Go For Gold With Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Nintendo Australia has confirmed that on June 25th, players will be able to save Tokyo if they want, or they can compete for the gold when Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is released for Wii U.



In Duel Events, players build up Duel Points by pulling off actions like tackling, spiking or shooting, then have to score a try, point or goal to add these Duel Points to their total score. Last-gasp turnarounds and severe drubbings on an unprecedented scale await!

Rugby Sevens is one of three sports, along with Football and Beach Volleyball, that comes with its own Duel Event. The action’s powered-up, familiar items like Bullet Bills and Chaos Emeralds are allowed, and chaotic multiplayer matches are guaranteed.

Players can also vie for gold medals in classic Olympic Games events like Boxing, Archery, and the 100m sprint, using either the Wii U GamePad in single-player, or with Wii Remote button controls in multiplayer. All events take place in venues modelled after the real-life venues of the Olympic Games, bringing an authentic touch of Rio to the proceedings. Rhythm Gymnastics (with clubs) and Rugby Sevens – the latter making its debut at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games – are also playable for the first time.

For those that own amiibo, players will be able to scan them in to unlock special tournaments, once they have completed 25 tournaments first. By tapping a Sonic amiibo to the Wii U GamePad, the Sonic League will begin, pitting a player’s Mii against characters from the Sonic series. Meanwhile, the Mario League can be played if any Mario amiibo is tapped, and will see players squaring off against characters from the Mushroom Kingdom.

If you win the one of the leagues above, you will unlock a special mii costume based on Mario or Sonic. Scanning in other amiibo will score you coins or rings, which can be exchanged at the item stand, or you might be lucky enough to win additional costumes.

Alongside the new events comes the new Heroes Showdown mode: an addition for only the most dedicated Mario and Sonic fans out there, as it’s unlocked after achieving first place or being in the winning team in all 17 player events in single-player, or by winning the Bronze Medal more than seven times in tournaments. Competitors join up with Team Mario or Team Sonic and battle it out against the other side in knockout rounds. Events are picked at random for a real test of all-around skill, and each round a character from the losing team is knocked out until either all members are knocked out, or Team Captains Mario and Sonic are eliminated, so it’s all on the line to be the last team standing.

With 14 playable sports, 3 of which are powered up by the Duel Event mode, 30 playable characters, tons of unlockables, going for the gold might not be the real challenge, when Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games releases on June 25th