Author Topic: Mario Sports Mix Impressions  (Read 2792 times)

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Offline NWR_Neal

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Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« on: January 27, 2011, 12:44:13 PM »

Mario Sports Mix is a little less boomshakalaka and a little more shablam.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressions/24961

I had the fortune of participating in a press Mario Sports Mix tournament in New York City recently. While I was bounced out in the second round, I got to check out each sport, and watch as the New York champion fell to the San Francisco champion in the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection finals. If you want to hear more about that, Nintendo Week was filming the tomfoolery, so look for that (and maybe me) in an upcoming episode.

As for the game, it seems to be solid. Basketball and hockey were highlights for me, as they were fast-paced and competitive. Dodgeball and volleyball, on the other hand, were very slow-paced and seemed to rely more on waiting for the other guy to mess up rather than displaying any kind of skill. With dodgeball especially, I was hoping I could compare it to the pinnacle of dodgeball-related video games, Super Dodgeball for NES, but it didn't compare favorably to that game at all.

Hockey actually plays kind of like an arcade soccer game. It's all about fighting for control of the puck, which is a coin, and trying to break away from defenders and getting a shot on goal. The player vs. player hockey matches were intense and fun. The hockey has some downsides, though. When playing against another player, one team is always going towards the screen (as opposed to side-to-side) to score. To help out, the goal on that side isn't visible. That would work fine if it weren't for the fact that you can go behind the goal.

While basketball was the sport I played the least of, it's one I want to play again. The gameplay is similar to NBA Jam, but with a decidedly Mario twist. There are over-the-top dunks, complete with "Shablam!" onomatopoeia, and an emphasis on stealing the ball from your opponent or shoving them down. You goaltend the hell out of the game, and oftentimes that is what you have to do to win.

The stages also complicate things. While some of them are normal, there are a few wacky ones. A western-themed level featured a train that ran right through the middle of the playing field, knocking out goalies in hockey. Bowser Jr.'s level had a ridiculous amount of on-court multipliers in basketball. In the final showdown at the event, the San Francisco champion drilled two x10 shots, effectively giving her 20 points per shot and a ridiculous lead. All that tells me is that if people ever play this game competitively, I doubt that stage will be used much.

Mario Sports Mix is due out on February 7 in North America. Coincidentally, that's the day after the Super Bowl, which seems like it might have been done on purpose. If it was, it makes the lack of a Mario American Football game even more painful.

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Offline NWR_Karlie

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2011, 12:46:10 PM »
I liked volleyball, it's a coinathon. At least it was when I last played it. Getting coins was more relevant than actual volleyball, but the whole game felt like Mario Tennis New Play Control to me if in Mario Tennis the object was to collect all the coins on the court and the tennis had little relevance.

Offline Ryan Cannon

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2011, 01:05:03 PM »
Is basket ball like Mario Hoops: 3 on 3 for the DS? Because I didn't like that game.
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Offline Nemo

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2011, 01:08:47 PM »
Are there a lot of (dumb) motion controls?
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Offline NWR_Neal

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2011, 01:27:58 PM »
Are there a lot of (dumb) motion controls?

Surprisingly no. Each sport kind of controls the same way. Usually a Remote shake/movement performs an action, and for some of the special moves you use the pointer.
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Offline AV

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2011, 08:12:58 PM »
Do you feel that the motion plus would  improve the controls in any specific mini game?

Offline NWR_Neal

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2011, 08:18:48 PM »
Not really. I think the games work fine without MotionPlus. It could've been worked in, but it doesn't suffer without it at all.
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Offline RABicle

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2011, 07:24:27 AM »
I own the game and I ahvent even played it.
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Offline Kytim89

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2011, 04:11:15 PM »
I hope this game does well sales wise becuae I would love to see more collaboration between Square and Nintendo on a particular RPG series, if you catch my drift?
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Offline Mop it up

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2011, 08:58:35 PM »
The main thing I didn't like about Mario Hoops was the awful controls. Even although this game doesn't look to feature any sort of meaningful motion controls, it at least looks like they're functional and serviceable, something which can't be said of the DS game. Still, that game was pretty barebones and simplistic, and it looks like all they've done here is add in more sports with the same gimmicks rather than expand the gameplay so it has some actual depth. That, combined with the lamest roster of characters since Mario Golf on the Nintendo 64, means like most of the Mario spin-off titles I won't be buying this one until it hits the bargain bin. Maybe even farther down than usual.

Offline RABicle

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #10 on: February 01, 2011, 03:22:54 AM »
Ok I can confirm that the game is absolutely terrible single player. I still have hope on the 2 on 2 game.

Hockey is a disaster though, I was winning games 40-2
« Last Edit: February 01, 2011, 03:25:31 AM by RABicle »
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Offline Ian Sane

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #11 on: February 01, 2011, 02:15:10 PM »
I like how Mario looks so distraught in that screenshot.  If I lost by 41 goals I would look like that too.

Yet Toad looks thrilled so he either has no real understanding of how scoring works in hockey or he's throwing the game for gambling purposes and has a really shitty poker face.

Offline Mop it up

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #12 on: February 01, 2011, 05:32:25 PM »
Or maybe, Toad is the one who scored their only goal. If anyone would find a moral victory to be happy about, it's Toad.

Offline RABicle

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Re: Mario Sports Mix Impressions
« Reply #13 on: February 03, 2011, 08:24:12 PM »
I think... I think toad was the scorer. I dunno. Their Man of the match was probably the orange cone that served as their goalie.
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