Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

[Endesu]

Reposted for your pleasure from the GHZ Forum!

SEGA AND NINTENDO JOIN FORCES FOR MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Legendary Icons Appear Together for the First Time in Video Game History

TOKYO (March 28, 2007) – SEGA® Corporation and Nintendo Co. Ltd. today made a historical announcement that two of the biggest icons in the entertainment industry, Mario™ and Sonic™, are joining forces to star in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Developed for the Wii™ video game system and the Nintendo DS™ system, this momentous agreement marks the first time these two renowned stars have appeared together in a game.

Published by SEGA across Europe and North America, and published by Nintendo in the Japanese market, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games will be available for Holiday 2007 and is licensed through a worldwide partnership with International Sports Multimedia (ISM), the exclusive interactive entertainment software licensee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, players will compete in events that take place in environments based on the official venues of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Using a supporting cast of characters from the amazing worlds of both Mario and Sonic, gamers will be able to compete as or against a range of lovable personalities including Mario, Sonic, Luigi™, Knuckles™, Yoshi®, Tails™ and more. Innovative usage of the Wii and DS control systems to maneuver a favorite character will allow players to race the likes of Mario and Sonic down the 100m track, engage in exhilarating rallies in table tennis and churn water in a swimming heat, all while competing for the much sought after gold medal.

“We are thrilled to partner with Nintendo and ISM on this groundbreaking title,” said Hisao Oguchi, President and Chief Operating Officer, SEGA Corporation. “For the first time, two of the world’s greatest games’ characters come together to compete in the world’s greatest sporting event and we couldn’t be more excited.”

“Mario and Sonic have been respectful rivals since the early days of video games,” says Shigeru Miyamoto, Senior Managing Director and General Manager, Entertainment Analysis and Development Division, Nintendo Co., Ltd.. “In fact, for a long time they have been discussing the possibility of one day competing against each other. Now that they have been given the perfect opportunity to meet at the Olympic Games, we may finally learn who is actually faster, Mario or Sonic?”

“The Olympic Games represent the true spirit of competition and passion,” said Raymond Goldsmith, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ISM. “Bringing together intensely competitive and fun characters like Mario and Sonic in an Olympic setting helps showcase the sports of the Olympic Games in a new and compelling way for all generations.”

For further information on this title please visit http://www.sega-press.com for Europe and the SEGA FTP for America at: http://segapr.segaamerica.com.

... huh.

And before anyone busts out with 'haha April Fool's', consider how much it costs to use the Olympic logo. If this is a hoax, then it's a hellishly costly hoax.

[Capntastic]

I'd rather see Sonic in a decent game.

[Seethe]

Now that they have been given the perfect opportunity to meet at the Olympic Games, we may finally learn who is actually faster, Mario or Sonic?

I, uh, never actually thought that was in question.

[pd Rydia]

[edit]

4chan is full of such jokers!













[original post below hyar!]

Someone get me the images from the .DOCs, I has no Word. D:

HEDGEHOLOGY!

The History of Sonic The Hedgehog

Celebrating his sixteenth anniversary in 2007 with over 44 million copies sold worldwide, Sonic The Hedgehog is a videogame industry icon. SEGA®’s much-loved blue hedgehog has starred in over 30 games and shows no signs of slowing down. Sonic, who was born June 23, 1991 as the fastest, most technologically advanced character for the SEGA Genesis console, continues to innovate as he blasts onto the Wii in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.

In addition to his video game fame, the “blue dude with the ‘tude” has starred in two animated TV series, comic books, and an animated movie—he’s even had his own theme park and was the first and only game character ever featured in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. But it’s his videogames that matter most to his legions of fans. Sonic has appeared on virtually every well-known game platform, a distinction that earned him his star on the ‘Walk of Game’ landmark honoring pioneering gaming icons.

Super Sonic Milestones
[1] Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the most popular videogame icons of all time with over 44 million games sold worldwide.
[2] An estimated 50 million people have played at least one Sonic game.
[2] Gamers have collected over 66 billion rings while playing Sonic.
[3] Sonic was the first videogame included in the National Film and Television Archive of the UK, where historic films and TV programs are preserved.
[4] An average of 8,000 Sonic games are sold worldwide every day.
[5] Gamers have spent over 500 million hours playing Sonic games.

