mario sports mix low cost mario games

mario sports mix wii

2011-01-11T06:48:00.000-08:00

The game is played much in the vein of past Mario sports games, with features such as powerful special moves and over-the-top, arcade-like gameplay. Both cooperative and competitive local multiplayer modes are featured: depending on the sport, two players (in two-on-two) or three players (in three-on-three) can play cooperative multiplayer and four players (in two-on-two) can play competitive multiplayer in two teams of two. Online multiplayer is also featured, with two players per Wii console joining up to play two-on-two matches either against friends or against random players.
The game features mostly characters and locations from the Mario series with a few guest appearances by characters from Square Enix's Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series of games. The Ninja, White Mage, Black Mage, Cactuar and Moogle characters all appear from the Final Fantasy series, while the Slime monster from the Dragon Quest series also appears. Players can also opt to play as one of their Mii characters.

Development

Mario Sports Mix is the third Mario game developed by Square Enix after Super Mario RPG for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Mario Hoops 3-on-3 for the Nintendo DS and was first shown at E3 2010. During the Nintendo E3 Presentation, Reggie Fils-Aime stated that none of the included sports had featured in any previous Mario sports title. However, three of them have been featured in some fashion: basketball was the focus of Mario Hoops 3-on-3; volleyball mini-games were featured in Mario Party 4 and Mario Party 5; and hockey was a featured sport in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, as well as also being another of the mini-games in Mario Party 5. Mario Sports Mix marks the first time dodgeball has been featured in a Mario sports title and the first time the other three have featured in prominent roles in a home console title.

Famitsu released the first review for Mario Sports Mix approximately a week before its launch in Japan. The game received an overall score of 30/40, with two reviewers giving it 7/10 and two giving it 8/10. One reviewer praised the title for its "simple and easy" controls, while also commenting that the characters' special moves were "pretty neat" and that the courts included in the game were "fun in their own way". However, concern was raised with the number of playable sports, with one reviewer commenting that "with only four sports included, some people might get bored pretty fast."

Studio Ghibli RPG Can't Beat Monster Hunter in Japan

2011-01-09T01:13:00.000-08:00

1. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (Capcom, PSP): 629,541 (2,580,258)
2. Ni no Kuni (Level-5, DS): 170,548
3. Donkey Kong Returns (Nintendo, Wii): 163,310
4. Pokemon Black & White (Pokemon, DS): 79,819 (4,628,773)
5. Mario Sports Mix (Nintendo, Wii): 68,430 (212,420)
6. Wii Party (Nintendo, Wii): 55,412 (1,318,875)
7. Super Mario Collection Special Pack (Nintendo, Wii): 53,670 (712,989)
8. Mario vs. Donkey Kong Mini-Land Mayhem (Nintendo, DS): 51,828 (109,302)
9. Tales of Graces F (Namco Bandai, PS3): 39,640 (254,828)
10. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (Ubisoft, PS3): 36,098
11. Super Fossil Fighters 2 (Nintendo, NDS): 29,110 (120,644)
12. Tongari Boushi to Mahou no Omise (Konami, DS): 27,443 (137,055)
13. Kriby's Epic Yarn (Nintendo, Wii): 26,435 (258,208)
14. Shiren the Wanderer 5 (Shunsoft, DS): 25,192
15. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo, Wii): 24,454 (86,109)
16. Gran Turismo 5 (Sony, PS3): 23,929 (510,319)
17. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo, Wii): 21,366 (4,078,476)
18. Taiko Drum Master Wii 3 (Namco Bandai, Wii): 21,211 (50,539)
19. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo, Wii): 20,520 (3,021,846)
20. Momotaro Dentetsu World (Hudson, DS): 20,487 (65,613)

Thanks to Monster Hunter, PSP topped the hardware charts last week, easily outselling all other systems combined with over 300,000 units. It was on top again this week, although with half as many sales.

Wii, on the other hand, saw a big jump. The Nintendo console appears to be experiencing its usual year end sales burst.

Here's the full hardware chart. Last week's sales are in parentheses.

