Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

We just got finished playing with a finished build of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the Wii, and boy, are we tired. In a good way! Not only does this upcoming minigame menagerie for the Wii sport more than 20 athletic events for up to four players, some of them will really wear you out. This may be the healthiest video game ever made.

It's also a lot of fun. As you might imagine, all of the games make liberal use of the Wii's motion controls. Some are pretty straightforward, like the 100-meter dash, where you slash the remote down to start, and then simply pump the controls to drive your player to the finish line. Others, though, are much less usual, like the Single Sculls rowing event, which has you drawing the remote and Nunchuk back while pressing designated buttons. And we still haven't unlocked them all, because the game gets fiendishly difficult in the Advanced Circuit. If you can get past the Meteorite series of events there, we salute you.

Confused? Don't be--the circuits in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games work just like Mario Kart, or any other Mario-related extracurricular activity. They're broken into three different difficulty levels, with several series of events in each. Everything but Beginner Circuit is locked when you start the game, but as you play, you unlock tougher circuits and new Olympic events. You'll probably breeze through the first two difficulties before running hard against your own physical limitations in the last. Competing there requires strength, conditioning, and practice. The following is a list of the events we've seen, with a short description of each.

Track

100m - A short sprint where you hold the B button to get set, slash the remote down to start, and pump the controls to sprint. Very straightforward, but physically demanding at higher difficulty levels.

400m - A full lap around the track, this involves most of the same controls as the 100m dash, except that if you run your hardest for too long, your character will become winded. Pacing yourself is the key, as is sprinting at the right time with the A button.

4x100m Relay - This is like four 100m dashes in a row, with you handing off a baton every hundred meters by simply pressing the B button. This event will leave you gasping for air.

110m Hurdles - Possibly the most entertaining of all track events, this is just like a 100m dash, except that you have to press B at just the right time to clear the hurdles. If you time your jump perfectly, you'll gain a brief speed boost. If you time all your jumps perfectly, you can basically sprint all the way through.

400m Hurdles - This is like the 400m run, but with hurdles, and it's the most difficult of all the track events. Not only do you have to pace yourself, you also have to worry about timing your jumps.

Field

Long Jump - This event has you dashing down a runway by pumping the controls until you get close to the sand pit, where your speed will lock in. When that happens, you can stop pumping and wait for your character to get close to the jump line, where you flip the remote up, sending your character flying through the air. Lift up too hard, and they'll mess up; too soft, and they won't jump far. It's not as easy as it sounds.

Triple Jump - Just like the long jump, but three times harder. You still sprint down a runway, except now you must perfectly time three jumps with the remote, and if any are too hard or too soft, you'll hurt your distance. This is one of the most difficult events in the game, but also one of the most rewarding.

Hammer Throw - A nice change of pace, the hammer throw has you swinging the remote like a lasso to build up power, then pressing B to release the hammer at the right time. Fun and easy to pick up.

Javelin Throw - This event is surprisingly just like the long jump, but harder to time. You sprint down a runway, and lift the remote while holding the A and B buttons to throw. Watch out, though--your character will take a big step at the end and jump over the foul line if you aren't careful.

High Jump - This is one of the best-realized events in the game. First you set the height of the bar, then you make your character sprint toward it. When you get close enough, your speed will lock, and you'll run toward a colored spot on the turf of many colors. Lift the remote when you're on blue ground, and you'll vault up and over the bar. But watch out--if you don't lift the Nunchuk at the right time, your feet will clip the pole. Execute all these steps for a perfect and impressive-looking Fosbury Flop.

Gymnastics

Trampoline - In this event, you lift the remote to make your character jump up high on a large trampoline, and then must match the button presses of a prompt while you're in midair. At first these are simple, but they become more complex as you go. Nail a long and difficult sequence for a high score.

Shooting

Skeet - Here, your character goes from station to station shooting clay pigeons with the remote. Before the clays fly, you'll take aim at a heart meter to decide how nervous you are. Pull the trigger when the little white dot is in the center of the heart, and you'll get a huge confidence boost, resulting in a larger aiming reticle. From there, clays are fired across your field of vision, and you must fire back.

Rowing

Single Sculls - As mentioned, this event has you racing against three other rowers to a watery finish line. Simply press the buttons when prompted, and pull back on the controls as if you're rowing a boat. It sounds simple, but this event is never easy.

Archery

Archery - This is a very unusual event in which you hold the A and B buttons like a bow string, and pull back as though drawing a bow. From there, the view switches to a view of the target. You aim at the bull's-eye with the remote, tilt the Nunchuk's reticle to line up with your target, and release the A and B buttons. This takes a few tries to get the hang of, and occasional winds don't help.

Aquatics

100m Freestyle - A swimming sprint down the length of a pool and back. Depending on your character, you'll have to move the remote according to a specific stroke, and some are easier than others. As you swim, a heart meter will run down, and when it reaches the bottom, you must press a button to regain your wind. Press it at the wrong time, and you'll slow down. This event is physically active, but it won't wear you out.

4x100m Freestyle - Like four 100m races, but complicated by the fact that each character in the relay has a different stroke. This is a fun and active event.

Fencing

Individual Epee - Possibly the most technical and challenging event in the game, you lunge, feint, parry, and step back and forth as you attempt to score 15 points against your opponent. A successful parry will leave your opponent vulnerable for several seconds, so counterattacking is usually a good strategy.

Table Tennis

Singles - Probably the most entertaining event of the bunch, table tennis is like Wii Sports Tennis, except that the force of your hit is dictated by timing and a button press, not the strength or quickness of your swing. If you swing normally, you'll hit a normal shot. If you swing up, you'll execute a quick defensive shot, capable of returning quick, hard slams. And if you hold B while swinging, you'll wind up and take a power shot. This is fun to play against the computer or other people, and is one of the best events in the game.

Dream Events

Dream Race - The dream race takes place on a Mario Kart-like track, yet begins just like a 100m dash in that you charge with the B button, slash down to go, and pump the controls to gain speed. After a few steps, your speed will set, and you can focus on guiding your player with the analog stick, leaping hurdles with the B button, and using power-ups like bombs, ghosts, and turtle shells with the A button. As you complete laps, more and more obstacles will appear on the course, in an attempt to make your dream race a nightmare.

Dream Fencing - Just like regular fencing, except that each player has charged special attacks they can use with the A and B buttons. These inflict massive damage, and are well used after a successful parry.

Dream Table Tennis - This is just like table tennis, except each player has a special slam meter that charges to three levels, with each slam using one level of the meter. Scoring is different, too, in that each hit in a volley equals a point, and whoever wins the volley gets all the points. The first person to 50 wins. Special slams are a smart way to try to finish long, valuable volleys, but watch out, as the best counter to a special is another special. If your opponent has more in his or her meter than you, you'll have to return one the old-fashioned way.

That's all we've seen so far, and it's already a lot. Playing through all these events had us sweating, fist-pumping, and most importantly, smiling. We haven't seen everything the game has to offer, though, and we'll all have to wait until November 6 to see just how special these Olympic games will really be.