Key Dates
• 2007: In the fall, Mario and Sonic make video game history by joining forces in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Sonic makes his debut on the Wii system with Sonic and the Secret Rings shipping in February.
• 2006: With games shipping or in development on seven different platform, 2006 marks Sonic’s busiest and most diverse gaming year to date.
• 2005: On November 15, Shadow the Hedgehog marks Shadow’s first appearance in a standalone game, shipping on NGC, PS2, and Xbox. On the same day, Sonic debuts on Nintendo DS with the well-received Sonic Rush.
• 2004: In January, Sonic Heroes is released on GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, marking Sonic’s largest multi-platform launch to date.
• 2003: In February, the new animated series Sonic X is announced.
• 2002: Sonic Adventure 2: Battle is released for GameCube on February 3, marking Sonic’s debut on the platform. Sonic Team’s Yuji Naka receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards in the US, an award presented to individuals who have made innovative and significant achievements in the videogame industry.
• 2001: On June 18, Sonic Adventure 2 ships in the US for Dreamcast. In June, a series of tenth birthday celebrations for Sonic are held across Japan. In December, CoroCoro Comics announces that the artist of the Sonic The Hedgehog comic will be well-known artist Santa Harukaze. The comic first appears in December.
• 2000: The Sonic fashion project makes its way to Paris, France as Sonic apparel is displayed at the Concept Store/Jean Charles de Castelbajac.
• 1999: Sonic Adventure ships August 31 in the US, eventually becoming the best-selling SEGA Dreamcast game of all time with over six million copies sold worldwide. Sonic’s second cartoon series launches in the US. In October, Sonic’s first clothing line is released in Japan.
• 1998: In December, Sonic Adventure is released in Japan on Dreamcast while US fans eagerly await its arrival stateside.
• 1997: Sonic R and Sonic Jam ship in Japan for SEGA Saturn.
• 1996: In a videogame first, Sonic is included in the National Film and Television Archive of the UK, where historic films and TV programs are preserved. Marking Sonic’s first full 3D adventure, Sonic 3D Blast is released on Saturn.
• 1994: Sonic The Hedgehog 3 blasts on Genesis February 2nd. In October, Sonic and Knuckles ships in the US. The two games could be combined by locking Sonic and Knuckles into the Sonic 3 cartridge, allowing the complete adventure to be played. In October, Sonic appears in a nationwide MTV ‘Rock the Rock’ special shot on Alcatraz. Twenty-five finalists from over 100,000 entrants compete in Sonic 3 for the title of “The World’s Most Hard-Core Gamer.”
• 1993: Sonic sponsors the F1 Williams team in April, and in the same month scientists discover a new gene with spikes similar to Sonic’s. They dub the new gene ‘Sonic The Hedgehog gene’. In June, the Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog cartoon begins airing in nationwide in the US. In September, Sonic The Hedgehog appears in US arcades, and in November, Sonic stars in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade with a 65-foot long balloon.
• 1992: In November, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is released for Genesis and Game Gear in the US on ‘Sonic 2s Day’. Miles ‘Tails’ Prower is introduced for the first time. The game sells over 400,000 copies in five days.
• 1991: Sonic The Hedgehog for Genesis ships in the US on June 23. Sonic ships in Japan in July. On December 28, Sonic The Hedgehog for Game Gear is released in Japan, marking Sonic’s debut on handheld platforms.
1990: Development of ‘action game for the new age’ commences in April. In November, Sonic The Hedgehog is officially announced.