1. PSP: 158,029 (323,653)
2. Wii: 79,424 (56,095)
3. DSi LL: 59,709 (40,465)
4. DSi: 55,993 (36,481)
5. PS3: 41,882 (41,760)
6. X360: 3,695 (3,497)
7. DS Lite: 3,309 (1,580)
8. PS2: 2,054 (1,440)
9. PSP go: 1,904 (1,875)

Why The Wii Still Matters

2011-01-09T01:11:00.000-08:00

Conduit 2 is one of the first major Wii releases of 2011.

Five years is a very, very long time in the video game industry. Five years ago the Xbox 360 was just launching and the PS3 wasn't in stores. Five years ago we had no idea that Nintendo would steamroll the industry with a radically inventive approach to gaming. By fusing the concept of motion control with a more intuitive, remote-like controller, Nintendo unleashed a phenomenon, one that has survived and thrived, besting cutting edge consoles, working with what is more or less ten year old technology in a small, affordable package.

But in 2011 the Wii will turn five, and everyone, including many of the editors at IGN, is eager to see the system's successor. Unfortunately, coming off of an incredible 2010, one that saw the Wii unleash an array of exclusives Nintendo fans rarely see, the next year might appear to be darker. The release schedule doesn't seem as packed, the console is definitely showing signs of aging and now the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have their mighty answers to motion control in Move and Kinect respectively. Given that difficult set of circumstances, many might wonder if the Wii has what it takes to last – not just until its successor but even one more year.

Set aside your fears and doubts, Nintendo fans. Next year might not be as bad as it seems, and your system is not as obsolete. Despite having wolves at its doors, Nintendo is in a strong position in the industry. Let's look at some of the reasons why the Wii still has potential not only to the fans and consumers, but to the industry as well.

Princess Peach: A Visual History

2011-01-09T01:10:00.000-08:00

Princess Peach, the mesmerizing monarch of the Mushroom Kingdom, has been brightening up the Mario series since 1985. Although her interests seem limited to cakes, lacy gowns and the color pink, when pressed, Peach can hold her own. Her princess-ly powers include the ability to float, toss turnips and bring the pain with a dainty parasol without ever sacrificing any of her royal hotness. And did we mention she lives in a freaking castle?
Regal life isn't all roses for Peach, though. In addition to being the frequent target of Bowser's scheming, the Princess presides over a world populated exclusively by short, shrill fungus people -- it's no wonder that a fat plumber has become her most frequent fling. In this gallery we celebrate the original 8-bit bombshell with images from her decade-spanning career as the First Lady of video games.

Top 6 Wii Games of 2011

2011-01-09T01:07:00.000-08:00

PS3

PSP

X360

Wii

3DS

2011 for the Wii starts in many ways the way 2010 did – with very little on the horizon. Last year our visibility for software ended around midway through the year, with no indication of what else might be in store for us. We were certainly surprised to find ourselves headed into the best year ever for the system, thanks in no small part to numerous Nintendo-published titles in the second half as well as some great efforts from third parties. This coming year will be slightly different, as we're hard-pressed to find much strong, original third party content outside of Sega's Conduit 2 or Hudson's Lost in Shadow. We're optimistic that a few quality releases are being hidden however, and with any luck Nintendo will surprise us with more. We'd also love it if they could give us release dates for any of these games, and finally confirm that some, like The Last Story, are in fact headed to the States. So many questions, so few answers… Regardless, here are the top six titles of 2011 for the Wii. Why six? Because we could only find six that truly grabbed our attention.

Mario Sports Mix Goes Online

2011-01-09T01:03:00.000-08:00

Mario Sports Mix was announced back at E3, but we're going to have to wait until 2011 to play it. No so for Japan, though. Our friends across the Pacific get the game on November 25.

With a little over a month until release, Nintendo has kicked off promotions for the game in the form of an official website. The site has a few additional details on the game.

Developed by Square Enix (yes, they are known to make the occasional Mario spinoff), Mario Sports Mix puts the Mario cast in at least four events: Dodgeball, Volleyball, Basketball and Hockey.

