Mario Sports Mix

Mario Sports Mix is a Mario sports game for the Wii, featuring Mario and company competing in four sports: Hockey, Basketball, Dodgeball, and Volleyball, along with the Final Fantasy characters who have appeared in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 as well. Slime, a Dragon Quest mascot, makes an appearance in this game, too. This game is 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. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk control style are used as the control scheme for the game. However, the player can also use the Wii Remote in the horizontal position. Players are able to perform actions through moving the Wii Remote, such as jumping or hitting a volleyball.

Basketball
Basketball is played in a similar way as in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. The coins that the players gather along the way are added to their score. Also in this sport, there is a shot clock on the bottom-left hand corner of the screen so the characters can shoot within the time limit, just like in a professional NBA game. Each shot inside the 2-point line is worth two points, while shots outside the line and special shots give the team three points. Collected coins also add one point for each coin to the total score (for example, if a special shot is made and there are seven coins, then the team receives ten points). Players are also able to defend, block, and make dunks in this game in a similar way as the real game. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, then sudden death commences. With this extra period in this sport, no game ends in a draw.

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 the same and it increases the team's total score (based on the amount of coins the players gather). Volleyball is the only sport in the game that doesn't have a time limit. Players can serve and spike the ball in similar ways to the real game. Unlike most of the games, many of the stages often relay obstacles that may deflect the players' serves and hits.

Hockey
Like all of the other sports, hockey also has the ? Panels on the floor that gives the players items or extra coins that increases their total score. Additionally, the puck itself is a Coin. A hockey game always begins with a face-off that is done by a Lakitu to determine which team gets the puck. Scoring a goal or a special shot results in another face-off. The goalkeepers in this sport are Shy Guys. Their color depends on which team they're in (for example, the red Shy Guy represents the red team while the blue one represents the blue team). On courts without ice, the game involves the characters wearing roller blades as opposed to skates. In order to steal the puck, players must tackle each other, which can be achieved by the motion of shaking the Wii Remote or simply by making a character go next to the opponent with the puck. Sometimes, a struggle ensues and players must shake their Wii Remote the fastest they can in order to win the puck over and knock the opponents away.

Dodgeball
Dodgeball is mostly played by throwing a ball. There are two teams of two or three characters and a colored Yoshi (red and blue, according to which team the characters are on) on the players' teams. Players have a Health Meter and lose a portion when they get hit, except for the colored Yoshi. The colored Yoshi can never be "knocked out," but cannot leave the box at the back of the court. Players can not control the Yoshis unless they encounter the ball. If players lose all their HP, they are out and 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 with the ball. Players that do this also get a small amount of their HP regained. Also, if both teams have at least one player remaining at the end of the game, sudden death follows. With this term, no game ends in a draw. Items can be used to hinder the opposing team and can be thrown onto the court or used with the ball. Sometimes players encounter coins. If this happens, higher levels of stamina be lost if opponents get hit.

Playable Characters
There are nineteen playable characters in Mario Sports Mix. All of them are categorized by five groups: green, orange, crimson, blue, and hotpink.


 * green - All-Rounders have normal Power, Speed, and Technique. All-Rounders generally aren't weak at any stats, but they aren't strong in any either.
 * orange - Technical characters have more Technique, but less Speed and Power. These characters can better aim their shots. They can also give them a curve.
 * crimson - Powerful characters have more Power, but less Speed and Technique. These characters have stronger and faster attacks and shots.
 * blue - Speedy characters have more Speed, but less Power and Technique. These characters can move faster over the ground.
 * hotpink - Tricky characters have one stronger stat, but the others are usually very low. However, they do have some useful, but tricky moves.

Like Mario Hoops 3-on-3, this game is shown to make use of character specific abilities. Prior to using these abilities, there is a meter that needs to be filled (shown on the bottom left and right corners of the gameplay screen). These abilities in question can allow the characters to unleash a powerful move in the variety of sports in the game that can help the player win a game. Each special ability is unique to each character and these moves tend to vary from the sport that players are playing.

Finally, the playable characters have their own stat values, which depict their strengths and weaknesses. For the respective charts shown below on this article, the stat values for each playable character are out of 5.

