- For the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, see Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS). For the arcade version, see Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Arcade Edition.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (マリオ&ソニック AT リオオリンピック Mario & Sonikku AT Rio Orinpikku?, lit. "Mario & Sonic AT Rio Olympics") is the fifth installment of the Mario & Sonic series for the Wii U, along with the Nintendo 3DS version. The game was first announced on the Japanese Nintendo Direct on 31 May 2015.[5][6]
Unlike previous games, this game was 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.[7] Both versions of the game were released in 2016.[8][9]
An arcade version of the game was announced by Sega on 16 July 2015, which was later released in 2016.[10]
Characters[]
Playable[]
There are a total of 35 playable characters in this game. All 21 characters from previous games return in this game while 14 new characters (13 of which were in the Nintendo 3DS version) are added. In this game, characters who were playable in older installments are playable in all events, while newcomers (known as "Guests" in this game) are exclusive to one event each. Guests must first be unlocked by beating them in their event after completing a tournament.
Team Sonic[]
| Character | Flag | Profile |
|---|---|---|
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A blue hedgehog with a penchant for high speed, Sonic is a free spirit with a love for adventure. He despises anything that is unfair and will get into trouble to help anyone in need. For Sonic, saving the world is just another thrilling episode in his life. He's currently hoping to turn his innate speed into some quick gold. |
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Sonic's best friend and trusty sidekick, Tails can use his two tails to fly, allowing him to lend Sonic a helping hand with hard-to-reach places. Tails is also somewhat of a technical genius, applying his mechanical expertise to invent all sorts of vehicles and other robotic contraptions. Undaunted by Sonic's speed, he's determined to use his wits to propel himself to a gold medal. |
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An over-enthusiastic, but good-natured hedgehog girl with a preference for cute things, sweets, and shopping. Amy's constantly trying to close the gap between her and Sonic, but the Blue Blur is one tough guy to catch. She hopes to spend the Olympic Games enjoying the sights of Rio, and is looking to bring home a gold medal as a souvenir. |
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A red echidna that boasts some serious muscle, Knuckles is what one might call "best frenemies" with Sonic. He's a capable treasure hunter, but his straightforward and trusting nature gets him mixed up with less-scrupulous characters on occasion. He's eager to test his formidable agility and prodigious strength to the fullest in the Olympic Games. |
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A noble princess from another dimension who is also guardian of the Sol Emeralds. Blaze has a kind heart, and always stands up for those who can't stand up for themselves. In addition to being athletic, she also has the power to control flames. After a bit of time away, she's once more crossed over from her dimension in order to rekindle old friendships and test her skills in the Olympic Games. |
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A black-and-red hedgehog who bears a striking resemblance to Sonic. While Shadow may seem like Sonic's rival, he personally hates for the two of them to be seen together. A stoic perfectionist, Shadow has a great deal of pride in his own exceptional abilities. He hopes the Olympic Games will provide him the ultimate competition - one he has no intention of losing. |
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This silver hedgehog from the future has a complicated past with Sonic, but has been known to go on world-saving adventures with him. Silver can use his telekinetic powers to move objects or even levitate himself. He has a rather straightforward mindset, loves world peace and blue skies. The true and fair spirit of competition cultivated by the Olympic Games is what drew Silver back from the future. |
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This evil scientific genius needs no introduction. Dr. Eggman is constantly plotting to fulfill his hopes and ambitions of conquering the world and rebuilding it into his ideal "Eggmanland", but Sonic always manages to stop him. His current madcap scheme is to sweep the medal race, then hijack the competition and turn the Olympic Games into his own Eggman-sponsored affair. |