The cast includes the following (listed with their play style): Mario (all around), Luigi (all around), Princess Peach (technique), Princess Daisy (technique), Bowser (power type), Bowser Jr. (speed type), Wario (power type), Waluigi (technique), Yoshi (all around), Toad (speed type), Donkey Kong (power type), and Diddy Kong (speed type). There will be at least 7 additional characters, if the blank slots at the official site are anything to go by.

Modes of play mentioned at the site include Exhibition and Tournament. Both support two on two or three on three matches and can be played solo or with others. Exhibition supports up to four players, tournament up to three.

Here's the big surprise from the official site. Mario Sports Mix will feature Wi-Fi Connect support. Two Wiis will be able to connect online for multiplayer matches, with up to two players playing on each Wii. The game will support the usual options: play against random players, and play against friends.

Even though we're not getting it until 2011, with the Japanese release so close, expect to hear lots more about Mario Sports Mix in the coming weeks.

Mario Sports Mix volleyball

2011-01-09T00:58:00.000-08:00

Game Overview

Get ready to mix it up with 4 sports on 1 Wii disc!

• Play sports with Mario & popular Nintendo characters

• Up to 4 players of any age can have a blast together

• Features Volleyball, Dodgeball, Basketball & Hockey

Mario™ has a long history as a sports fan. Throughout his storied career he has pursued an interest in golf, tennis, baseball and go-karting, to name just a few. Now Mario’s tackling four different sports at the same time, all of them included on one disc for the Wii™ console. The game MARIO™ SPORTS MIX lets players jump into games of hockey, basketball, volleyball or dodgeball. The game launches on Feb. 7.

MARIO SPORTS MIX presents these four familiar sports – but with a Mario twist. Players can choose from a variety of playable Mushroom Kingdom characters and can even challenge Mario and friends directly by playing as their own Mii™ characters. Each game contains a number of Mushroom Kingdom power-ups that can turn the tide of a game in an instant, such as banana peels, green shells and even mini mushrooms. In over-the-top Mario sports fashion, each character can unleash his or her unique special move that ranges from Mario’s fire dunk in basketball to Yoshi’s rainbow attack in dodgeball.

Up to four friends who are in the same room can join in the fun, while up to four players (one or two at each location) can compete over a broadband Internet connection via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. Players can play online against friends with whom they have traded friend codes, or anonymously against other opponents. Multiplayer modes require additional controllers, which are sold separately.

Dragon Quest's Slime Appears in Mario Sports Mix

2011-01-09T00:50:00.001-08:00

Nintendo revealed the identity of Mario Sports Mix's last character today. Joining the Mario characters and Final Fantasy characters will be a character from an entirely different franchise: Slime!

The iconic Dragon Quest series enemy will be playable as a "tricky" type character. He won't face off against his armed opponents on his own, though. It looks like Slime can summon some of his multi colored Slime friends for assists.

You can view a video of Slime's special shot at the official site.

With Slime, the final roster for Mario Sports Mix reads:

Mario
Luigi
Peach
Daisy
Koopa
Koopa Jr.
Wario
Waluigi
Yoshi
Toad
Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong
Ninja
White Mage
Black Mage
Moogle
Cactuar
Slime
Mii

The Square Enix developed Mario Sports Mix hits Japan on the 25th. Releases outside of Japan are planned for next year.

mario sports mix characters

2011-01-09T00:44:00.000-08:00

Mario Sports Mix is a Mario sports game for the Wii, featuring Mario and company competing in hockey, basketball, dodgeball, and volleyball. This game was developed by Square Enix, who also developed Mario Hoops 3-on-3.

Gameplay

There is cooperative play, as well as versus. Cooperative play is for up to three players, while competitive is for up to four players. A Wii Remote and Nunchuk control style has been revealed so far as a control scheme of the game. Players are be able to perform actions through moving the Wii Remote, such as jumping or hitting a volleyball.^[3]

Basketball

It is played in a similar way as in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. The coins that the players gather are added up to the score. Also in this sport, there's a shot clock on the bottom-left hand corner of the screen so the characters can shoot within the time limit.

