Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
The third entry in the Mario & Sonic Olympic series brings the rivalry to London for the 2012 Summer Games. With 56 events â the most in series history â a brand-new Story Mode featuring the Phantasmal Fog conspiracy, and all 20 returning characters, this is the most content-packed entry on handheld yet.
Overview
Mario & Sonic head to London â the 3DS version has 56 events and a full story mode exclusive to handheld (click for full size)
100m Freestyle â one of the aquatics events using the 3DS touch screen and motion controlsMario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games for Nintendo 3DS is the third instalment in the beloved sports crossover series and the first on Nintendo 3DS. Developed by Sega and Nintendo SPD, it launched in February 2012 to coincide with the 2012 London Summer Olympics, and introduced more events than any previous entry â 56 in total, all of them Olympic disciplines â unlike earlier entries, there are no Dream Events.
The 3DS version is meaningfully different from its Wii counterpart. Most notably it introduces a dedicated Story Mode â an entirely original narrative where Bowser and Dr. Eggman team up to sabotage the Olympic Games using a mysterious Phantasmal Fog that creates ghostly imposters of the athletes. Mario, Sonic and their allies must compete in events across London’s iconic venues to clear the fog and save the Games.
All 20 characters from the previous game return, split across four gameplay types: All-Round, Speed, Power and Skill. Each type has distinct advantages in different events â mastering which character excels where is key to topping the leaderboards. The game supports single-card local multiplayer and online Wi-Fi play for competitive records.
Characters & Types
All 20 characters are split into four types that determine their strengths across events. All-Round characters perform solidly everywhere; Speed types excel in track and rapid events; Power types dominate strength-based events; Skill types shine in technical precision events.
đ´ Team Mario
MarioAll-Round
LuigiAll-Round
Bowser Jr.All-Round
DaisySpeed
YoshiSpeed
BowserPower
Donkey KongPower
WarioPower
PeachSkill
WaluigiSkillđ Team Sonic
AmyAll-Round
BlazeAll-Round
SonicSpeed
ShadowSpeed
Metal SonicSpeed
KnucklesPower
VectorPower
TailsSkill
Dr. EggmanSkill
SilverSkillCharacter Type Guide
| Type | Characters | Best At | Weaker In |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-Round | Mario, Luigi, Bowser Jr., Amy, Blaze | Consistently competitive across all event types | Rarely top performers in heavily type-specific events |
| Speed | Daisy, Yoshi, Sonic, Shadow, Metal Sonic | Athletics (sprints, relays), Cycling, short-duration events | Power-heavy events like Shot Put, Hammer Throw |
| Power | Bowser, DK, Wario, Knuckles, Vector | Field events (Shot Put, Javelin, Hammer), Boxing, Wrestling | Technical precision events, rhythmic disciplines |
| Skill | Peach, Waluigi, Tails, Eggman, Silver | Table Tennis, Gymnastics, Archery, Fencing, Synchronized Swimming | Raw speed and power events |
Story Mode â The Phantasmal Fog
Exclusive to the 3DS version, Story Mode centres on Bowser and Dr. Eggman conjuring the Phantasmal Fog â a magical mist that fills London’s Olympic venues with ghostly imposters of every athlete, threatening to cancel the Games. Mario, Sonic and friends must compete across the city to dispel the fog, expose the conspiracy, and save the Olympics. Episodes branch by character group and reconverge for a climactic final showdown.
The night before the opening ceremony, Bowser and Eggman unleash the Phantasmal Fog across London, sending a chill through every athlete in the city and setting the conspiracy in motion.
Mario, Luigi and Toad find the Main Stadium thick with fog and investigate. After defeating fog-powered imposters and teaming up with Omochao, they track the fog to its densest point. Events: 100m, Pole Vault.
Dry Bones and Dry Bowser are haunting the stadium. Mario and Luigi defeat them and destroy a fog machine, clearing the Main Stadium. They spot fog over Hyde Park and head there. Events: Sailing – 470 (Pair).
Daisy and Amy arrive at Hyde Park to find it shrouded in fog, facing imposters of themselves. They beat the first wave only to be confronted by an even larger group. Events: Beach Volleyball, Canoe Slalom (Pair).
Peach and Blaze protect a group of Toads from imposters, then meet up with Daisy and Amy â and a purple Toad suggests they look for Rouge. Events: 100m Backstroke, Archery (Individual), Omnium, Balance Beam, Keirin.
The group find Rouge, who had been brainwashed by the fog. Peach beats her, Blaze destroys the park’s fog machine, and Rouge remembers seeing Dr. Eggman at the British Museum. Events: 100m Backstroke.
Sonic and Tails find the Phantasmal Fog at the Tower of London, beat a pair of imposters and follow a Boo that seems to know about the fog. Events: Judo, Fencing – EpÊe.
