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 some Final Fantasy friends and a Dragon Quest mascot. 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 of twenty-four seconds, 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 score (based on the amount of coins the players gather). This 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. Every game 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.

Special Abilities
As in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, this game is shown to make use of character specific abilities. There is a meter that needs to be filled to use the attacks. These abilities 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.

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 as well.
 * 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, but they do have some useful, tricky moves.

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.

Playable Character Statistics
Characters have their own stat values, which depicts their strengths and weaknesses. The stat values are out of 5.

Cactuar is unique for having a stat that exceeds the 5 point maximum, which is its speed. Cactuar's speed is even faster than the characters categorized in the Speedy category.

Non-Playable Characters

 * Behemoth
 * Behemoth King
 * Birdo (species)
 * Boo
 * Dry Bones
 * Koopa Troopa
 * Lakitu
 * Monty Mole
 * Penguin
 * Pianta
 * 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. From there, players can select any two or three of the nineteen playable characters and one of the fourteen compatible courts before the match begins.

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, for example, if players unlock something in dodgeball, it is only unlocked for dodgeball.

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 (First Round, Second Round, and Final Match). 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. 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 on all sports and then defeats 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 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 will change. Once a sport is completed in Normal mode, a crystal will mark 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) will turn in gold in the main menu. If Sports Mix is cleared in Expert Mode, the usual blue background of the main menu, will turn 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

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.
 * 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: The 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 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.