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This high-performance combat robot was built by Dr. Eggman for the sole purpose of defeating Sonic the Hedgehog. Metal Sonic's metallic frame resembles Sonic, as does his speed, power, and endurance. Like Sonic, Metal Sonic plans to put his exceptional speed to the test at the Olympic Games. |
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This crafty croc leads the Chaotix Detective Agency. Vector may speak in a rough tone and he may not sweat the details, but uses his powers of deduction to solve any case with dignity and respect. Vector is a true leader with dreams of becoming rich, but is perpetually broke since he often takes jobs that help people but don't pay. There's a strong possibility he'll be competing in the Olympic Games on an empty stomach. |
Guests[]
| Character | Flag | Playable event(s) | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
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Triple jump | This straight-laced detective is the voice of reason in the Chaotix Detective Agency, but his reserved demeanor hides a burning sense of justice and a refusal to let evil have its way. Trained as a ninja, this chameleon is a master of throwing kunai, and can vanish using his Leaf Swirl technique. For Espio, these Olympic Games are merely a step along the path to perfecting his art. |
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Football | Jet is the leader of the Babylon Rogues, and Sonic's rival when it comes to "Extreme Gear" racing. His mastery of the board is so impressive, he's earned himself the name of "Legendary Wind Master". When he's not seeking treasure, he's looking for new speed challenges. The pace and technical skill required in ball sports caught his eye, and he intends to add a few Olympic medals to his collection. |
| Duel Football | |||
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BMX | A member of the Babylon Rogues, Wave serves as the team's mechanic as well as strategist. She can't abide anyone she considers less intelligent than herself - which in her mind is pretty much everyone else. Nevertheless, she still admires Jet and serves as his faithful follower. She seems especially fond of Olympic events that involve riding on things. |
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Beach Volleyball | A sultry bat with an air of mystery who specializes in jewels, Rouge is a brave and seasoned spy who boasts excellent footwork in a fight. Although a treasure hunter by nature, her love for gems can sometimes cause her thieving tendencies to take over. Perhaps she entered the competition in order to get her hands on a shiny and sate her lust for glitter. |
| Duel Beach Volleyball | |||
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Archery | A free-spirited badger who lives on the outskirts of the jungle. Sticks is a bit wild due to her woodland upbringing, but she's a talented hunter who can take down any prey with her trusty boomerang. She's also obsessed with things that glitter, and so has come to Rio after hearing she might be able to win a shiny medal. |
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Boxing | Zavok is the strongest of the sinister Zeti and the leader of the Deadly Six. As the last disciple of Master Zik, he's a certified force to be reckoned with. Along with his formidable physical prowess, a calm demeanor and penchant for quick-thinking makes him well-suited to leadership. His greatest joy is in improving his skills, which makes the straight-forward competitive nature of the Olympic Games quite appealing. |
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Table Tennis | The wild and crazy member of Dr. Eggman's Deadly Six, Zazz is every bit the metalhead he looks like and his unruly and unpredictable personality makes him destructive even by Deadly Six standards. He hates boredom above all else, and will fly into a rage when held back from a fight. His competitive style is a bit more chaotic than is usually seen in the Olympic Games. |
Team Mario[]
| Character | Flag | Profile |
|---|---|---|
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This cheerful hero is known for his red cap and mustache. He's incredibly athletic, and excels at nearly any sport he tries. He and his brother Luigi are currently competing to see who can win the most Olympic medals. |
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This green-capped Mario brother is easily scared, but a kind person at heart. Although he often finds himself overshadowed by his older brother, he's actually quite skillful himself. He's come to Rio with the goal of winning more Olympic medals than Mario, who always seems to hog all the attention. |
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The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. She's come to the Olympic Games with a bevy of Toads by her side, and is driven to put on a brilliant performance in the name of all the Toads back home who couldn't attend. |