Key Characters
• Sonic The Hedgehog: Capable of traveling at super sonic speeds, Sonic is known for his speed, confident attitude, and readiness for any and all types of adventure. A true hero, he calls upon all his skills to save the world from Dr. Eggman. Sonic has a big heart and is always ready to help those in need. Sonic’s original name was “Mr. Needlemouse.”
• Miles ‘Tails’ Prower: Sonic’s best friend is a fox with two tails (similar to the mythological Japanese creature kitsune). Tails can fly for short distances by spinning his tails like helicopter rotors, and he also maintains Sonic’s plane the Tornado with his expert mechanical skills. Tails is eight years old, a little less than three feet tall, and weighs 44 pounds.
• Knuckles the Echidna: Sonic’s friend as well as rival is the last living echidna. Knuckles lives on Angel Island, where he guards the Master Emerald. Although he can’t fly like Tails, Knuckles can glide for short periods, and he is strong with spiked fists that he can use to break through barriers and climb walls. Knuckles is not as friendly as Tails, being a bit of stubborn and short-tempered.
• Dr. Eggman/aka Dr. Robotnik: Also known as Dr. Robotnik, the roly-poly Dr. Eggman is Sonic’s arch nemesis. His goal is to use his robots to conquer the world and establish the Eggman Empire. However, Sonic and his pals have managed to foil his plans every time so far, leaving the orange-mustachioed genius frustrated.
• Amy Rose: A pink hedgehog who’s a skilled fighter capable of smashing enemies with her Piko Piko hammer, Amy regards herself as Sonic’s girlfriend. She has been in love with Sonic since he saved her in Sonic CD.
• Shadow the Hedgehog: Shadow is a mysterious, black hedgehog resembling Sonic in appearance and skills. He was created by Gerald Robotnik on the Space Colony ARK over fifty years ago. He can use Chaos Control to distort time and space.
• Rouge the Bat: Rouge is a treasure hunter and a spy for G.U.N. She is full of feminine charm and can be very manipulative. She is Knuckles’ rival, but secretly has a crush on him. Rouge wants all the jewels in the world, especially the elusive Master Emerald.
• Metal Sonic: A robotic version of Sonic built by Eggman to counteract the speedy hero, Metal Sonic is as fast as Sonic and Shadow and has several unique features, such as the ability to copy data. In Sonic Heroes, Metal Sonic betrays Eggman to conquer the world for himself, but he is stopped by Super Sonic.
• Cream the Rabbit: Cream is a naive young rabbit who lives with her mother, Vanilla. Cream’s best friend is a Chao called Cheese. Because Cream has been brought up like a princess, she does not like being involved in other people’s affairs. She can fly using her large ears.

[BrainWalker]

Now that they have been given the perfect opportunity to meet at the Olympic Games, we may finally learn who is actually faster, Mario or Sonic?

I, uh, never actually thought that was in question.

I'm with Seethe on this one.

Also: Oh, those silly internets!

[Ark]

Yeah, we never cared who was faster, we only wanted to see who'd kick the most ass in an adventure together.

Sonic is faster, thats what he does but I'm putting all my money on Mario in any of the jumping competettions. That dude can jump. Hammer tossing too.

[Deeum]

The only way I can see Mario matching Sonic's speed is when he uses a starman.




....
...

[PriamNevhausten]

I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but Zero has quite possibly the best response to this whole thing.

[BrainWalker]

Well, yea, but those GBA/DS games are pretty decent, I hear. Maybe even good. Then there's that game on the Wii that people have been saying isn't completley shit. So it's not like all of Sonic's recent stuff has been indecent. Just the high-profile stuff on actual home consoles, mostly.

Maybe he'll rise back out of mediocrity some day.

[Endesu]

Arr 'major home releases'? By which you mean Sonic 360?

:X It looked good and sounded good but bargh those controls and glitches and random jumps to death and fucking mach speed

Shadow and Heroes were also slipups but the Sonic Adventures were okay, and the Sonic Advance titles have generally been pretty good. So it's not as if all of Sonic's more 'recent' releases have been complete muckups.

[Justice Augustus]

I feel sorry for the people working on new sonic games, I really do.

"So what did we do last time?"
"Have him run around and get rings and jump on things."
"Ok, do that again, but now with a sidekick! For a second player to use!"
"Great idea!"
"Then there'll be a third character in the next game."
"Makes sense."

But where do you go from there? 3D really must have been a bitch for them because the beauty of Sonic was in its simplicity. What I hated about Sonic adventures was that I'd always miss rings by running past them, and have to go back to get enough.

