It’s got a lot of star power, but this collection of sports-themed minigames isn’t Mario and Sonic’s finest hour.

The Good:

* Adventure mode makes good use of characters
* Decent variety of events
* Can play with up to four people from a single cartridge.

The Bad:

* Most event minigames are shallow and easy
* Uninteresting mission objectives in Adventure mode.

Two years ago, Mario and Sonic joined forces for the first time to compete at the Beijing Summer Olympics. The result was a middling collection of sports-themed minigames that failed to deliver on the potential of that once-forbidden union. Never ones to give up, Mario and Sonic have reunited to hit the slopes and skating rinks of Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games. It offers a slightly more diverse and entertaining assortment of events than its predecessor, but it still falls well short of earning a medal.

Read the rest of the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games review at gamespot.

Mario, Sonic, and pals take to the snow in this sequel to their original mash-up, and we got our hands on a new event: 500m speed skating.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was an outright hit when it arrived on the Nintendo Wii in November 2007. Mixing the all-star rosters of two industry heavyweights, it went on to sell more than 5 million copies. It, therefore, came as no surprise to discover that Sega is releasing a sequel this October, ahead of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. We got some hands-on time with the game at a recent event in Central London and were treated to a brand-new two-player event: 500m speed skating.

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Speed skating is both fun and frantic. At the start of the race, you need to waggle the Wii Remote furiously to get an initial speed boost. Once you approach the first corner, you gently move the remote from side to side, mimicking a skater’s arm. Timing is everything–if you’re off the mark, your character loses speed. Thankfully, an onscreen meter helps you match the optimum rhythm. The 500m dash is a single-lap event, and things heat up once you reach the final bend. You get one speed boost per race, and saving it until you hit the final stretch gives you the best chance of clinching first place. Finally, you need to waggle the remote for one final sprint before the end. Unfortunately, you can’t use the Wii Balance Board in speed skating, although other games, such as bobsleigh and downhill skiing, support the peripheral.

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We check out three new events (including Mario Kart on skis) as two icons continue to compete for Olympic gold.

We’re no stranger to athletic competition between hedgehogs and plumbers. Our hands/tush-on preview gave you a glimpse of alpine skiing and bobsledding, while our latest demo gave us the scoop on figure skating, ice hockey, and dream ski cross. It also revealed two new playable characters: Donkey Kong and Metal Sonic.

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