Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii, 2009)

Nothing's more annoying than when you pull out a new Wii party game, ready to enjoy some motion-controlled minigame shenanigans with your family or friends, only to have the plan fizzle because you haven't played enough of the game by yourself to unlock the events. That's an issue from Sega's first Mario and Sonic collaboration that's thankfully missing from the follow-up. This time, the two gaming icons and their retinue head off to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. It's a beautiful, snowy setting, and the presence of the Winter Games' wonderfully adorable cartoon mascots completes the picture.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games strikes a good balance between catering to your casual party game needs as well as providing incentive to play through the single-player Festival mode (the game's equivalent of a campaign mode). All of the regular Olympic events are available from the start, so you are free to hop into one of the nine sports categories (and any of their respective sub-events) with up to four players competitively (Versus, Team Versus) or co-operatively. Only a couple of Dream Events, however, are open from the beginning. You'll need to unlock the rest of these fantasy sports (inspired by the real events, but that take place in fantastical settings, like Mario Galaxy's world, and so on) by playing through the regular events as well as progressing through Festival Mode. These often chaotic sports are much more difficult than the regular ones, and serve as a good reward for those who choose to approach the game as more than just a family gathering pull-out.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games will take players to Vancouver, Canada, host city of the official 2010 Olympic Winter Games. This gaming experience invites players of all ages and skill sets to face-off in some of the most intense winter competitions. Tailored to the specific system controls, Nintendo DS and Wii gamers will enjoy completely unique experiences thanks to each platform having its own specific gameplay features and modes. Players of all skill levels will enjoy the intuitive controls of both the Wii and Nintendo DS systems, in both single and multiplayer gaming modes. The Wii game will offer an even richer multiplayer experience offering co-op and competitive gameplay where the Nintendo DS brings an intense competitive element using the Nintendo DS wireless capabilities. Additionally, one of the new features to be found in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is its compatibility with the Wii Balance Board™ which can be used in some events featured in the Wii version, allowing for a more interactive and realistic gaming experience.

This is an AWESOME game. It is fun, hilarious at times and DEFINITELY a family game. Everyone can play. You test you own abilities. You can play as a Mii character, or choose a Nintendo star. Fun, fun, fun.

Figure skating and downhill skiing, downhill jumping are our favorites. Ice hockey is especially challenging, but worth trying.

Our son requested it for Christmas, and we are glad we fulfilled his wish.

There is really nothing NOT to like about this game. Bobsledding is a little slow, you don't really feel like you are competing. I would have preferred separate runs instead of two at a time (other player being a kind of ghost) on your screen.

Definitely worth the price and will be one of our favorite games for quite some time.

Our children love this game. They have learned a lot about sports and the olympics from playing this. We love that one to four players can play at a time. The graphics are really clear and colorful and we love the variety of games the kids can play in one game. Great value and entertainment for our whole family.

It is my five year olds favorite game. Fun for the whole family to play at the same time. All ages can have a good time with this game, Congrats Nintendo on a game well done.