Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 (マリオ＆ソニック AT ソチオリンピック, Mario & Sonikku AT Sochi Orinpikku^?, lit. "Mario & Sonic at the Sochi Olympics") is a cross-over sports/party video game for the Wii U and is the fourth installment of the Mario & Sonic series. It was first announced by Satoru Iwata on Nintendo Direct on 17 May 2013, as the second out of the three titles of Sega and Nintendo's exclusive collaboration, the first being Sonic Lost World and the third being Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric/Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal. It is also the first game in the series published by Nintendo outside of Japan and South Korea rather than Sega, who published the first three games.

Gameplay[]

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 features sixteen events, including a wide variety of Olympic winter sports, including skiing, snowboarding, bobsledding, pairs figure skating and curling.^[4] Players have to use both the GamePad and the Wii Remote Plus, depending on the event in question. Curling, for example, requires players to draw lines on the GamePad's screen.^[4]

The game also includes special events set in the world of Mario & Sonic, in which characters have special abilities impossible in the real world. Mixed events that combine sports like skiing, snowboarding and bobsledding in one race, are available. Figure skating can now be performed with two characters on the same team, working simultaneously.

Game modes[]

Legends Showdown[]

Legends Showdown is a story mode of the game. There are 5 areas and characters of the game have separated to 5 different teams: Sonic, Tails, Yoshi and Donkey Kong in blue team, Amy, Knuckles, Wario and Waluigi in red team, Vector, Shadow, Daisy and Luigi in orange team, Silver, Blaze, Mario and Peach in yellow team and Metal Sonic, Dr. Eggman, Bowser and Bowser, Jr. in green team.

The players race against the chosen character's ghost form, which has similarities to the Phantasmal Fog Imposters seen in the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Each team completes an area, which has 4 events and one boss battle. The second of these events features a fight against a Mii, and the final stage requires the players to beat a boss. Upon completion, the player receives a rank based on their score. Skill points determines the number of points gained in a single event. If an A+ achieved, a Mii outfit will be rewarded.

Action and answer tour[]

Action and answer tour is an action quiz, which combines quiz and minigames.

• Quick shot and answer: the answering happens by shooting the answer to the question.
• Melody and answer (4-man bobsleigh): Players must ride along the path, where they hear an instrument. When players reaches the finish line, they must answer which instrument they heard.
• Lucky chance: This is luck-based event, the points gained vary between two and ten.
• Scratch and answer (Freestyle ski cross): The players must ski along a silver scratch sheet, which hides a winning number. Players must scratch them and reveal the winning number, then go through the gate with said number on it.
• Mid-air scratch and answer (Ski jumping large hill): A symbol is displayed at the start of the minigame, from with the players must catch the balloons with that symbol on them.
• Mid-air formation and answer (Ski jumping large hill): During the jump, Paratroopas and Buzzers will make a formation. The players must answer with what kind of shape they form. The longer spent in the air, the easier it is to answer.
• Boo hunt and answer (Short trackspeed skating 1000M): The Boo is recording the players, so the players must track him down by using the video feed. The winner is the one who bumps into Boo.
• Spiny scramble and answer (Snowboard cross): A Lakitu throws Spinies around the course, so the players must count how many during appear the event to win.
• Giant balloon and answer (Alpine skiing downhill): After passing a gate, a giant balloon with snowflakes on it appears. Upon counting the number of snowflakes, the player must press .
• Goal shoot and answer (Ice hockey): Players must shoot the pucks into the goal displaying the correct answer.
• Try your luck and answer (Snowboard slope style): The players break the various barrels placed on the snow, each housing Rings. The player who collects the most Rings is the winner.

