Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

This is a highly accomplished party game that stands head and shoulders above the mess of shovelware garbage out there, even if it does lack the depth of its slightly more meaty handheld brother. [Nov 2009, p.65]

It may not have the control genius of Wii Sports Resort but it’s every bit as good in terms of content, presentation and pure, distilled fun.

In conclusion, SEGA have created a fun sports game that works well as a single-player game and even as a party game. With a plethora of SEGA and Nintendo references, this game will definitely bring a smile to your face as you compete in a variety of winter sporting events.

Fans of the original Summer Olympics title will definitely enjoy Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games. At the same time, those who didn't care for the original iteration might want to check out this title; I think there's been enough of a presentation improvement to warrant a second look.

The game justifies the hype. [Dec 2009, p.82]

It addresses just about every criticism we had about the summer game. [Winter 2009, p.44]

The adventures on the ski slopes of Mario and Sonic convinced more than those on athletic tracks of Beijing. The single player mode, unlike many other party games, manages to keep up the interest of those who don't have the opportunity to see their house invaded by friends. It has some defects as an IA not particularly brilliant, and some specialties too similar to others, but overall we are satisfied with the Winter Olympics.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is not as instantly likeable as the first title but with so much on offer it is still a must have Wii title.

The new Mario & Sonic game will bring you next year´s Winter Olympics, with a high fun factor. Although the controls sometimes fail, the game is still fun to play.

Splendid compilation of minigames offers lots of fun especially in multiplayer mode. Anyone will enjoy the arcade version of otherwise boring winter sport disciplines. [Nov 2009]

Overall Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games is vastly better than it’s predecessor. Sega listened to the feedback provided last time and made this mini-game collection much more interesting and easy to use. Unfortunately there is no online play, which even Mario Karts Wii and Animal Crossing Let’s Go to the City manage to achieve.

Mario and Sonic return with slicker, more varied events, yet its still only the Dream Events which really hold the entire package together.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is finally here with a bunch of new gameplay modes, a quite impressive graphic engine but lacking an online feature. It still has some issues in the controls but it's definitely a better game than the original one. A must-have if you're looking to have some fun with a couple friends.

It's true to say that Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is no Mario Kart. But it's a fun, polished party game with broad appeal, and a marked improvement over the previous one.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games proves to be an exceptional party game, capable of exceeding its predecessor under any point of view. Despite some small flaws (mostly related to a gameplay that can still be improved), its minigames quality and attention to detail will be able to grant an entertaining experience both to adults and children.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is an exceptional party game.

It follows the path of the previous game and offers some improvements. It's true there isn't any spectacular change, but they've achieved a much more balanced and fun result.

Entertaining mini-games with simple control. However, playing it alone is only half the fun.

There's bound to be plenty of cynics, but it's a lot better sitting around with your family and playing this than other Christmas staples, especially some dodgy DVD 'game' of Deal or no Deal your Mum picked up two years ago.

Mario and Sonic fans should not hesitate, especially with friends aside you will not want to play some of the thrilling sports games again and again.

If you loved the first Mario and Sonic outing, the Winter Olympics is most definitely a welcome addition to the series. The controls feel less contrived than the previous game, and the addition of Balance Board support makes a huge difference. Perhaps not a gold medal finish, but it’s definitely reached the podium this time around.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games offers many enjoyable sports disciplines to be played alone or in the usual party mode, which can be real fun. Nevertheless, the control system should have been better, and some of the competitions are not so involving.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Wintergames is smoother and better than the first game. With multiple players, it can be a lot of fun. You would probably learn the game very quickly as well as being done with the game. But SEGA has succeeded in making a better game and if your fan of the first game, you should probably have just as much fun with this game.

Although the winter sports offer a nicer setup for the Olympics than the summer games, this evolved shake-until-you-drop clone of good old button-punching ’Games-series doesn’t captivate the spirit of the competition. The game surely has it’s moments, but those moments are somewhat rare. For single player this is definitely a no-no, but as a party game it performs quite nicely. [Nov 2010]