Expectations are building for the launch of the PS4 and Xbox 720, so Nintendo has come out fighting with a recent announcement from Nintendo Global President, Mr Satoru Iwata, about games titles to get excited about, with the biggest of these being the exclusive release of Mario and Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games for the Wii U.
While previously announced games like Pikmin 3 were also featured in the video, the two real surprises were the Sochi 2014 title and a brief teaser for a 3D platform adventure for Sonic on the Wii U. However, it’s the Mario and Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games release that stole the show with the step up in visuals that the new HD device has brought to the games.
While the graphics are definitely more detailed than has been the case on previous Mario and Sonic games, with more character styling, weather effects and dynamic movement, the reality is that they’re not a major step forward in terms of next generation games consoles. But with sharper HD and the increased power of the Wii U there’s definitely going to be a much crisper gaming experience on Mario and Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.
The reality is that the Mario and Sonic series has never really been about the way the game look – although this is still an important factor – it has always been about the multi-player gameplay fun that it delivers. By the look of the trailer, the Sochi version will be bringing a whole new round of this in abundance as you get to take to the slopes with characters from both Mario and Sonic to test your Olympic gaming might.
In terms of the competition events within the game, skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, bobsled, figure skating, biathlon, speed skating and curling have already been confirmed and they look like they’re going to be class. There’s also a return to the Dream Events where the crazy world of Mario and Sonic combine with the concept of the standard events to produce wild and wacky versions of the competitions. This includes Mario Kart tracks to snowboard down and Hockey in the hockey in the randomly shaped Delfino Plaza from Super Mario Sunshine.
There’s also a mixed event which combines race modes to create a spralling, high octane track were you switch between skiing, snowboarding, skating and bobsled to get around. It looks like a lot of fun when you’ve got a whole bunch of people playing, making this a clear contender for one of the year’s best multi-player games.
Mario and Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games will undoubtedly be an online game, which will only add to the potential entertainment value. Getting to join up with friends or randoms from around the world for a quick bout of Mario and Sonic snowboard freestyle is going to be a great addition to the Wii U gaming choices.
While an official release date wasn’t specified in the announcement, the fact that Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games came out in November 2011 in advance of the 2012 Olympic games has got to point towards an autumn 2013 release for Mario and Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games. With both the PS4 and Xbox 720 looking likely for October and November and the Winter games taking place in February 2014 we’re hedging our bets for a late September release for the new title in the series.