Characters[]

Playable[]

• Mii

Team Sonic[]

Character	Type	Description
	Speed	The hedgehog with attitude is used to being cool, so the Olympic Winter Games are the ideal showcase for his unbeatable speed.
	Skill	What Dr. Eggman lacks in natural athletic ability he makes up for in skill and his astonishing IQ of 300.
		Sonic's long-standing sidekick is an ace pilot and an expert with machines. This fox might be young, but his natural abilities make him a match for any competitor.
	All-Around	A cheerful and energetic hedgehog. With a well-balanced set of capabilities, she's out to win.
	Speed	Engineered to outperform even Sonic himself in the speed stakes, Metal Sonic is just as fast on ice as he is on the open road.
	Power	Guardian of the Master Emerald, this echidna packs a real punch. His sizeable strength means he's always a contender.
		With a love of all things gold, this crafty croc will use his impressive strength to snag as many Gold Medals as possible.
	Speed	Matching his great rival Sonic in almost every regard, Shadow is out to prove he's the ultimate competitor.
	All-Around	This feline princess hails from another dimension, where she protects the Sol Emeralds. With no obvious weaknesses, she's an intimidating opponent.
	Skill	This mysterious hedgehog from the future possesses telekinetic powers. He's sure to be a force to be reckoned with in Sochi.

Team Mario[]

This section requires an expansion.

Character	Type	Description
	All-Around	The hero of the Mushroom Kingdom brings his energy, enthusiasm, and world-famous jumps to the Sochi Olympic Winter Games.
		Taller and slimmer than his older brother Mario, the multi-talented Luigi is ready to show the world what he can do.
	Skill	The ruler of the Toads and the Mushroom Kingdom.
	Speed	A princess from Sarasaland who boasts excellent speed and considerable proficiency in many events.
	Power	This swinging king of the jungle has tremendous strength and agility on his side, and he can't wait to show off his skills.
	Speed	Yoshi has been a faithful friend to Mario and Luigi for many years. Impressive speed is Yoshi's greatest asset.
	Power	A self-proclaimed rival to Mario.
	Skill	Wario's mischievous partner and a self-proclaimed rival to Luigi. Don't underestimate his abilities in a wide range of events!
	Power	The fire-breathing Bowser isn't normally someone to be trifled with, and he's just as formidable out on the ice and snow.
	All-Around	As Bowser's son, Bowser Jr. combines his father's power with his own well-balanced natural abilities.

Non-playable[]

Rivals[]

Character	Type	Event
	All-Around	Ice Hockey
	Speed	Bullet Bill Sledge Race
		Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom
	Skill	Short Track 1000m
	Power	Roller Coaster Bobsleigh
	Skill	Winter Sports Champion Race
	All-Around
	Power

Referees[]

• Charmy Bee
• Chao
• Espio the Chameleon
• Lakitu
• Omochao
• Toad
• Orbot
• Cubot

Audience[]

• Animals
  • Cucky
  • Flicky
  • Pecky
  • Picky
• Chao
• Goomba
• Koopa Troopa
• Omochao
• Shy Guy
• Toad

In event[]

• Rotatatron (Dream Figure Skating)
• Shy Guy (Dream Ice Hockey)
• Wiggler Bus (Dream Snowboard Cross)

Events[]

Olympic Events[]

Event	Icon	Description
Alpine Skiing Downhill		Steer through a series of gates on your way to the bottom of a snow-covered slope.
Ski Jumping Large Hill		Launch yourself into the air from a huge ramp and leap as far as you can. A good landing is crucial.
Freestyle Skiing Moguls		Negotiate a series of large bumps, known as moguls, in this challenging downhill test of speed and skill.
Freestyle Ski Cross		Jostle for position with other competitors in an all-out race on a course studded with waves and banks.
Biathlon		This demanding event combines phases of skiing with shooting, and requires good technique and athletic ability.
Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom		Go head-to-head with a competitor as you both race downhill, pass gates and try to set the fastest time.
Snowboard Slopestyle		Get some air and execute a wide range of spectacular tricks to impress spectators!
Snowboard Cross		Set out to be the number one rider in this exhilarating exhibition of speed.
Speed Skating 500m		Take to the ice for a short track sprint that's all about rhythm.
Short Track 1000m		Maintaining a good line is crucial if you want to reach the finish line before your opponent.
Figure Skating Singles		Step, spin, leap and glide to the music in a graceful blend of agility and technique.
Figure Skating Pairs		Take a partner and show off your combined flair in this doubles performance.
Skeleton		Reach incredible speeds as you lie face-down on a sled. Find the ideal line to set the best time!
4-Man Bobsleigh		Leap into the bobsleigh with perfect timing and work together as a team to negotiate the course's tricky turns.
Ice Hockey		Take your team out to the ice and pass, shoot, and score your way to victory!
Curling		Carefully measure each shot and guide your stone to the perfect position in this highly strategic event.

