Mario Sports Mix

Template:Infobox Mario Sports Mix (Japanese: マリオスポーツミックス Mariosupōtsumikkusu) is a Mario sports game for the Wii, featuring Mario and company competing in four sports: hockey, basketball, dodgeball, and volleyball. This game is developed by Square Enix, who also developed Mario Hoops 3-on-3. It was released in Japan on November 25, 2010, in Australia on January 27, 2011, in Great Britain on February 4, 2011, and in North America on February 7, 2011.

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 uses as control scheme of the game. Players are able to perform actions through moving the Wii Remote, such as jumping or hitting a volleyball.

Basketball

Basketball plays the same way as in Mario Hoops 3-on-3.

It is played in a similar way as in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. The coins that the players gather along the way are added up to their total 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 of twenty-four seconds, just like in a professional NBA game. Each shot is worth two points, while special shots give the team three (plus any extra coins along the way). Players are also able to defend, block, and make dunks in this game in a similar way as the real game.

Volleyball

Mario about to serve in 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 will increase the player's score (based on the amount of coins he or she gathers). 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

The opening face-off in 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. Each game begins with a face-off to determine who will get the puck. 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.

Dodgeball

A match of 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 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 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 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. 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, 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. There is a meter that needs to be risen all the way to the top to use the attacks. These abilities would allow the characters to unleash a powerful move in the variety of sports in the game, that could help the player win a 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 in Mario Sports Mix. All of them are categorized by 5 groups: All-rounder, Technical, Powerful, Speedy and Tricky.

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.

Mii

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

Courts and compatible sports
Court	Dodgeball	Volleyball	Basketball	Hockey
Template:Color-link-piped	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	Flower Cup	Mushroom Cup	No
Toad Park	Flower Cup	No	No	Mushroom Cup
Template:Color-link-piped	No	Flower Cup	Flower Cup	No
Western Junction	Extra	Extra	Flower Cup	Flower Cup
Daisy Garden	Flower Cup	No	Flower Cup	Flower Cup
Wario Factory	Star Cup	Flower Cup	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	Extra	No	Star Cup
Template:Color-link-piped	Star Cup	Star Cup	Star Cup	Star Cup
Ghoulish Galleon	Extra	Extra	Extra	Extra

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.

• 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 sport: Exhibition and Tournament. Each sport also has a tutorial video so players can practice on how to play.

Exhibition

Players can select which court to play during Exhibition mode.

Exhibition mode allows players to play any of the sports and customize the rules of the match. 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 a lot of games in this mode. Character skins can be unlocked by playing a lot with a particular character. This also counts for Tournament mode. However, if the player unlocks something in (for example) dodgeball, it is only unlocked for (in this case) dodgeball and not the other sports.

Tournament

The Volleyball Mushroom Cup Tournament.

In Tournament mode, players can compete for the trophy in the same manner as Mario Hoops 3-on-3. There are three rounds in the tournament. Each time the player wins 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 (for example: green for Volleyball). If all four sport tournaments are cleared, then the player must battle Behemoth from the Final Fantasy series.

After winning the Star Cup of a sport, the player unlocks a Hard mode for that sport. Opponents are more difficult than in Normal mode. After winning the Star Cup on every sport and defeating a harder version of Behemoth called King Behemoth, an Expert mode will become available, but all sports are mixed together in the Expert level.

Alternate routes

Mario on alternate route, Green Toad can be seen.

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 won't play normal matches, but missions instead. If the player loses a mission, he/she will get sent back to the normal tournament. If the player wins a mission, he/she may continue on, but the road is splitting up often. The player may choose which way he/she wants to go. These roads lead the player to different missions, different events or sometimes even back to the normal tournament. Once the player comes back to the normal tournament, he/she cannot re-enter the alternate routes until they start over the tournament.

Taking right choices or guesses, the player may reach Secret Final. The Secret Final is the last mission of the tournament. If the player loses this mission, he/she will not get sent back to the normal tournament, but he/she can retry the mission. If the player wins this mission, he/she will earn the tournament Cup, like the player did in the normal run.

Players may unlock hidden characters, courts or characters skins by winning missions. However what he/she will unlock depends on the mission, the sport or even routes he/she took before reaching the mission.

Party Games

One of the four party games, Feed Petey.

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

Beta Elements

Main article: Mario Sports Mix/Beta Elements

External Links

• E3 2010 trailer
• Official Japanese website
• Official Australian website
• Official European website
• Official American website