Volleyball

As in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, there are ? panels in the floor, which give items to the players who step on them. The coin system is also be the same and it will increase the player's score.^[4]

Ice Hockey

Like all of the other sports, Hockey also has the ? Panels on the floor that gives the players items or coins that increases the score. Also, the puck itself is a coin.

Dodgeball

Dodgeball is played by throwing a ball (most of the time). There are 2 teams of 2 or 3 and a colored Yoshi (red and blue, according to which team they are on) on their team. Players have HP and lose a portion when they get hit, except for the colored Yoshi. The colored Yoshi can never be "knocked out", but can not ever leave the box at the back of the court. Players can not control the Yoshis unless they encounter the ball, which is all they will ever try to do. If a Player loses all their HP, they are sent with Yoshi of their team into the box. However, unlike the Yoshis in the box, they can leave if they hit someone. If they manage this they get a small portion of health back and can move freely again. Items can be used to hinder the opposing teams, but not make them lose their vitality unless used in conjunction with the ball. Items can be thrown onto the court or used with the ball. Sometimes players will encounter coins. If this happens when the hit someone higher levels of stamina will be lost.

Special Abilities

As in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, this game is shown to make use of character specific abilities. These abilities would allow the characters to unleash a powerful move in the variety of sports in the game. When used, they will completely change the gameplay of the sports. Each special ability is unique to each character and these moves tend to vary from the sport that the player is playing.

Characters

There are 19 playable characters. All are categorized by 5 groups: All Around, Technique, Speed, Power, and Tricky.
The Final Fantasy characters from Mario Hoops 3-on-3 make a return in this game.^[5] Additionally, the Dragon Quest character Slime makes an appearance, previously having appeared in Itadaki Street DS. ^[6]

All Around

Mario
Luigi
Yoshi
Ninja
Mii

Technique

Peach
Daisy
Waluigi
White Mage

Speed

Toad
Diddy Kong
Bowser Jr.

Power

Wario
Donkey Kong
Bowser

Tricky

Black Mage
Moogle
Cactuar
Slime

Courts

There are ten new courts in Mario Sports Mix, including four returning courts from the previous follow-up, Mario Hoops 3-on-3 for a grand total of 14.

Courts and compatible sports
Court	Dodgeball	Volleyball	Basketball	Hockey
Mario Stadium	Mushroom Cup	Mushroom Cup	Mushroom Cup	Mushroom Cup
Koopa Troopa Beach	Mushroom Cup	Mushroom Cup	Mushroom Cup	Extra
Peach's Castle	Mushroom Cup	Mushroom Cup	Extra	Mushroom Cup
DK Dock	Flower Cup	Yes	Mushroom Cup	No
Toad Park	Flower Cup	No	No	Mushroom Cup
Luigi's Mansion	No	Yes	Flower Cup	No
Table Western	Extra	Yes	Flower Cup	Flower Cup
Daisy Garden	Flower Cup	No	Flower Cup	Flower Cup
Wario Factory	Star Cup	Yes	Extra	Flower Cup
Bowser Jr. Blvd.	No	Star Cup	Star Cup	Star Cup
Bowser's Castle	Star Cup	Star Cup	Star Cup	Extra
Waluigi Pinball	Extra	Yes	No	Star Cup
Starship	Star Cup	Star Cup	Star Cup	Star Cup
Ghost Ship	Extra	Extra	Extra	Extra

Mario Sports Mix Australian Release Date Confirmed

2011-01-09T00:39:00.000-08:00

Nintendo gives Australians an early happy new year present with the confirmation that Mario Sports Mix will release here on 27 January 2011, more than a week ahead of the 7 February U.S.A. release. Nintendo has also recently confirmed the U.K. timing as 4 February.

Check out Nintendo of Australia's full press release below.

Nintendo announces Mario Sports Mix will arrive on Wii from 27 January 2011, with four sports for the whole family to enjoy!

Mario has a long history as a sports fan. Throughout his storied career he has pursued an interest in golf, tennis, baseball and go-karting, to name just a few. Now Mario's tackling four different sports at the same time, all of them included on one disc for Wii. Mario Sports Mix lets players jump into games of hockey, basketball, volleyball or dodgeball.

