Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (マリオ&ソニックATリオオリンピック) is the fifth installment of the Mario & Sonic series for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. The game was first announced on the Japanese Nintendo Direct on 31 May 2015. Like previous games, the game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee for the 31st Summer Olympic Games and taking place in the host city Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Both versions of the game are set to be released sometime in 2016. An arcade edition of the game was announced by Sega on 16 July 2015 which will be released in Japan in 2016.

Development
The game was officially revealed during Nintendo Direct, 31 May 2015, showcasing two new game modes, Golf and Rugby along with twenty new characters, ten from the Mario series, ten from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The game will use Amiibo.

Other

 * Mii

New
* =Character needs to be unlocked in Road to Rio mode.

Arcade version
Each character has two events where they are good at. Each character type also has certain advantage in some events.

Rivals
These rivals can be challenged when getting over 25 stars from three events. Each play time one of the nine rivals is listed "Way hard". The score in the bonus event does not affect to total score. All rivals are Special type
 * Omega (100M)
 * Nabbit (110M)
 * Rouge (100M freestyle)
 * Toad (4 X 100 Relay)
 * Dry Bowser (1500m)
 * Jet (300M Steeplechase)
 * Toadette (400M)
 * Diddy Kong (400m Hurdles)
 * Eggman Nega (Triple Jump)

Referees

 * Orbot
 * Cubot
 * Cheese
 * Big the Cat
 * Charmy Bee
 * Red Toad
 * Blue Toad
 * Green Toad
 * Yellow Toad
 * Lakitu
 * Toadsworth
 * Birdo
 * Pianta
 * Shy Guy
 * Goomba

Audience characters
*** = indicates that they are also filming the events
 * Chao
 * Neutral Chao***
 * Hero Chao
 * Dark Chao
 * Omochao
 * Animals
 * Flicky
 * Pecky
 * Cucky
 * Picky
 * Toads***
 * Purple Toads
 * Yellow Toads
 * Green Toads
 * Blue Toads
 * Shy Guys
 * Green Shy Guys
 * Pink Shy Guys
 * Goombas
 * Koopa Troopas

Event characters

 * Moto Bug
 * Egg Pawns
 * Super Egg Pawn
 * Search Flapper
 * Chao
 * Toads
 * Goomba
 * Red Paratroopa
 * Piranha Plant
 * Thwomp
 * Yoshis
 * Birdos
 * Boos
 * Boom Booms
 * Pom Pom

Road to Rio characters

 * Mii
 * Mii Mario
 * Mii Sonic
 * Chao
 * Omochao
 * Orbot
 * Cubot
 * Toad
 * Blue Toad
 * Light Blue Yoshi
 * Yellow Yoshi

Wii U
It has been confirmed that there will be a total of 14 events and 3 Duel events. Returning characters will be playable in all events, but new characters are exclusive to one event each. 3 events have another form called Duel Events, which contains elements from the Mario and Sonic series.
 * Football (Jet)
 * Duel Football
 * Rugby Sevens (Diddy Kong)
 * Duel Rugby Sevens
 * Beach Volleyball (Rouge)
 * Duel Beach Volleyball
 * Basketball (Toadette)
 * Duel Basketball
 * Field Hockey (Lemmy)
 * Duel Field Hockey
 * Water Polo (Morton)
 * Duel Water Polo
 * BMX (Wave)
 * 100m (Nabbit)
 * Triple Jump (Espio)
 * 100m Freestyle (Wendy)
 * Boxing (Zavok)
 * Equestrian (Larry)
 * Rhythmic Gymnastics (Rosalina)
 * Songs:
 * From the New World - Antonín Dvořák, Symphony No. 9
 * Vento brasileiro
 * Super Bell Hill (Remix) - Super Mario 3D World
 * Reach for the Stars (Arrangement) - Sonic Colors
 * 4x100m Relay (Toad)
 * Javelin Throw (Dry Bowser)
 * Archery (Sticks)
 * Table Tennis (Zazz)
 * Trampoline (Iggy)
 * Tennis (Ludwig)
 * Cycling - Sprint (Roy)
 * Canoe - Sprint (Koopa Troopa)
 * Hammer Throw (Omega)
 * Synchronized Swimming (Tikal)
 * Indoor Volleyball (Zor)
 * Judo (Zomom)
 * Taekwondo (Zeena)
 * Fencing (Zik)
 * 800m (Funky Kong)
 * 400m (Vanilla)
 * Triathlon (Honey)
 * 3000m Steeplechase (Petey)
 * Shot Put (Strom)
 * 10m Diving (Fiona)

