Sonic Sports Mix

***Sonic Sports Mix*** is a Sonic sports game for the Wii featuring Sonic and company competing in four sports: hockey, basketball, dodgeball, and volleyball, along with the ***Final Fantasy*** characters who have appeared in ***Sonic Hoops 3-on-3*** as well. Slime, a ***Dragon Quest*** mascot, makes an appearance in this game. This game was developed by **Square Enix**, who also developed ***Sonic Hoops 3-on-3***.

The game supported the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection feature, which enables players to play with other players in their region. To save any game data, three blocks of memory have to be used on the Wii system. However, due to the game's Wi-Fi compatibilities, the game data is copy protected, which means it cannot be transferred onto other Wii systems. As of May 20th 2014, Nintendo has terminated the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service, meaning that it is no longer possible to play ***Sonic Sports Mix*** online.

## Story

One day in the Green Hill, Omochao is gardening flowers when suddenly the sky turns dark, and a strange object falls from the sky and crashes. Omochao is worried about the situation, so he, along with some other Chaos, rushes to the crashed object to examine it. The Chaos find four colored crystals: a red crystal containing a basketball; a green crystal containing a volleyball; a yellow crystal containing a dodgeball; and a blue crystal containing a ring. While observing the mysterious crystals, the Chaos suddenly come up with an idea of introducing new sports - Basketball, Volleyball, Dodgeball and Hockey - to the Green Hill. The Chaos also organize tournaments for the four sports. The best players of the tournament earn a prize: one of the four crystals that fell from the sky. Sonic, his friends, and his foes are ready to play sports and enter the tournaments to find out who are the best players of the Green Hill.

## Gameplay

***Sonic Sports Mix*** features four playable sports, all unique from each other. Players can play either alone with CPU allies, cooperatively with others up to three players, or against one another. Four players can participate; however, they can participate only in Vs. mode since it is impossible to have all four players team up. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk control style is used as the primary control scheme for the game. However, the players can also use the Wii Remote in the horizontal position. Players are able to perform actions through shaking the Wii Remote and/or inputting buttons as shown in horizontal Wii Remote scheme. All sports are played in periods, where, except for volleyball, there is a certain time limit to each period. When the time limit reaches zero, players move to the next period and change sides. Excluding dodgeball, points acquired in past periods also add up to the current game's total score. In dodgeball, another period commences when all team players get knocked out.

? Panels return from ***Sonic Hoops 3-on-3***, where they serve the same purpose: to provide players with either coins or an item. Unlike ***Sonic Hoops 3-on-3***, items are held in reserve rather than players holding them. The more rings players have, the more points they can get when they achieve a scoring. Players lose rings when they get hit by an opposing item, which makes the rings scatter on the floor. However, in dodgeball, rings increase the attack power of attacks, and players cannot lose rings from items.

There are also special options that can be adjusted for each sport in exhibition mode, such as turning on and off ? Panels, setting the number of periods and the time limit, and other options which can be specific for each sport. Once the options are set, they do not reset whenever a players turns off the game.

On a side note, there's an option which enables the players to receive commands. However, this option is available only when the CPU level is set to "Easy".

### **Basketball**

Basketball is played in a similar fashion as in ***Sonic Hoops 3-on-3***. Players must score points by shooting a basketball into their hoop in order to win the game. Whichever team has the most points after all periods wins the match. Two points are acquired when the ball makes it in the hoop; three points are acquired when the ball gets shot from the three pointer and beyond or when a special shot is performed. The rings that the players gather along the way are added to their total score. Also in this sport, which is exclusive to this game, there is a shot clock on the bottom-left hand corner of the screen so the characters can shoot within the time limit, just like in a professional NBA game. If they do not shoot before time runs out, the other team gets possession. Players are also able to defend, block, and make dunks in this game in a similar way to the actual sport. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, then overtime will begin. With overtime in this sport, no game ends in a draw.

### **Volleyball**

Volleyball is played by hitting a ball without making it touch the ground. Players first start matches by serving the ball, either by ground or by air. The match then proceeds, while the players try to smack the volleyball so it touches the ground. If that occurs, the last team to successfully hit the ball over the net gains a point. When a point limit is reached (the default is fifteen points), the set is won. Players can spike the ball, deflect a spike, and use many other moves that bear resemblance to the actual game. Volleyball also has an out zone, much like tennis: any player who hits the ball into this zone forfeits a point to the opposing team. Volleyball is the only sport in the game that can never have a time limit.