Unlockable Characters
The Final Fantasy characters from Mario Hoops 3-on-3 make a return in this game. Additionally, the Dragon Quest character Slime makes an appearance, previously having appeared in Itadaki Street DS. These characters are all unlockable and also the only unlockable characters of the game.

Unlocked characters can only be used in the sports that they're unlocked in. However, characters who are unlocked by clearing Star Road can be used for all sports.

It should be noted that for the characters that are unlocked by playing a certain number of matches, the player isn't required to win every match. Also, Wi-Fi matches do count as well.

Alternate Outfits
Certain characters have alternate outfits that can be unlocked by performing certain objectives. Alternate outfits can only be used in the sports that they are unlocked in, but outfits unlocked by clearing Star Road can be used for all sports.

The player should note that the players don't actually have to win the matches to be counted, and the minimum requirement for unlocking is at least having the characters in the players' team. Matches also get counted by the action of playing Wi-Fi. To select another outfit, the player has to press the button on the Wii Remote, regardless of the control scheme used.

Non-Playable Characters

 * Behemoth
 * Behemoth King
 * Birdo (species)
 * Blue Yoshi
 * Boo
 * Dry Bones
 * Koopa Troopa
 * Lakitu
 * Monty Mole
 * Penguin
 * Pianta
 * Red Yoshi
 * Shy Guy

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 fourteen playable courts. Each tournament holds three courts that can be played depending on the sport.

Items
As in most Mario games, there are items available during the gameplay of Mario Sports Mix. These items are available by touching the various ? Panels on the court.
 * Green Shell
 * Red Shell
 * Banana Peel
 * Mini Mushroom
 * Super Star
 * Bob-omb
 * Coin

Modes of Play
Mario Sports Mix  has two game modes for each one of the four sports: Exhibition and Tournament. Each sport also has a tutorial video so players can learn on how to play these sports.

Exhibition
Exhibition mode allows players to play any one of the four sports and customize the rules of the match from the court selection screen before the match begins. From there, players can select any two or three of the nineteen playable characters and one of the fourteen compatible courts.

Players may unlock characters or courts by playing games in this mode. Character skins can be unlocked by playing with a particular character certain times. This also counts for Tournament mode. However, what players unlock can only be used in that sport. So if players unlock Slime for Dodgeball, Slime can only be used in that sport.

Tournament
In Tournament mode, players can compete for the trophy in the same manner as in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. There are three rounds in the tournament. When players win a game, they move on to the next round of the tournament. Each time players win a cup, they can earn one of the three crystals that corresponds to the sport's color. If all three cups are cleared for that corresponding sport, then it becomes a big crystal that can be placed on the Star Ship.

After winning the Star Cup of a sport, players unlock a Hard mode for that sport. Opponents are more difficult than in Normal mode. Also, if players clear the Star Cup at all sports and then defeat Behemoth, Sports Mix mode is unlocked. Clearing the Star Cup in Hard mode for a specific sport give that sporting object a golden coloring.

Sports Mix only has one skill level, which is Expert, and it is a tournament that involves all of the sports. Also, clearing the Star Cup in Sports Mix mode makes players face off against the Behemoth King.

Alternate Routes
Players can also replay tournaments to find alternate routes. Players can find alternate routes by performing some actions in a tournament match, for example scoring a point with a Special Shot.

In the alternate routes, players do not play normal matches, but missions instead. If players lose a mission, they get sent back to the normal tournament. If players win a mission, they may continue on, but the road often splits. Players may choose which way they want to go. These roads lead players to different missions, different events, or sometimes even back to the normal tournament. Once players come back to the normal tournament, they cannot re-enter the alternate routes until they start over the tournament.

Taking right choices or guesses, players may reach Secret Final. The Secret Final is the last mission of the tournament. If players lose this mission, they do not get sent back to the normal tournament, but they can retry the mission instead. If players win this mission, they earn the tournament cup, just like players do in the normal run. The Secret Final involves completing a task that is usually more difficult than the others, for example, winning a match without allowing the opponent to score even once.

Players may unlock hidden characters, courts, or character skins by winning missions. However what they unlock depends on the mission, the sport, and even the routes they take before reaching the mission. Unlocked items are only accessible in the sport players win the mission in.