Nintendo 3DS
Much like the previous installment, the characters are assigned to certain events. The difference is that returning characters are playable in two events each while newcomers are playable in only one each. However, Mario, Sonic, and Miis are available in all events. Each event also has a second mode that contains elements from both Mario and Sonic's worlds, which are referred to as "Plus Events".


 * Football (Soccer) (Shadow, Yoshi, Jet*, Daisy)
 * Golf* (Vector, Peach, Rouge*, Bowser)
 * 100m Sprint (Shadow, Yoshi, Metal, Nabbit*)
 * 110m Hurdles (Silver, Luigi, Eggman, Diddy*)
 * Long Jump (Espio, Waluigi, Eggman Nega*, Bowser Jr.)
 * Javelin Throw (Knuckles, Wario, Omega, Dry Bowser*)
 * 100m Freestyle (Tails, Peach, Amy, Wendy*)
 * Archery (Silver, Wario, Sticks*, Birdo)
 * Boxing (Knuckles, DK, Zavok*, Bowser)
 * Table Tennis (Vector, Luigi, Zazz*, Ludwig)
 * Beach Volleyball (Tails, DK, Cream, Roy*)
 * Show Jumping (Blaze, Bowser Jr., Eggman, Larry*)
 * BMX (Metal, Waluigi, Wave*, Dry Bones)
 * Rhythmic Hoop* (Amy, Daisy, Blaze, Rosalina*)
 * Songs:
 * Farandole - Georges Bizet, L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1
 * Super Mario Bros. Main Theme (Remix) – Super Mario Bros.
 * Wonder World (Arrangement) – Sonic Lost World

* by stage= indicates that they are new events to the Mario & Sonic series

* by character= indicates that the character must be unlocked in Road to Rio.

Road to Rio
These events are exclusive to the 3DS Story Mode.
 * 4 x 100m Relay
 * 1500m
 * 3000m Steeplechase
 * Triple Jump
 * Hammer Throw
 * Shot Put
 * Pole Vault
 * Trampoline
 * Rings
 * 100m Breaststroke
 * 100m Backstroke
 * Platform Diving (Synchronized)
 * Water Polo
 * Synchronized Swimming (Duet)
 * Synchronized Swimming (Team)
 * 1000m Kayak (Singles)
 * 10km Marathon Swim
 * Canoe Slalom (Pair)
 * Sailing - 470 (Pair)
 * Rowing - Quadruple Sculls
 * Hockey
 * Basketball
 * Handball
 * Badminton (Singles)
 * Badminton (Doubles)
 * Fencing - Epée
 * Taekwondo
 * Double Trap
 * 25m Rapid Fire Pistol
 * Keirin

Arcade

 * 100m
 * 110m Hurdles
 * 4 X 100M Relay (Special event, Multiplayer only)
 * Long Jump
 * Hammer Throw
 * Javelin Throw (Balance type can do better running start)
 * 100m Freestyle
 * Archery (Speed type has faster aiming time, Power shoots straight, balance cursor moves faster)
 * Trampoline (Eggman is easy to get higher, Metal sonic umps higher with precise jumps)
 * Rhythmic Gymnastics (Amy has easier timing, Blaze and Sonic gets more points from spin moves)