[Spleen]

The 2D platform Sonics are among the greatest games in the history of gaming. I haven't extensively played the 3D ones, but from what I hear, they're inferior to the 2D titles.

That said, does anyone else feel kind of like Sonic and Mario already being in a game together makes the concept of Sonic in SSBB that much more realistic? I'm enthused by this prospect, despite not giving a shit about a goofy Mario/Sonic sports game.

[Endesu]

But where do you go from there? 3D really must have been a bitch for them because the beauty of Sonic was in its simplicity. What I hated about Sonic adventures was that I'd always miss rings by running past them, and have to go back to get enough.

The 2D platform Sonics are among the greatest games in the history of gaming. I haven't extensively played the 3D ones, but from what I hear, they're inferior to the 2D titles.

I will always defend the original Sonic Adventure as a fairly solid attempt at cementing the playstyle of 2D into 3D. It was awkward, laggy, and full of glitches, but it was still the best attempt they made at the style, and it's still fairly fun to play today. In a sense, it is inferior to the original 2D titles, but that should be obvious. (Though I have heard younger players championing the likes of Sonic 360 and Shadow over the original titles. Seriously, what)

That said, does anyone else feel kind of like Sonic and Mario already being in a game together makes the concept of Sonic in SSBB that much more realistic? I'm enthused by this prospect, despite not giving a shit about a goofy Mario/Sonic sports game.

IGN: Does this pave the way for Sonic and Mario starring together in other games?

Laurent Fischer: We've spent a long time finalising this one and we're not thinking about the next game, just yet. The Olympics just seemed like the right way to bring them together.

IGN: So we won't see Sonic appearing in Super Smash Bros. Brawl?

Laurent Fischer: That's not on the cards at the moment.

Mike Hayes: Really, we felt that the Olympics provided a neutral ground for the two stars.

IGN interview

Sonic's potential of being in Brawl is still a very 'hush-hush' thing - if he's in, it's not being discussed. I feel that he may very well be in there, and all of this is simply so that players will be held in a perpetual, somewhat tortuous form of suspense until Brawl is released >:3

[Spleen]

I just know he'll have some bizarre method of unlocking, too.

[PriamNevhausten]

Like being very disappointed that he isn't actually in there. The Wii can sense these things.

[Justice Augustus]

I just know he'll have some bizarre method of unlocking, too.

Collect 100 rings and then do the bonus stage to get the chaos emerald 7 times!

[Nick Shogun]

I just know he'll have some bizarre method of unlocking, too.

Collect 100 rings and then do the bonus stage to get the chaos emerald 7 times!

He can be found if the player did not suffer any damage during the entire game; then, once he reached the final boss, he had neither to touch him nor let him inflict any damage until the time limit expires, thus ending the fight in a draw. This had to be repeated for ten consecutive fights with the boss. Sonic would then come out of nowhere and throw the boss off of the screen and out of the way, and the clock would stick at 99 seconds, resulting in a "fight to the death."

[Ark]

He can be found if the player did not suffer any damage during the entire game; then, once he reached the final boss, he had neither to touch him nor let him inflict any damage until the time limit expires, thus ending the fight in a draw. This had to be repeated for ten consecutive fights with the boss. Sonic would then come out of nowhere and throw the boss off of the screen and out of the way, and the clock would stick at 99 seconds, resulting in a "fight to the death."

You forgot that the player must use Mario, and before picking him you have to cycle through all his colours, leaving them active for 2 seconds, before picking his normal colour scheme.

[PriamNevhausten]

Not true! You can cause damage, but it has to be via the taunt and nothing else.

[BrainWalker]

This works because of the unusual properties of Mario's taunt. It deals a very small amount of damage to both Mario's opponent and Mario himself if it "connects", thereby keeping the damage totals even so that the match still ends in a draw. It's a nod to all those old Super Mario Bros. glitches that involve phasing through walls and enemies and such. You know, the ones that are kind of good for you half the time, and really bad for you half the time.

At least, that's what the dev team says.