Alternate routes in the Star Cup are a little different compared to the Mushroom and Flower Cups. If players win some missions in the route, they travel to the Star Road. The Star Road is a series of difficult missions. If players manage to reach the end of the Star Road, they get a message Star Road Complete! and they travel back to the normal tournament by jumping on the Star.

There is no Secret Final for the Star Cup, but after clearing the Star Road, players immediately goes up against the Final Fantasy team. Unlike with the normal tournament, however, crystals do pop up during the match; the crystals act like coins, which adds extra points for Basketball, Volleyball, and Hockey, while strengthening attacks in Dodgeball.

If players beat the team (and Behemoth if all of the sports are cleared), they unlock a Final Fantasy character for every sport.

Graphical changes
When completing sports in Tournament mode, some items in menus of the game changes. Once a sport is completed in Normal mode, a crystal marks the sport in the record menu. When the sport is completed in Hard mode, the ball (or in case of Hockey, the stick and the coin) turns gold in the main menu. If Sports Mix mode is cleared, the usual blue background of the main menu, turns into a gold-red colored background.

Party Games
In addition to the tournament and the exhibition modes, Mario Sports Mix has four party games, one for each sport. They can be played for up to four players.
 * Feed Petey - Basketball
 * Harmony Hustle - Volleyball
 * Bob-omb Dodge - Dodgeball
 * Smash Skate - Hockey

Record Book
The game does keep track of the player's records for each sport. The records basically go as follows:


 * Page 1
 * Number of matches played
 * Number of tournament wins
 * Win percentage
 * Average coin collected
 * Direct hits with items
 * Page 2
 * Success Rates
 * Basketball
 * Dunk
 * Layup
 * Jump Shot
 * 3-Point Shot
 * Block
 * Hockey
 * Shot
 * Super Shot
 * Direct Shot
 * Block
 * Face Off
 * Volleyball
 * Ace Serves
 * Spike
 * Fake Out
 * Block
 * Receive Save
 * Dodgeball
 * Attack
 * Catch
 * Diving Catch
 * Dodge Roll
 * Pass Steal
 * Page 3
 * Character Picks
 * Page 4
 * Stage Picks

Reception
Nintendo Power's Chris Slate rated Mario Sports Mix a 8.0 out of 10. "It's highly likely that Mario Sports Mix will be the definitive Mario sports experience for the Wii.", Nintendo Power raved. IGN rated the game a 6.5 out of 10. "It's shiny and humorous, and for little kids or a single evening it could make a fun party game, but this is a pretty weak offering, especially compared to all the fun sports games Mario has starred in.", said IGN's Jack DeVries. Gameinformer rated the game a 4.5 out of 10. "There are plenty of $5 or $10 downloadable games that features more complex gameplay than this full-prized release", said Gameinformer's Dan Ryckert.

References to Other Games

 * Super Mario Bros.: The underwater theme is one of the tunes available in Harmony Hustle.
 * Super Mario Bros. 3: In the underwater theme in Harmony Hustle, part of this game's underwater melody can be heard.
 * Super Mario World: The athletic theme is one of the tunes available in Harmony Hustle.
 * Mario Tennis: Peach and Daisy's alternate costumes, called "Tennis-Wear", is based off this series. More specifically, the design overall is based on the outfit that Peach wears for Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Power Tennis.
 * Mario Hoops 3-on-3: Much of the gameplay mechanics come from this game, especially in basketball. Most stages are also based off this game. The theme of Bloocheep Sea makes a return as one of the songs in Harmony Hustle.
 * New Super Mario Bros.: The design and function of the Mini Mushroom is based off this game.
 * Luigi's Mansion: A court takes place in a mansion based off this game.
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee: Luigi's combo attack in Hockey is a reference to two of his attacks in this game: the Green Missile and his dashing attack.
 * Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: Toad Park court is somewhat similar to the Baby Park racetrack.
 * Mario Kart DS: The concept of Waluigi owning a pinball-themed course returns.
 * Mario Kart Wii: In Toad Park, Toads can be seen driving Mario Kart Wii-styled karts. Some item images are also borrowed from this game, such as the Green Shells.