Mario and Sonic reuniting in Vancouver
We recently spent some hands-on time with the upcoming Winter Olympics sports game, starring familiar Nintendo and Sega mascots.
We recently spent some hands-on time with the upcoming Winter Olympics sports game, starring familiar Nintendo and Sega mascots.
Sega hasn’t spent the last year lazily rolling around in the piles of cash they’ve raked in from its previous Olympics-themed video game starring Mario and Sonic.
Instead, they’re doing the next logical thing, which is to create a sequel – and this time base it on the upcoming 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia.
The game, titled Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, is due out later this year for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS/DSi.
As the name suggests, both games are based on real events at the 2010 Winter Games, as well as some fantasy matches that pit the beloved Nintendo and Sega mascots against one another.
The Wii version supports both the Remote/Nunchuk combo and Wii Balance Board. For example, in the Alpine downhill skiing competition, where you must slalom through a series of gates at breakneck speed, you can use the Nunchuk to steer towards the bottom of the mountain or step on the Balance Board and lean in a given direction.
The Bobsleigh event showed off some of the cooperative multiplayer features, as four players can sit in a line in front of the TV and work together to hop into the bobsleigh at the right time and lean left or right while speeding down the icy track.
The Speed skating 500m race has you holding the Wii Remote and Wii Nunchuk in each hand and while leaning forward and swinging your arms forward and back. You must maintain an even pace to mirror the real-life event.
The Nintendo DS version offers the Skeleton race, where you lie stomach-first on a sled. It also features a Snowboard Cross that combines elements of surfing, skateboarding and skiing.
As with the Summer Olympics game, all the favourite characters are back, including Luigi, Yoshi, Tails and Knuckles — each with their own set of stats and unique animations.