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This voracious friend of the Mario brothers hails from Yoshi's Island. He uses his long tongue to eat just about anything, but is especially fond of melons and other fruits. He's attending these Olympic Games with a host of colorful friends at his side. |
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The peppy princess from Sarasaland is having a blast at the Olympic Games! In her downtime, she plans to chow down at fine restaurants and maybe get a little shopping in with Peach. |
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Money, money, money! This scoundrel has taken on all sorts of jobs in his pursuit for cash, including treasure hunter, adventurer, and even president of a game company. His latest scheme involved dominating the Olympic Games with the power of garlic, thus allowing him to hog all the valuable gold medals for himself. |
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This oddball sports a hat with an upside-down L on the front. Although his distinctively scrawny physique leaves him without much power, he makes up for it with flexibility and athleticism. Despite his seemingly lackadaisical attitude, he actually trains quite hard behind the scenes. |
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The vicious and egoistical King of the Koopas! He's come to these Olympic Games with a host of seasoned minions in tow, and ordered them to win gold on penalty of fire breath - even though he plans to keep all of them for himself. It's just what any good villain would do. |
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Bowser's prankster of a son. Since Dad spoiled him rotten, he now expects to get his way. Despite his selfishness, he still holds Father in high regard, and wants nothing more than to impress him. |
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Although this mild-mannered king of the jungle isn't the brightest banana in the bunch, he boasts exceptional strength with which he hopes to dominate the Olympic Games. Since DK and his friends normally live in the jungle, these Olympic Games are perfect for his training regimen. |
Guests[]
| Character | Flag | Playable event(s) | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
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4x100m Relay | One of the many Mushroom Kingdom Toads who serve Peach. Many of his fellow Toads are involved with running the Olympic Games, while others are participating in the actual events. |
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Gymnastics | A mysterious woman who travels aboard the Comet Observatory starship. She's taller than Peach and Daisy, and has an air of mystique about her. Having seen past Olympic Games from her observatory, she's finally decided to come enjoy the fun in person. |
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Javelin Throw | Bowser's skeletal form. This bony transformation grants him the agility of lightweight competitors while maintaining his heavyweight power. Only those who've boned up on their skill set can hope to pull off such a humorous technique. |
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Equestrian | One of Bowser's seven Koopaling henchmen. His unique ruffled mohawk and blue head star give him a flashy appearance. In the Olympic Games, he performs acrobatic movements on horseback to thrill the crowd! |
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100m Freestyle Swimming | This lone girl among the seven Koopalings has a bullish attitude and always seems angry. She's also very style-conscious - wearing a necklace, bracelets and high heels. Because of her personality, her only focus now is on winning the Olympic Games. |
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100m | This mysterious creature carries a large sack over its shoulder, and also conducts research about Mario from a base on Secret Island. He's surprisingly fast despite the hefty sack, and hopes to use that speed to full effect in the Olympic Games. |
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Rugby Sevens | Although this simian lacks the brute strength of his buddy Donkey Kong, he makes up for it with keen agility and technique. This skill set makes him particularly well-suited for dodging tackles in rugby sevens. |
| Duel Rugby Sevens |
Additional characters[]
Copacabana Beach[]
Supporting characters[]
- Boom Boom (Rugby Sevens teammates)
- Birdo (Football goalie)
- Egg Pawn (Rugby Sevens teammates and Football goalie)
Audience[]
Other[]
- Vinicius (cameo)
Events[]
There are a total of 14 events and 3 Duel events in the Wii U version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Three events also have another form known as "Duel Events", which contain elements from the Mario and Sonic series, replacing the Dream Events from previous installments.