Dream Events[]

Event	Image	Location	Description
Winter Sports Champion Race		Mini Russia Island	Use four types of equipment – skis, skates, snowboard and bobsleigh – in a demanding test of all-around ability!
Groove Pipe Snowboard		Mushroom Bridge	Negotiate twists, curves and ramps in an exhilarating race to the finish.
Figure Skating Spectacular		Dream Skating Center	A dynamic musical performance on ice with a big difference: there's an extra rink in the air, too!
Roller Coaster Bobsleigh		Speed Highway	Race along at unbelievable speeds and take in the sights and sounds in a unique bobsleigh race!
Snow Day Street Hockey		Delfino Plaza	Take your team to the ice and use skill, strategy, and a range of wild items to win the day!
Hole-In-One Curling		Green Hill Zone	You've never seen curling like this! One team member rides a large stone pushed by the other player.
Snowball Scrimmage		Snow Colosseum	Two teams line up for the ultimate snowball fight. Ready, aim... throw!
Bullet Bill Sledge Race		Sweet Mountain	Hit high speeds in a two-seater bobsleigh pulled by a team of super-fast Bullet Bills!

Cast[]

Sonic characters[]

Mario characters[]

Reception[]

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games has received mixed reviews, with most praising the visuals, but criticizing the game for being too similar to previous games of the series. It currently holds a score of 56% at GameRankings and 57/100 at Metacritic. Nintendo Life gave the game a 6 out of 10,^[7] with Liam Martin of Digital Spy agreeing with his rating of 3 out of 5.^[9] Scott Thompson of IGN criticized the game's unbalanced AI and unresponsive motion controls, giving it a 4.5/10.^[6]

Trivia[]

• This game is the fifth crossover between Mario and Sonic, the others being Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
• This is the first Mario & Sonic game on the Wii U and the first one to not be on the Wii.
• The game appears to have the longest Sonic the Hedgehog video game title in the entire Sonic franchise, as it has twenty syllables in its entire name (twenty-two syllables if one pronounced it "two thousand and fourteen" instead of "twenty fourteen").
• It has exactly the same characters as Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.
• This is the first and only Mario & Sonic game without a handheld counterpart.
  • In addition, this game and Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric are the only Sonic games released exclusively on the Wii U.
• This is also the first game of the series that includes online multiplayer mode.
• Coincidentally, both Green Hill Zone and Delfino Plaza appeared as stages in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
• There is a stage from each era:
  • Green Hill from the Classic Era
  • Speed Highway from the Dreamcast Era
  • Sweet Mountain from the Modern Era
    • In addition, the first two of the above appeared in Sonic Generations. Also, their textures are taken from Sonic Generations, despite said game never being released on the Wii U.
• This game features special animations for some paired characters.
• This is the last Sonic game where Kate Higgins voices Tails.
• This is the first Mario & Sonic game where voice-overs exist not only for English and Japanese, but also for German, French, Italian, and Spanish.
• For unexplained reasons, the English voice credits list Troy Baker, Colleen O'Shaughnessey (credited as Maggie O'Connor), Kyle Hebert, and Michelle Ruff, the respective voice actors of Espio the Chameleon, Charmy Bee, Big the Cat, and Cream the Rabbit at the time of the game's release. However, while Espio and Charmy appear in the game, they are completely silent and do not emit any voice lines, while Big and Cream are completely absent from the game altogether. Furthering this oddity is that their voice actors in other languages are not listed in the credits.

Videos[]

• Wii U Trailer
• Nintendo Direct Gameplay Trailer
• US commercial #1
• US commercial #2

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Mario Wiki, a wiki about Mario.
• Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Super Mario Wiki, the Super Mario wiki.