Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games is a crossover sports/party video game for the Windows, PLayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, Wii Us is the first for the console with PS4 and Xbox One. It was unveiled on May 17, 2013, is the fourth game in the Mario &amp; Sonic series, and is the official video game for the 2014 Winter Olympics being held in Sochi. It was released on November 8, 2013 in Europe, November 9, 2013 in Australia, November 15, 2013 in North America, and December 5, 2013 in Japan. It the first title in the series to feature an online multiplayer mode, and the first to be published by Nintendo globally, as previous titles were published by Sega outside Japan. Unlike previous titles, the game is solely on home console, and does not have a portable version.

This game formed the second part in Sega's exclusivity agreement with Nintendo after Sonic Lost World back on mid-October 2013 but followed by Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric and Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal on November/December 2014. Subsequently, a sequel game—Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games—was announced for release in February 2016.

Gameplay

 * See also: Gameplay in the Mario &amp; Sonic series

The players can only choose one of twenty characters that return from the previous two games and participate in a series of sixteen Olympic events. Events are controlled either using the Wii Remote MotionPlus and Nunchuk controllers, or the Wii U GamePad, with some events, such as the biathlon, utilizing both control methods, for the Wii U version. Along with returning events, such as skiing, bobsledding and curling, new events include figure skating pairs and snowboarding slope style. Like in the previous games, players can also participate in one of eight fictional Dream Events, including a new mixed event in which cases can be simultaneously played with snowboarding, skiing and bobsledding players. These events are played in places from the Mario and Sonic franchises. A new addition to this game is the Action & Answer Tour, where players answer questions to score points while competing in various events hosted by Orbot and Cubot from Sonic Colors and Sonic Lost World.

Reception
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games received generally mixed reviews, with most critics praising the visuals and the online mode, but criticising the game's similarity to previous Mario & Sonic series games and motion controls. It has an aggregate score of 54.81% on GameRankings and 55/100 at Metacritic.

Gaz Plant of Nintendo Life gave the game 6 out of 10, summarising that it "...feels like a minor progression, and not the huge leap you might be expecting. Taking a lot of its cues from the 2010 game, and ignoring the rapid-fire party experience of 2012, this latest edition hits some of the right buttons, but they're the same unremarkable buttons that were hit four years ago. The inclusion of online is certainly welcome, but too limited, while the inventive TV idea used on the GamePad is never taken far enough. But that said, with a group of friends, there's still a lot of fun to be had here; it's just hard to shake that feeling that you've done it all before."

Digital Spy's Liam Martin scored the game 3 out of 5, praising the game's visuals, multiplayer aspects and family-friendly fun but commented on the game's lack of "spark" and progression in the Mario & Sonic series, stating that "When the action is go and games are in full swing, the game is a flashy and fun mini-game compilation for all of the family. Despite some enjoyable multiplayer encounters, the game is lacking the sublime to go with the star power".

IGN's Scott Thompson, gave the game 4.5 out of 10; praising the games online multiplayer but panned the games unresponsive motion controls; summarising that "[The game] has some good ideas but it's weighed down by bad motion controls".

David Jenkins of Metro was mostly negative towards the game, giving the game a 3 out of 10. Jenkins praised the games graphics but panned the game's lack of depth, inconsistent controls and recycled content, concluding that "[This is] the worst Mario & Sonic game yet and not just a waste of a crossover, but a genuinely poor mini-game compilation and one that makes both the Wii U and the GamePad look bad".