### **Dodgeball**

A Dodgeball game always begins with a jump-ball that is done by Lakitu to determine which team gets to attack first. Dodgeball is mostly played by throwing a ball to the opposing team. There are two teams of two or three characters and a colored Chao on the players' teams. Players can prevent a hit by catching the ball. Players who fail to catch the ball or dodge it will lose their vitality. They can prevent this if they catch the ball before it hits the ground, especially if the ball flies upwards. Players cannot catch the ball if they are facing away from them, nor can they catch it if an item is in effect.

Players have a Health Meter and lose a portion when they get hit, except for the colored Chao, who can never be "knocked out," but cannot leave the box at the back of the court. Players cannot control the Chaos, unless they encounter the ball, and even then, the only commands that the players can give them is to pass or attack. If players lose all their HP, they are out, and they are sent into their box. However, unlike the Chaos in the box, they can leave if they damage their target with the ball. Players that do this also get a small amount of their HP regained, but are out immediately if damaged again. However, some alternate route objectives do prevent players who are out from leaving the box; this can also be applied to exhibition matches in the settings.

The first team to knock out the opposing team before the time limit expires wins the set. Additionally, the team who has the most number of remaining players automatically wins when time runs out. If both teams have the same number of players remaining at the end of the time limit, sudden death follows. With this term, no set ends in a draw. In sudden death, the first team to take damage loses the set. On a side note, this is the only sport which has a time limit in which players can set the timer to infinite.

### **Hockey**

A hockey game always begins with a face-off that is done by Omochao to determine which team will get the puck at the start of the period. If a team scores a goal or a special shot, another face-off will take place. The goalkeepers in this sport are Crabots, and their color depends on which team they are in. In order to steal the puck, players must tackle each other, which can be achieved by the motion of shaking the Wii Remote (Two Button in sideways mode) or simply by making a character go in front of the opponent with the puck. Sometimes, a struggle ensues and players must shake their Wii Remote the fastest that they can in order to win the puck over and knock the opponents away. The team with the most points wins and, very much like basketball, this game is played in time limits and transitional periods. This sport uses a Hockey Stick.

### **Sports Mix**

Sports Mix is a tournament-only game mode, which uses all of the sports. To unlock it, players must complete all four Chaos Emerald Cups and defeat Behemoth. In this game mode, the sport that is played is chosen randomly for each round. Computer controlled characters are set on the Expert difficulty level, the hardest difficulty level in the game. When the players beat the Chaos Emerald Cup, they fight the Behemoth King, instead of the normal Behemoth. The Behemoth King has more health than Behemoth and is harder to beat.

Players can select only characters and costumes that are unlocked in all four sports. For example, if players unlock Cactuar for Basketball, Hockey, and Volleyball, but not for Dodgeball, it cannot be selected in Sports Mix mode. If players unlock Cactuar for Dodgeball as well, it can be selected in Sports Mix mode. In a similar manner, recolors cannot be used unless they are unlocked for all four sports as well.

## Characters

### **Playable Characters**

#### **All-Around Characters**

* Sonic the Hedgehog
* Miles "Tails" Prower
* Knuckles the Echidna
* Mii

#### **Technical Characters**

* Princess Sally Acorn
* Cream the Rabbit
* Amy Rose

#### **Powerful Characters**

* Shadow the Hedgehog
* Rouge the Bat
* E-123 Omega

#### **Speedy Characters**

* Espio the Chameleon
* Charmy Bee
* Vector the Crocodile

### **Unlockable Characters**

#### **Tricky Characters**

* Blaze the Cat
* Silver the Hedgehog
* Jet the Hawk
* Wave the Swallow

## Courts

* Sonic Stadium
* The Beach
* Sally's Castle
* Silver Dimensions
* Knuckles Park
* Tails' Workshop
* Green Hill
* Amy's Lake
* Cream's Garden
* Angel Island
* Seaside Hill
* Chao's Garden
* Eggman's Lair