I would recommend this game to anyone who's a fan of Mario and sports games in general.
Presentation - Square Enix was the same company that designed Mario Hoops 3 on 3 for the Nintendo DS in 2006. They also added in Final Fantasy characters along with the familiar Mario characters. Mario Hoops 3 on 3 was a decent basketball game, but the lack of Wi-Fi and single downloadable multiplayer hurt that game the most.
Now, Square Enix designed Mario Sports Mix for the Wii in 2011.
This time four sports have been added. There is basketball, volleyball, dodge ball, and hockey. There is an option to use 2
on 2 or 3 on 3 modes for some of these sports. You can also play as your Mii avatar along with the Mario and Final Fantasy characters. Unfortunately, you have to unlock the rest of the characters in story mode.
There is also a difficulty option whether you want to make the AI opponents easy, medium, or difficult. Unlike Hoops 3 on 3, Mario Sports Mix supports up to four players and Wi-Fi. It's been clear that Square Enix made some big changes for the better. Furthermore, you can use the Wii remote and nunckuck or hold the Wii remote sideways.
Graphics - The graphics look very polished and catroony like Hoops 3 on 3. The frame rates run as smooth as butter. Everything looks detailed if not slightly basic. The character models also have a polished, cartoony look. The animations also have been well done. However, the backgrounds tend to get blurry sometimes.
Sound - Well I was not all that impressed with the music. Where are the familiar Mario themed and Final Fantasy soundtracks? The music instead sounds sports themed a little bit. The character voices are still recognizable as always. It seems that Mario's voice is a little bit deeper than before.
Gameplay - The controls in basketball are very similar to the controls in Mario Hoops 3 on 3. However, your teammate may sometimes have the ball in his/her hand before you switch characters. At first it was slightly confusing on switching characters to the one who has the ball in time, but I got the hang of it later on.
The controls are similar to volleyball where you have to constantly switch characters to be able to score points. Dodgeball is a little bit easier to play because you don't have to constantly switch characters. The controls are responsive and simple enough for anyone to play. I never played hockey yet in Mario Sports Mix, so I'm not reviewing that sport. I heard that there is some Wii remote waggling when you're in the center of the court.
Lasting Appeal - Overall, Mario Sports Mix is an enjoyable game to play with friends locally and online. My biggest criticism was the lack of Mario and Final Fantasy themed music. The graphics were top notch, and the controls are simple enough for anyone to play. Mario Sports Mix is way better than Mario Hoops 3 on 3. I would recommend this game to anyone who's a fan of Mario and sports games in general.
Presentation- 9
Graphics- 9
Sound- 5
Gameplay- 8
Lasting appeal- 8
7.8 rounded to 8.0 out of 10