The newest demo to hit the Nintendo 3DS eShop is Sega’s Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The portable versions of the Olympic titles previously graced the Nintendo DS, so this is the debut of the series on the 3DS.

The demo is relatively short, only showing five events (a “medley”). Each of the events has a pre-picked character, so you can’t choose the character you want to play as in the demo. The character you’ll play as, in addition to your opponents, seems to be random. The events that were picked out showcases the game very well, so players will know what to expect from the full version.

The events in the demo version are:
25m Rapid Fire Pistol
Football
Trampoline
100m Backstroke
BMX

25m Rapid Fire Pistol event involves tapping the R button, attempting to shoot the middle of five targets as the screen scrolls from right to left. You will do this three times, with the speed of the scrolling increasing as the event goes on. This one’s obviously all about timing and hand/eye coordination.

The Football (Soccer to us in the U.S.) event has you using the Circle Pad. You’ll tilt it back to wind up a kick, while moving it left or right to aim at the goal, and then release as the Shy Guy tosses your character the ball. The right time to release comes when the ball flashes. Eggman’s robots are guarding the goal, so they’ll attempt to block the kick. You’ll do this five times as well.

Next up is the Trampoline event. In this one, you’ll use the Circle Pad and A button. Your character is bouncing on a trampoline, and your goal is to move your character around it, aiming specifically for the center. As your character descents, you’ll hit the A button to bounce back up, repeating the process for several more times, with your character bouncing up higher with successful timings. In the final jump, with the correct timing, your character will finish off the event with a special move.

The 100m Backstroke is the sole event in the demo that uses the stylus. As your character swims, an arrow rotates in a circle. With the stylus, your role is to follow the arrow as timely and accurate as possible. With proper timing and precision, your character will swim further ahead. You’ll repeat this a few times, then eventually go the opposite way.

The final event in the demo is BMX. This uses a combination of the Circle Pad, A button, and tilt sensor. You’ll race against the opponents on an obstacle course. The Circle Pad steers, the A button jumps, and the tilt sensor is used for landing. The ramps on the course are where you’ll be jumping, with proper timing on the A button presses launching your jumps farther. As you descend, you’ll need to tilt the 3DS accordingly to line up your landing.

The five events in the demo as a whole show off what to expect in the full version of the game. What’s impressive about the demo is that it managed to show off several features of the 3DS hardware in the events, which includes use of the touch screen, the tilt sensor, and the Circle Pad. The 3D effect looks fantastic in the Trampoline event, with your character appearing to jump right at you. In that case, if you wanted to demo the 3DS to someone, this demo would be a good way to do so.

Buy or Bye?
As noted previously, this is a very short demo, a free sample only showcasing five events, nothing more. The full game features modes such as a Story Mode and Multiplayer, so it’s rather difficult to judge how the game will be just based on this demo. However, if the games here are any indication, there are some fun events to be played, and you’ll get a lot of use of the features of the 3DS hardware.

Simply put, if this isn’t your kind of game, it’s probably best just to look elsewhere; the demo will be a nice diversion, but it won’t change your mind about picking it up. But, if this is your kind of game, then Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games will serve as a nice collection of different Olympic-based events that you can play on the go.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is due out on the Nintendo 3DS on February 14th, 2012 (February 10th in Europe). The Wii version is out now.