There have been many Mario sports games over the years, and if anybody knows how to milk every last drop out of a franchise (besides Activision), it’s Nintendo. So, while the just-announced Mario Sports Mix was a surprise, it wasn’t all that shocking. Still, the trailer shown at the keynote piqued our interest with the sports that were mentioned, including hockey, basketball, volleyball, and dodgeball.  So, it’s kind of a Wii Sports meets Mario Sports thing.

We got a brief hands-on with a build of the title that featured volleyball or basketball. Greg foolishly picked volleyball, not considering the schooling he was about to receive. Volleyball was 2-on-2, with waggle controls making up 90% of gameplay. Shake the Wiimote to bump or set, swing up to jump for a spike, and swing down at the right time to hit it. You can press A to fake a spike if you want to throw off the blocker. You can also try to aim your shot with the analog stick. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in pulling off moves like the jump serve, or the surprise second hit attack, so the team looks like they’re trying to keep it simple and focus on the basic action and power ups

Of course, since this is a Mario title, straight gameplay isn’t in the cards. There are powerups that show up on the court that you invoke using the B trigger, and special moves are activated by the A and B pinch. You can even collect coins during play, which are added to your score if you win the point. There are different courts (three were available in this build), and in some cases, the environment will come into play. The controls overall are very straightforward, and are obviously aimed at a wide audience, making this a good family title to keep an eye on. Basically, it feels like a Mario Sports title, in a good way.

As for my match with Greg, I won going away 10-1, with only a lone Donkey Kong roof block of a Bowser spike denying me perfection. Mario Sports Mix is scheduled for release in 2011.