Back in November, Sega released Mario & Sonic At the Olympic Games for the Nintendo Wii, the first-ever mash-up featuring the popular gaming mascots and their respective universes. Unfortunately, iffy controls and a lack of online functionality left it competing for a bronze medal, rather than going for the gold. Nearly three months later, the DS version of Mario & Sonic is upon us. The good news is that it fares much better, good enough to snag the bronze – and, on some occasions, maybe even a silver.

The major difference between the two versions lies in the controls. Rather than trying to perform awkward, poorly read motions, you simply use the DS touch screen to complete each event. Some events are more rigorous than others. Take the dash events, for example. Instead of feverishly tapping buttons, you need to run the stylus back and forth across the touch-screen. You occasionally clap as well, in an attempt to gain motivation from the crowd. Even though most of these motions might damage your DS over time, the improvement in accuracy and performance are noticeable. Some of the events are still lame, though. Playing fencing with your touch-screen is just as unexciting as it sounds.

You choose from sixteen characters from each of Mario and Sonic's worlds, both heroes (Tails, Luigi) and villains (Bowser, Dr. Eggman). Each has certain attributes and weaknesses, such as Sonic's ability to pick up speed. It's interesting going through the list of players and seeing how certain characters match up against each other. However, no matter which you choose, the World Records are far too easy to beat. It's not really a shocker if you manage to topple most of these "records" on the first one or two attempts.

Presentation-wise, the game successfully copies its Wii counterpart. The visuals are bright and colorful, keeping the personality of the characters intact. The touch-screen is used efficiently, with easy-to-see instructions for each activity. It would've been nice to have more replay options, however. Instead of letting you choose from various camera angles, you watch your run from a pre-set one.

The sound's not half bad either, with an above-average amount of voice samples and sound effects. Sega made a wise choice with the announcer, as he doesn't wear out his welcome.

Mission Mode pits you against several artificially controlled opponents, and it's here where you'll achieve a number of these world records while also tackling several side challenges. There's also a Trivia Mode, but it's mostly pointless unless you're crazy about everything Olympics. With that being said, Mario & Sonic really picks up in the multiplayer department. By logging in via Wi-Fi Connection, you compete with others through leaderboards. Here, you'll find great competition – even though the boards take longer to load than expected. Sadly, there's no direct online play. However, in its place are options to challenge up to three friends locally through single and multi-cart play. This is highly recommended, especially if you know people that have "Olympic fever".

Although a few flaws prevent it from snagging the gold, Mario & Sonic At the Olympic Games is better than its Wii counterpart. With enhanced controls, abundant multiplayer options and an above-average presentation, it has power to spare, without requiring those pesky performance enhancers.