Sonic and Tails overhear King Boo and the Boo talking about the fog, beat them in an event and destroy the fog machine. Events: Badminton (Doubles).
Fog is keeping Tower Bridge raised. Yoshi beats imposters of Shadow and Silver, the real pair arrive, and the group chase Jet. Events: 110m Hurdles, 1500m, 10km Marathon Swim, Trampoline.
The group challenge Bowser Jr., who reveals that Bowser and Dr. Eggman are behind the fog before escaping. Events: Triple Jump, 10km Marathon Swim, 3000m Steeplechase, Trampoline, Basketball, Floor, 110m Hurdles, 1500m.
The group defeat Eggman Nega, destroy the museum’s fog machine and learn more about the fog, then split up to stop Bowser and Dr. Eggman’s minions around London. Events: 4Ã100m Relay.
At the top of Big Ben, Mario and Sonic beat the fog-powered Bowser and Dr. Eggman, who admit they made the fog because they weren’t invited. Toad invites them to the Games, and everyone heads to the opening ceremony. Events: Sprint, 20km Race Walk, Judo, 100m.
Later Episodes & Bonus Episodes
Waluigi’s Ambition â Waluigi chases Metal Sonic after beating him in an event
Wario’s Scheme â Wario tries to break a fog machine to help his snack stand
Stop Dr. Eggman! â Wario and Waluigi team up against Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic
Corner the Koopa King! â Knuckles and Vector take on Bowser at Horse Guards ParadeAfter the main story, bonus episodes such as Junior Hits England, Bowser’s Blues and A Trick of the Wind continue the adventure.
Events
56 events make London 2012 the largest roster in series history at the time of release. Each plays as its own mini-game with unique controls â most combine 3DS buttons, touch screen and gyroscope. Screenshots show the in-game view for each event where available.
đ Athletics (13 events)
đ Aquatics (8 events)
đ Court & Field Sports (9 events)
đĨ Combat Sports (5 events)
𤸠Gymnastics (6 events)
đ´ Cycling (4 events)
âĩ Equestrian & Boat (5 events)
đ¯ Shooting, Archery & Multi-Discipline (7 events)
Game Modes
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Olympic Mode â Highlight Match | Play any single event against 3 CPU opponents at Easy, Normal or Hard. Earn medals at each difficulty level. The standard way to experience individual events. |
| Olympic Mode â Medley Match | Play a set sequence of events back-to-back, accumulating points across the medley. Includes pre-set London Games and Variety medleys, plus Custom and Party Mix options. |
| Story Mode | The 3DS-exclusive narrative mode â complete episode challenges to progress through the Phantasmal Fog story. Unlocks cutscenes, bonus episodes and exclusive rewards. |
| Multiplayer (Local) | Compete against up to 3 other players locally. Supports single-card download play â only one cartridge needed for up to 4 players. |
| Online Wi-Fi | Compete for global leaderboard rankings in specific events over Nintendo Network. Online rankings were active until April 8, 2024 when Nintendo terminated the service. |
| Record Log | Track personal bests, medal collections, and badge progress. The Badge Machine lets you spend earned tokens on collectible badges. View Play Data breakdowns per event. |
Reception
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games for 3DS received mixed reviews (Metacritic 66), with praise for the volume of content and criticism of some control schemes and the Story Mode.
| Publication | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Metacritic | 66 / 100 | Mixed â based on 28 reviews. |
| Nintendo Life | 6 / 10 | Praised the graphics, collectibles and variety of events; criticised some control schemes and the Story Mode. |
| IGN | 6.5 / 10 | Praised most events, collectibles, medals and records; criticised the simpler events, character restrictions, the Story Mode and the lack of Dream Events. |
The 3DS version stands apart from the Wii game with its Story Mode and its own event list.
References to Other Games
| Game / Series | Reference |
|---|---|
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (2007) | All 20 characters return from previous entries, with the established type system (Speed/Power/Skill/All-Round) carried forward and refined. Several events return from previous games. |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (2009) | The Story Mode structure is an evolution of the Winter Games’ Adventure Tour â a narrative context for Olympic events that proved popular with players. |
Trivia
- The Phantasmal Fog story antagonists include Dry Bones and Dry Bowser as recurring fog-monsters â an unusual choice that gives the story a genuinely eerie atmosphere for a sports game.
- Metal Sonic returns as a playable character â one of the few games outside the Sonic series where he is selectable by the player rather than appearing as a boss.
- The online leaderboard feature was active for over a decade after launch, finally shutting down on April 8, 2024 when Nintendo terminated Nintendo Network services for 3DS and Wii U.
- The game uses the 3DS gyroscope, touch screen and camera â some events like Equestrian use tilt controls, while others like Rhythmic Gymnastics use stylus drawing on the touch screen.
Videos
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games â 3DS Commercial
More Mario & Sonic London 2012
Sources
- Super Mario Wiki: Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)