Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games is the fourth entry in the Mario & Sonic Olympic series and the first to appear on Wii U. Set at the real venues of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, it pits the combined rosters of the Mario and Sonic universes against each other across a huge variety of winter sports — from straight-up Alpine skiing to the wonderfully chaotic Dream events, which take place in fictional Mario and Sonic settings and add superhuman abilities to the mix.

For Wii U fans it was a solid showcase of the hardware — the GamePad is used as a scoreboard, a map, and in some events as an additional control input alongside the Wii Remote. Online multiplayer lets up to four players compete from anywhere in the world, and the roster of 20 characters gives plenty of variety in play styles. It’s not a game that’s going to change your life, but as a party game with a broad range of events it does exactly what it sets out to do.

Mario and Sonic — rivals, teammates, and perpetual Olympic competitors

Events range from realistic Winter Olympic recreations to fully over-the-top Dream events

The game scored a modest 55 on Metacritic, with reviewers noting that the events are well-made and genuinely fun to play in multiplayer, but that solo play can feel thin and the series hasn’t evolved enough from its Wii predecessors. That said, if you’re sitting down with a group of people and want something everyone can pick up in seconds, this remains a great choice.

Twenty playable characters split evenly between Team Mario and Team Sonic. Each character has a stat profile favouring Speed, Power, Skill, or All-Round — which matters in different events. You’ll want a mix depending on what you’re playing.

The full 20-character roster — pick your favourite and hit the slopes

Sixteen events based on real Winter Olympic disciplines at real Sochi 2014 venues. These aim for an authentic feel — GamePad and Wii Remote motion controls recreate the physical demands of each sport.

Alpine Skiing Downhill

Rosa Khutor Alpine Center

Race between flag pairs as fast as possible. Tilt to steer, pure speed run — the most straightforward event and a great introduction to the game.

Ski Jumping Large Hill

RusSki Gorki Jumping Center

Ski down a massive ramp and launch. Combined distance and balance score decides the winner — lean into the jump at the right moment.

Freestyle Skiing Moguls

Rosa Khutor Extreme Park

Bumpy steep slope. Points for clean turns, speed, and aerial tricks. One of the more technical events — mastering the rhythm pays off.

Freestyle Ski Cross

Rosa Khutor

Four players race head-to-head down a course full of banks and waves. Chaotic and brilliant in multiplayer.

Biathlon

Laura Cross-Country Ski Center

Cross-country skiing combined with rifle shooting. A uniquely demanding event — keep your breathing steady for the shot.

Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom

Rosa Khutor

Two players race head-to-head zigzagging through flags. A direct head-to-head makes it extremely tense.

Snowboard Cross

Rosa Khutor

Four-player mass start race down a course with jumps and obstacles. Similar energy to Ski Cross but arguably even more fun.

Short Track Speed Skating 500m

Iceberg Skating Palace

Fast oval sprint on ice. Tight pack racing means positioning matters as much as raw speed.

Speed Skating 500m

Adler Arena

Classic long-oval sprint. The Wii Remote motion for the skating stride feels satisfying once you get the rhythm.

Figure Skating Pairs

Iceberg Skating Palace

Two-player cooperative pairs skating for combined score. Timing your jumps and spins together is the key.

Ice Hockey

Bolshoy Ice Dome

3-on-3 hockey. Score goals using the Wii Remote as a stick — fast-paced and great fun with four players split into teams.

Curling

Ice Cube Curling Center

Aim and release your stone to land in the target area — the GamePad shows strategy view. Surprisingly deep.

Skeleton

Sanki Sliding Center

Head-first luge run — tilt to steer around the curves. One of the more hair-raising events.

4-Man Bobsleigh

Sanki Sliding Center

Team bobsleigh run. Lean together to navigate corners. Great cooperative event.

Luge (Singles)

Sanki Sliding Center

Classic feet-first luge. Tightest steering challenge in the game.

Snowboard Slopestyle

Rosa Khutor

Chain together tricks through a course of jumps and rails. The most style-focused event in the Olympic set.

Nine events that throw the rulebook out. These take place in fictional Mario and Sonic settings — Mushroom Bridge, Speed Highway, Delfino Plaza — and add superhuman abilities, items and chaos that wouldn’t survive five seconds at a real Olympics. These are the events where the game really loosens up and has fun with itself.

Winter Sports Champion Race DREAM

Mini Russia Island

Switch between skiing, skating, snowboarding and more mid-race around a single sprawling course. The game’s most ambitious event.

Groove Pipe Snowboard DREAM

Mushroom Bridge

Race down a winding course built on the iconic Mario Kart: Double Dash road. Four players, ramps everywhere.

Mario’s Figure Skating Spectacular DREAM

Dream Skating Center

Cooperative team performance to rescue Toad from Kamek. Score together for a combined total — unexpectedly touching.

Sonic’s Figure Skating Spectacular DREAM

Dream Skating Center

Same concept but rescue the Wisps from Eggman. Acrobatic moves and team coordination scored together.

Roller Coaster Bobsleigh DREAM

Speed Highway

Single-seater bobsleigh tearing down Sonic Adventure’s Speed Highway in the dark. One of the best Dream events.

Snow Day Street Hockey DREAM

Delfino Plaza

Street hockey on Delfino’s cobbles. Two teams, items, and the full chaos of a Mario Kart stage as your pitch.

Dream Curling DREAM

Dream Curling Center

Regular curling rules, but stones trigger items and power-ups on impact. Strategy meets chaos.

Bullet Bill Bobsleigh DREAM

Dream Bobsleigh Track

Race a bobsleigh while dodging Bullet Bills. Exactly as hectic as it sounds.

Snow Day Ski Jump DREAM

Dream Ski Jump

Ski jump where you can adjust your flight path mid-air. Bonus points for style.

Dream Curling — regular curling but with power-ups. The series at its most inventive.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games received a mixed reception, landing at 55 on Metacritic. Critics found it competent and fun in short bursts — particularly with multiple players — but felt it didn’t push the series forward enough and that the solo experience was too shallow.

The honest verdict: if you have people to play with, this is a solid afternoon’s entertainment. The Dream events in particular are creative and genuinely fun. As a solo experience it gets thin quickly — but that was always the deal with the Mario & Sonic series. Treat it as a party game and it delivers.

• This is the fourth game in the Mario & Sonic Olympic series and the first on Wii U — previous entries were on Wii and Nintendo DS.
• The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics took place in February 2014, meaning the game launched several months before the actual event — Nintendo and SEGA had an official licence from the IOC.
• Dream events use real locations from Nintendo and SEGA franchises: Mushroom Bridge (Mario Kart: Double Dash), Speed Highway (Sonic Adventure) and Delfino Plaza (Super Mario Sunshine).
• The GamePad displays a scoreboard and event information throughout play, meaning spectators always know what’s happening — a smart use of asymmetric display.
• Metal Sonic makes his debut as a playable character in the Mario & Sonic series in this game.
• The game features licensed music from both franchises — including arrangements of classic Mario and Sonic tracks reimagined for winter sports contexts.
• Action & Answer Tour is a mode unique to this entry in the series — no other Mario & Sonic Olympic game has the trivia quiz hybrid format.
• The Winter Sports Champion Race Dream event switches between four different sports mid-race: skiing, speed skating, snowboarding and bobsleigh — all in one run.
• This was one of the first major Wii U titles to feature both Nintendo and SEGA properties in a fully online multiplayer environment.
• Nintendo and SEGA’s online services supporting this game were shut down in 2014 (Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection), permanently ending online play for this title.

Two videos from our channel covering Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games: