises. Some of the more interesting events include judo, badminton, and BMX racing. The presentation of these events looks especially sharp, and is much closer to achieving parity with the Wii version. As far as features, the 3DS version is expected to include many of the modes present in its sister version, including multiplayer and Wi-Fi.

Of course, being the handheld version of a licensed game with a shaky critical history, certain caution is expected and in fact encouraged. Predicting whether Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games meets the expectations laid out by the DS titles is a difficult task to undertake, but with games like Resident Evil: Revelations and Kid Icarus: Uprising being released during the same time period, one can only hope that the title can find it's own voice within an ocean of tough competition.