- Football
- Duel Football
- Rugby Sevens
- Duel Rugby Sevens
- Beach Volleyball
- Duel Beach Volleyball
- BMX
- 100m
- Triple Jump
- 100m Freestyle
- Boxing
- Equestrian
- Rhythmic Gymnastics
- 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
- Songs:
- 4x100m Relay
- Javelin Throw
- Archery
- Table Tennis
Development[]
The game was officially revealed during a Nintendo Direct on 31 May 2015,[6][11] 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 supports amiibo functionality.[12]
When composing the soundtrack, sound directors Teruhiko Nakagawa and Kenichi Tokoi decided to use Rio-inspired samba rhythms with the sound team studying Brazilian music to get a feel for it. However, when a percussionist from Brazil listened to samples of their music, he was apparently dissatisfied with some of their work, commenting that it sounded more Cuban than Brazilian. In response, Tokoi had the team record the soundtrack in Brazil itself, using native musicians to capture a more authentic sound. The team arrived two weeks before the Rio Carnival, and had to work within strict time limits to record the tracks before the carnival.[13]
Reception[]
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| Metacritic | 65%[14] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Digitally Downloaded |   [15]
|
| ImpulseGamer | 4.3/5[16] |
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games received a score of 65% on review aggregator website Metacritic.[14] ImpulseGamer praised the graphics and audio that were carried from the previous installments, but criticized the controls.[16] Forbes, however, did not see it as a title that can take the place of the previous Mario & Sonic titles, though still enjoyable for friends and family.[17] Other reviewers, such as Digitally Downloaded and Atomix, praised the how the game's overall sports are presented while critisizing the lack of depth in gameplay and the new Olympic festival.[15][18] Overall, the lack of challenges and depth of its large contents, with the absence of motion controls in some events, led to less than great reception. Some also felt it was repetitive and betrayed the Mario & Sonic fans.[19][20]
Cast[]
Announcers[]
| Role | Voice actor | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Japanese | French | Italian | German | Spanish | Dutch | |
| Announcer | Tiago Augusto Souza Barreiro (male) | Olivier Deslandes | Angelo Cola | Steffan Boje | Fabio Tassone | Lars Oostven | |
| Ana Carolina Souza Barreiro (female) | |||||||
Sonic characters[]
Mario characters[]
| Role | Voice actor |
|---|---|
| Mario | Charles Martinet |
| Luigi | |
| Wario | |
| Waluigi | |
| Peach | Samantha Kelly |
| Toad | |
| Princess Daisy | Deanna Mustard |
| Rosalina | Laura Faye Smith |
| Yoshi | Kazumi Totaka |
| Birdo | |
| Donkey Kong | Takashi Nagasako |
| Diddy Kong | Katsumi Suzuki |
| Bowser | Kenny James |
| Dry Bowser | |
| Bowser Jr. | Caety Sagoian |
| Larry Koopa | Michelle Hippe |
| Wendy O. Koopa | Ashley Flannegan |
| Nabbit | Natsuko Yokoyama |
| Boom Boom | Sho Murata |
| Lakitu | Tadd Morgan |
| Pianta | Scott Burns |
| Shy Guy | Nate Bihldorff |
Trivia[]
- This is the first game in the Mario & Sonic series to have:
- New characters since Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.
- New female characters.
- Different character rosters between each version, with Omega, Eggman Nega, Cream, Dry Bones, Ludwig, Roy, and Birdo being exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS version, and Toad being exclusive to the Wii U version.
- The handheld version having more playable characters than the console version. The Wii versions of the first three games had more characters due to the presence of the Miis.
- The home console version of the game be released on the year of the Olympics, rather than the year before it.
- The handheld version of an Olympic Games title to be released before the home console version.
- Sonic speak with text-based dialog as opposed to being mute like Mario.
- This is the first game where:
- Wave the Swallow is playable outside of the Sonic Riders series, as well as the first time that Jet and Wave appear without Storm the Albatross.
- Vector the Crocodile and Espio the Chameleon appear as playable characters, despite that Charmy Bee has not become playable.
- Zavok, and Zazz are playable, as opposed to being only being boss characters in previous games.
- This also applies to both Boom Boom for the Mario series, though he is only a side character for Rugby Sevens.
- Rouge the Bat has appeared on the box art of a game since Sonic Rivals 2.
- Matthew Mercer voices Espio.
- Kotaro Nakamura voices Dr. Eggman in Japanese, following the death of his previous voice actor, Chikao Ōtsuka, in early 2015.
- Before being playable in this game, Rouge the Bat, Jet the Hawk, and Dry Bowser appeared in the previous installments (except for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games) as rival characters while Toad and Espio appeared as referees.
- However, Toad is still a referee in the Nintendo 3DS version.
- Interestingly, Toad, Jet, Rouge, and Espio were supposed to appear as playable characters in the first installment but were cut for unknown reasons.
- The Japanese version of the arcade game uses Aime cards to record progresses in the game.
- This is the first game in the Mario & Sonic series, as well as outside of the Sonic Boom series that Colleen O'Shaughnessey voices Tails.
- This is the first modern Sonic game where Sticks the Badger appears outside of the Sonic Boom series, though this is her second appearance outside of the series in general after Sonic Runners.