Mario Sports Mix presents these four familiar sports – but with a Mario twist. Players can choose from a variety of playable Mushroom Kingdom characters and can even challenge Mario and friends directly by playing as their own Mii characters. Each game contains a number of Mushroom Kingdom power-ups that can turn the tide of a game in an instant, such as banana peels, green shells and even mini mushrooms. In over-the-top Mario sports fashion, each character can unleash his or her unique special move that ranges from Mario's fire dunk in basketball, to Yoshi's rainbow attack in dodgeball.

Players can also hold their matches in a number of interesting venues. For example, the Wario Factory has conveyor belts that affect how the players move on the court, while in Peach's Castle, fountains go up and down to block certain areas of the net in Volleyball.

Up to four friends who are in the same room can join in the fun, while up to four players can compete online via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Players can play online against friends with whom they have traded friend codes, or anonymously against other opponents.

Mario Sports Mix (Wii)

2011-01-09T00:34:00.000-08:00

Mario™ has a long history as a sports fan.

Throughout his storied career he has pursued an interest in golf, tennis, baseball and go-karting, to name just a few. Now Mario’s tackling four different sports at the same time, all of them included on one disc for the Wii™ console. The game MARIO™ SPORTS MIX lets players jump into games of hockey, basketball, volleyball or dodgeball.
MARIO SPORTS MIX presents these four familiar sports – but with a Mario twist. Players can choose from a variety of playable Mushroom Kingdom characters and can even challenge Mario and friends directly by playing as their own Mii™ characters. Each game contains a number of Mushroom Kingdom power-ups that can turn the tide of a game in an instant, such as banana peels, green shells and even mini mushrooms. In over-the-top Mario sports fashion, each character can unleash his or her unique special move that ranges from Mario’s fire dunk in basketball to Yoshi’s rainbow attack in dodgeball.

Players can also elect to hold their matches in a number of interesting venues. For example, the Wario Factory has conveyor belts that affect how the players move on the court, while in Peach’s Castle, fountains go up and down to block certain areas of the net in Volleyball.
Up to four friends who are in the same room can join in the fun, while up to four players (one or two at each location) can compete over a broadband Internet connection via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. Players can play online against friends with whom they have traded friend codes, or anonymously against other opponents. Multiplayer modes require additional controllers, which are sold separately.

Mario Sports Mix Release Date Announced

2011-01-09T00:30:00.000-08:00

nitendo announced the release date for Mario Sports Mix today. Mario will be working off his holiday paunch starting on February 7th.

Mario Sports Mix is a collection of four games - hockey, basketball, volleyball, and dodgeball - enhanced by the usual mario flavor. You can play as several characters from the Mushroom Kingdom or challenge them by playing as your Mii character. Each game has power-ups, like banana peels and green shells, that can give you a sudden competitive edge. To add to the zaniness, the characters have special moves as well.

Sports Mix is, naturally, a multiplsyer game. It supports local or online play for up to four people.

mario sports mix

2010-12-23T23:05:00.000-08:00

Development

Mario Sports Mix is the third Mario game developed by Square Enix after Super Mario RPG for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Mario Hoops 3-on-3 for the Nintendo DS and was first shown at E3 2010. During the Nintendo E3 Presentation, Reggie Fils-Aime stated that none of the included sports had featured in any previous Mario sports title. However, three of them have been featured in some fashion: basketball was the focus of Mario Hoops 3-on-3; volleyball mini-games were featured in Mario Party 4 and Mario Party 5; and hockey was a featured sport in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, as well as also being another of the mini-games in Mario Party 5. Mario Sports Mix marks the first time dodgeball has been featured in a Mario sports title and the first time the other three have featured in prominent roles in a home console title.

Famitsu released the first review for Mario Sports Mix approximately a week before its launch in Japan. The game received an overall score of 30/40, with two reviewers giving it 7/10 and two giving it 8/10. One reviewer praised the title for its "simple and easy" controls, while also commenting that the characters' special moves were "pretty neat" and that the courts included in the game were "fun in their own way". However, concern was raised with the number of playable sports, with one reviewer commenting that "with only four sports included, some people might get bored pretty fast."