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Mario shoots...and he...misses.

Mario sure likes his sports, and once upon a time I liked his sports games. But that was a different era, where disc media was yet to be proven and everyone enjoyed paying sixty plus dollars for a cartridge. At least back then you could count on the plumber to bring his "A" game, which sadly hasn't necessarily been the case this generation on the Wii. We've gone from instant hits like Mario Golf and Mario Tennis on the N64 to a decent game of soccer with Mario Strikers Charged and a mediocre representation of America's favorite pastime with Mario Super Sluggers. My hope for Mario Sports Mix was bolstered at the 2010 E3 show last June where I almost passed up the opportunity to play, but decided to take a few minutes to give the 4-player mode a try. Much to my surprise I enjoyed the experience and came away impressed. Did Nintendo finally have another game in the "Mario sports" line to be proud of? My hopes came crashing down to reality when I received the final copy for review. While not a horrible game by any means, Mario Sports Mix leaves a disappointing aftertaste instead of the "gotta play one more time" magical pixy dust Nintendo usually sprinkles over its Mario lineup.

So, how did a game go from surprisingly fun at a tradeshow to decidedly average in the final product? I thought about this for some time and I came to the conclusion that Mario Sports Mix is one of those games that can be a great time with the right crowd. Much like the Mario Party games, it's really only fun if you have three other people playing alongside you or over the Internet (yes you read that right, this game does support online play). After only a few minutes of playing the game alone I felt the game was lacking not only in the A.I. department (huge rubber band A.I. seems to be in place where one second you're pulverizing the competition and the next it has to catch up by performing seemingly impossible plays), but also in the depth of game play arena as well. The game plays deceptively well, with the Wii Remote's motion controls being used extensively in all four sports: volleyball, dodgeball, basketball, and hockey. As is normal with a Nintendo title, Mario Sports Mix has spot-on controls, but it seems like there aren't enough differing moves and the games quickly devolve into who has the best power-ups.

All four of the sports have their merits and I think it will come down to personal preference as to which is the most enjoyable. For myself I found the basketball and hockey to be the strongest two with the most depth and excitement. No matter which you play, the graphics are more than adequate with great animation and attention to detail that you'd expect from a Mario game. The music is hit and miss and as such isn't as memorable as some of the past games. In addition, is it just me or do some of the characters seem to have different voices or sounds than previous games in the series? Yoshi in particular just seemed a bit off and I wasn't the only one in my group of friends to notice that.

There are numerous modes of play, including a few mini-games to spice up the action and offer up a little variety. Having played single and multiplayer, I must say Mario Sports Mix is best played with friends as the one player mode becomes dull very quickly. I give Nintendo points for including online in the game, something that nearly every other developer does at this point, but Nintendo often omits. I think kids 12 and under would probably really enjoy this game, but its simplistic nature lacks the depth required for true sports fans and it lacks the accuracy and finesse of Mario Golf and Mario Power Tennis. If the price weren't a full $50 I'd have no trouble suggesting this game, but as it stands the game lands smack in the middle of "hey this game is fun for thirty minutes" and "let's throw Mario Kart back in". In other words, your $50 is better spent elsewhere.