Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games puts Mario and Sonic on the same team for the 2012 Summer Olympics, and it is a strange mix. Sega and Nintendo made this collection of events based on the real Games, and it lands somewhere between a party game and a proper sports title. It is the third game in the Mario & Sonic series, and it is the official video game of the 2012 Summer Olympics, licensed through the International Olympic Committee via exclusive licensee International Sports Multimedia.
The game came out for Wii in 2011, and a Nintendo 3DS version followed the next year. Nintendo published it in Japan and South Korea, while Sega handled distribution everywhere else. It is the only Wii title to come in a yellow keep case, which is a small but telling detail about how Sega wanted this game to stand apart.
Trailer, via Japancommercials4U2.
The Cast and Its Categories
The game brings together eighteen more characters from both franchises, joining Mario and Sonic. Those eighteen are divided into four categories: all-around, speed, power, and skill. Each category comes with its own strengths and weaknesses, so a player picking a fast character might find certain events easier than a player choosing a slower but stronger one.
That system is a holdover from the earlier games in the series, and it still shapes how players choose their teams. The idea is simple: some events reward quick hands, some reward raw strength, some reward balanced skill across several disciplines. It is a fair way to add depth without making things too complicated.
The Events on Offer
The Wii version covers thirty Olympic events, including football, badminton, horse riding, canoeing, and volleyball. There are also re-imagined versions of athletics, aquatics, and table tennis, along with new cooperative modes. The 3DS version has over fifty events in single-player and multiplayer, split into events using one, two, or four characters.
That difference in content is worth noting. The Wii version is smaller, and it does not try to match the sheer volume of events found on 3DS. Players on Wii get a solid selection, but 3DS owners get more depth.
Dream Events and the London Party Mode
The game introduces “Dream Events,” alternate versions of Olympic events that take place in locations from previous Mario and Sonic games. These are the standout addition here. Rather than playing volleyball in a standard arena, you play it in a familiar place from an earlier game, which gives the action a bit more personality than a standard sports simulation.
There is also a challenge mode that lets players repeat complete challenges in various events, and a “London Party” mode takes place on a board game-like map of London. Four players can compete in sporting events and minigames, with the goal being to collect enough stickers to fill a “tourist book.” The first player to finish the book wins.
The sticker system is a small touch, but it gives the game a sense of progression beyond just winning individual events. It is a simple way to keep players engaged over a longer period, since collecting stickers takes time and effort.
What Works and What Does Not
The gameplay is where the game stumbles. Many critics noted that the control scheme feels underwhelming, and the source material itself describes the game as receiving mostly mixed reviews upon release. Players move through events with standard button presses, and the action rarely feels distinct from other sports titles on the Wii.
“Many criticising its gameplay as underwhelming.”
That line captures the general feeling around the game’s core systems. The events are present, the roster is large, and the presentation is bright and cheerful, but the actual act of playing often feels thin. Players will likely enjoy the novelty of seeing Mario and Sonic compete against each other, but the underlying systems do not always justify that enjoyment.
The lack of Balance Board support on Wii is another strike against it. The Balance Board was a feature of the earlier games in the series, and its absence here means the Wii version loses a hardware feature that defined how those games were played.
Commercial Success and What Followed
Despite the mixed reception, the game proved commercially successful. That success led to a fourth game in the series, Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, which covered the 2014 Winter Olympics and came out in November 2013 for Wii U.
The success of this game shows that the formula worked even when the execution was not perfect. Players clearly enjoyed the idea of Mario and Sonic competing in Olympic events, and the commercial numbers backed that up.
A Mixed Verdict
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is a game with a clear identity and a weak core. It is licensed by the International Olympic Committee, which gives it a degree of official weight, and it offers a large cast of characters and a wide range of events. But the gameplay does not live up to the ambition of its premise, and the Dream Events are the only real reason to return to it after the first playthrough.
| Platform | Events | Modes |
|---|---|---|
| Wii | Thirty | Single player, multiplayer, split screen |
| 3DS | Over fifty | Single-player, multiplayer |
The game is best enjoyed as a light, casual experience rather than a serious sports title. It is a product of its time, and it plays like it. The Dream Events and the London Party mode give it a sense of personality that a standard sports game would not have, but the core gameplay struggles to match the promise of its premise.
This is a game that works better as a shared experience than a solitary one. Playing with friends in the London Party mode, trading stickers and racing to finish the tourist book, is where the game finds its footing. On its own, it is a mixed bag.
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