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 — the most in series history — a brand-new Story Mode featuring the Phantasmal Fog conspiracy, Dream Events set in Mario and Sonic worlds, and all 20 returning characters, this is the most content-packed entry on handheld yet.
Overview
Mario & Sonic head to London — the 3DS version has 56 events and a full story mode exclusive to handheld (click for full size)
100m Freestyle — 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 handheld. 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 — 56 in total, including a wide selection of Olympic disciplines and all-new Dream Events set in Mario and Sonic game worlds.
The 3DS version is meaningfully different from its Wii counterpart. Most notably it introduces a dedicated Story Mode — 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 — 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.
🔴 Team Mario
MarioAll-Round
LuigiAll-Round
Bowser Jr.All-Round
DaisySpeed
YoshiSpeed
BowserPower
Donkey KongPower
WarioPower
PeachSkill
WaluigiSkill💙 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 — The Phantasmal Fog
Exclusive to the 3DS version, Story Mode centres on Bowser and Dr. Eggman conjuring the Phantasmal Fog — 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).
The girls track down a larger fog infestation. After fighting imposters of Peach and Blaze, Peach is briefly captured — forcing Daisy and Amy to compete to rescue her. Events: Rhythmic Ribbon (Team), Synchronized Swimming (Team).
A shadowy fog-figure is spotted stealing from the Tower of London. Blaze tracks the thief — an imposter of herself — through the eerie landmark. Events: 100m Freestyle, Table Tennis (Doubles).
Sonic races into London and spots his own fog-imposter causing chaos. He takes it personally and sets out to clear his name and the venues. Events: 100m, 4×100m Relay.
The Tower of London is overrun — fog-ghosts on every floor. The team must clear them all in one of the most challenging multi-event episodes. Events: Fencing, Boxing, Judo.
Tower Bridge is sealed by fog barriers. Shadow and Knuckles must clear both ends simultaneously in a tense parallel challenge. Events: Rowing – Quadruple Sculls, Shooting.
A fog-Bowser appears in the Olympic Park — but is it really him? The team can’t tell who’s real, leading to a major reveal about the fog’s true power. Events: Shot Put, Boxing.
The full conspiracy is revealed — Bowser and Eggman’s fog machine network and their plan to replace every athlete with a fog-copy to crown themselves champions by default. Events: Marathon, Hammer Throw.
The climactic finale — Mario and Sonic face fog-Bowser and fog-Eggman at their most powerful in the Olympic Stadium. Win the events, smash the fog machines, save the 2012 Olympic Games. Events: 100m, 4×100m Relay, Pole Vault.
Bonus Episodes
Waluigi’s Ambition — Waluigi schemes to use the fog for his own glory
Wario’s Scheme — Wario tries to profit from the chaos
Stop Dr. Eggman! — Tails and Silver confront Eggman directly
Corner the Koopa King! — The team finally corners Bowser himselfEvents
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 — most combine 3DS buttons, touch screen and gyroscope. Screenshots show the in-game view for each event where available.
🏃 Athletics (13 events)
🏊 Aquatics (8 events)
🏐 Court & Field Sports (9 events)
🥊 Combat Sports (5 events)
🤸 Gymnastics (6 events)
🚴 Cycling (4 events)
⛵ Equestrian & Boat (5 events)
🎯 Shooting, Archery & Multi-Discipline (7 events)
Game Modes
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Olympic Mode — 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 — 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 — 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 — 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 generally positive reviews, with particular praise for the sheer volume of content and the Story Mode exclusive to the handheld version.
| Publication | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Life | 7 / 10 | Praised the enormous event roster and Story Mode; noted some events were better suited to Wii’s motion controls than 3DS inputs. |
| IGN | 7.5 / 10 | Called it the definitive handheld Olympic experience and highlighted the Story Mode as a genuine addition to the formula. |
| GameSpot | 7.0 / 10 | Appreciated the variety and multiplayer; some mini-games felt shallow in isolation but shine in party settings. |
| Famitsu | 32 / 40 | Strong Japanese reception — praised the range of events and the London presentation. |
The game was a commercial success, selling millions of copies across both 3DS and Wii versions combined, helped by the timing of the real 2012 London Olympics. The 3DS version was particularly praised for differentiating itself with Story Mode content rather than being a straight port of the console version.
References to Other Games
| Game / Series | Reference |
|---|---|
| Mario series (general) | Dream Events are set in classic Mario world locations — Rainbow Road, Koopa Troopa Beach, Bowser’s Castle and similar iconic settings appear as venue backdrops. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog series | Dream Events also reference Sonic locations — Green Hill Zone, Seaside Hill, and other classic Sonic stages appear as event arenas, complete with ring-collecting mechanics layered into some events. |
| 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 — a narrative context for Olympic events that proved popular with players. |
| Mario Kart series | The Dream Cycling events share visual language with Mario Kart’s Rainbow Road stage designs. |
Trivia
- London 2012 3DS is the first Mario & Sonic game on a Nintendo handheld — the previous two entries (Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010) were Wii/DS. This was the first time the series was purpose-built for a handheld platform.
- The game launched in North America on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2012 — the same week as the real 2012 Olympic torch relay preparations began in the UK.
- The 3DS version has 56 events compared to 54 on the Wii version — the 3DS actually has more events, a reversal of the usual pattern where handheld versions have fewer features.
- The Phantasmal Fog story antagonists include Dry Bones and Dry Bowser as recurring fog-monsters — an unusual choice that gives the story a genuinely eerie atmosphere for a sports game.
- Metal Sonic returns as a playable character — 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.
- Dream Events use both Mario and Sonic world aesthetics — unusually, the Sonic stages in Dream Events are rendered in a style that matches the Mario side rather than maintaining the Sonic series’ distinct visual look.
- The game uses the 3DS gyroscope, touch screen and camera — 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 — 3DS Commercial