- This is the final game to feature Laura Bailey as the voice of Blaze.
- In Japan, this game was released on the 25th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, as it was released on the same day the original Sonic the Hedgehog was released.
- In the Arcade Edition's title screen, there are four characters running: Mario, Sonic, Tails and Luigi. They can be moved to the other side of the screen by running. They also jump when player jumps.
- This was the final Sonic-related game released on the Wii U.
- Excluding the Super Smash Bros. series, this game and the 3DS version are currently the only Sonic-related games to feature Amiibo support.
- Oddly, most of the non-Japanese voice actors for the Sonic characters are not listed in the credits for unknown reasons. The game only credits voice actors that voice a guest in the game (as well as Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails and Charmy in the English credits).
- Another oddity is that Chie Nakamura, the Japanese voice actress for Wave, is not listed in the Japanese credits for this game, despite being credited in the Nintendo 3DS version.
- In the Wii U version, the award ceremony for the 4-man team events (4x100m Relay, Rugby Sevens, and Football) does not show the characters doing their victory animations (except for pair animations if applicable). Because of that, Toad, Diddy Kong, and Jet's Gold Medal and Silver/Bronze Medal animations cannot be seen in-game.
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ Zoney (@TwilightZoney) on Twitter (18 November 2017). Retrieved on 24 November 2022. "Zoney: A lot of Hedgehog Engine 2's file formats were already in Mario and Sonic Rio Olympics. And we just never knew it... Shaders/Material setups/Texture naming/Lightfield stuff pretty much everything..."
- ↑ マリオ&ソニック AT リオオリンピック (Japanese). Nintendo (JP).
- ↑ Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Nintendo (US). Archived from the original on 3 July 2018.
- ↑ Thigolf (12 January 2016). Potentieller Releasetag für Mario & Sonic 2016 Wii U aufgetaucht [Update] (German). Spin Dash.
- ↑ Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games unveiled for Wii U and 3DS. Sonic Stadium (31 May 2015). Retrieved on 31 May 2015.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Nintendo Direct 2015.5.31 プレゼンテーション映像. YouTube (31 May 2015). Retrieved on 31 May 2015.
- ↑ Replay Editor (1 June 2016). Sega Celebrates Sonic's 25th Birthday! - May 2016. Replay Magazine. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved on 17 August 2018. "Mario and Sonic have been responsible for some of the biggest selling video titles of all time, and while they’ve both been seen in a number of coin-op games, they’ve never been seen in the same one until now. This 2016 Rio Olympic Games – Arcade Edition game is the first to be officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee, by the way."
- ↑ Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Nintendo. Retrieved on 17 June 2015.
- ↑ Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Nintendo. Retrieved on 17 June 2015.
- ↑ M&S Rio 2016 Arcade Edition out in Spring 2016 in Japan. Sonic Stadium.
- ↑ Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games announced. Nintendo Everything (31 May 2015). Retrieved on 31 May 2015.
- ↑ Various European Wii U/3DS boxarts. Nintendo Everything (18 June 2015). Retrieved on 22 June 2015.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160620025635/http://blogs.sega.com/2016/06/17/special-sound-interview-for-mario-sonic-at-the-rio-2016-olympic-games-part-1/
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Metacritic.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 S, Matt (30 June 2016). Review: Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Nintendo Wii U). Digitally Downloaded. Retrieved on 17 July 2016.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 O'Connor, Chris (4 July 2016). Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Wii U Review. ImpulseGamer. Retrieved on 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Mario & Sonic At The Rio 2016 Olympic Games' Review: This Is Really Fun. Forbes (3 July 2016). Retrieved on 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Review – Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U). Atomix (1 July 2016). Retrieved on 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. FNintendo (26 June 2016). Retrieved on 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Mario & Sonic At The Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U). XGN (22 June 2016). Retrieved on 17 July 2016.
External links[]
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Nintendo (Japanese)
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Nintendo (English) (archived)
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at MarioWiki, the Fandom wiki of Mario.
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Super Mario Wiki, the Super Mario wiki.