Reception
In their first review for the 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Famitsu gave the game 33 out of 40. Following the handheld version release, Metacritic gave the game 60 out of 100 based on thirty critics scoring 3 of 5 stars. Hobby Consolas, praised the contents of the game and the plenty of characters but criticized the limitation of playable characters for each event. Gameblog expressed disappointment of the gameplay being simplistic for hardcore sports fans and the music being repetitive as well. Other reviewers have pointed out that the game is built upon the previous installments and it was basically tended toward younger audiences than offering different styles, hoping that the Wii U version will be more interesting. The Wii U version got a slightly increase in metascore, scoring 65 out of 100 based on twenty six critics. Impulsegamer praised the valuable points that were carried from the previous installments, graphics and audio, but criticized the controls. Forbes website however, did not see it as a title that can take the place of the previous Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, though still enjoyable for friends and family. Other reviewers such as Digitally downloaded and Atomix while praised the how the game's overall sports are presented, criticized the lack of depth in gameplay and the new olympic festival. The rest of reviewers had the same dominant atmosphere that lies to the lack of challenges and depth of its large contents, with the absence of motion controls in some events. Some also felt it was repetitive and betrayed the Mario & Sonic fans. During the first week of the Nintendo 3DS version release, the game has sold 44,000 copies in Japan, and was one of the best Nintendo sellers in UK on the ninth of July 2016. The Wii U version of the game did the same in UK as well.

Trivia

 * This is the first game in the Mario & Sonic series to have new characters since Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.
 * This is also the first game to have new female characters.
 * This is the first game in the series to feature different character rosters between each version.
 * Before being playable in this game, Rouge the Bat, Jet the Hawk, E-123 Omega, Dr. Eggman Nega, Birdo, Dry Bones, and Dry Bowser appeared in the previous installments (except for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games) as rival characters while Toad, Cream and Espio appeared as referees.
 * However, Toad is still a referee in the 3DS version and Espio still referees some Road to Rio events.
 * Interestingly, Toad, Birdo, Jet, Rouge, Espio, and Cream were supposed to appear as playable characters in the first installment but were cut for unknown reasons.
 * The Wii U version of the game is the first console version of an Olympic Games title to be released on the year of the Olympics.
 * The 3DS version of the game is the first handheld version of an Olympic Games title to be released before the console version.
 * This is the first game where Jet the hawk, Strom the Albatross and Wave the Swallow is playable outside of the Sonic Riders series.
 * This is the first time that Vector the Crocodile and Espio the Chameleon are playable and Charmy Bee isn't.
 * This is the first game where Dr. Eggman Nega, as well as members of the Deadly Six are playable, as opposed to being only being boss characters in previous games.
 * The same also applies to both Boom Boom and Pom Pom for the Mario series, both of whom are only side characters.
 * This is the first modern Sonic game where Amy Rose and Sticks the Badger appears outside of the Sonic Boom series.
 * However this is her second appearance outside of the series after Sonic Runners.
 * Some events from the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games reappear in this game in Story mode.
 * This is the first game since 2007 that Rouge the Bat has appeared on the boxart of a game, after Sonic Rivals 2.
 * This is the first game in the Mario & Sonic series, as well as outside of the Sonic Boom series that Colleen O'Shaughnessey and Nika Futterman voices Tails and Sticks.
 * This is also the first game where Matthew Mercer voices Espio.
 * In Japan, this seems to be the last game where Chikao Otsuka voices Eggman and Eggman Nega, due to his death in Early 2015, they used recycled clips from the previous Mario & Sonic games.
 * This is the first game in the series where Sonic has dialog as opposed to being mute like Mario.
 * This is also the first game where Sonic says Mario's name in a dialog.
 * In Japan, this game was released on the 25th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, as it as released on the same day the original Sonic the Hedgehog was released.

Videos
Nintendo Direct Trailer= Announcement Trailer= E3 2015 Trailer= 3DS Trailer= 3DS Trailer 2= Amiibo trailer=