Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
North American Wii cover
Developer(s)	SEGA Sports R&D
Publisher(s)	JP Nintendo[1] NA Sega[1] EU Sega[1]
Director(s)	Takashi Iizuka
Producer(s)	Osamu Ohashi Hiroshi Sato(nintendo producer)
Designer(s)	Shigeru Miyamoto (supervisor)[1]
Composer(s)	Kenichi Tokoi (sound producer) Jun Senoue Fumie Kumatani Naofumi Hataya Hideaki Kobayashi Tadashi Kinukawa Teruhiko Nakagawa Tomonori Sawada
Series	Mario & Sonic
Platform(s)	Wii, Nintendo DS
Release date(s)	NA October 13, 2009 AUS October 15, 2009 EU October 16, 2009[2] JP November 5, 2009
Genre(s)	Sports game
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ACB: G CERO: A ESRB: E PEGI: 3+
Media/distribution	Wii Optical Disc, Nintendo DS Game Card

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (マリオ&ソニック AT バンクーバーオリンピック, Mario to Sonikku atto Bankūbā Orinpikku^?, lit. "Mario & Sonic at the Vancouver Olympics")^[3] is a 2009 sports video game developed by Sega. It was published by Nintendo for Japan and by Sega for North America and Europe. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through exclusive license International Sports Multimedia. The game is the third official crossover title to feature characters from both Mario and Sonic's respective universes, the first and second being the game's predecessor Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Super Smash Bros. Brawl respectively. It was released on the Wii and the Nintendo DS handheld in October 2009, and is the first official video game of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.^[1]

Mario & Sonic on the Wii and DS is a collection of events based on the Olympic Winter Games. Players can assume the role of a Mario or Sonic character while competing against the others in these events. The game features all of the playable characters that were present in its predecessor, as well as four new characters.^[1][4]

It has recently been announced that a third installment, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is currently in development for the Wii and Nintendo 3DS systems.^[5] It was released for the Wii on November 2011 and it will be released on the 3DS on February 2012.

Gameplay

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games retains the gameplay mechanics of its predecessor, controlling an on-screen character through authentic Olympic events with the specific tailored controls for the Wii and DS. Unlike its predecessor, some of the events in the Wii game can use the Balance Board accessory, but it is not a requirement.^[4]

All of the playable characters from the previous game return in addition to four new characters.^[4][6] It has been announced via the Nintendo Channel, that this game will have WiiConnect24 capability and the player can use their Miis in-game. A new feature added to the player's Mii is the ability to customize the Mii's clothes.^[7] The sequel introduces a Festival mode in the Wii version that lets players make their way through the entire Olympic Games, from opening ceremony to closure.^[4] The multiplayer mode offers "co-op and competitive gameplay" whereas the DS version will use its wireless capabilities.^[1] The DS counterpart has "Adventure Tours" where players can accept quests and challenge bosses and to stop Dr. Eggman and Bowser before they can stop the Olympics by kidnapping the Snow Spirits. DS Download Play is possible for those without an individual copy of the game.^[4]

Development

In January 2009, a rumor from Spanish Nintendo magazine Nintendo Acción mentioned a sequel to Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games would be created for the 2010 Winter Olympics.^[8] Both IGN and Eurogamer received confirmation on the games' existence, with IGN stating the game will be announced within the following month.^[9][10] Dennis Kim, licensing and merchandising director for the event, stated in February that a Mario & Sonic title "[is] being discussed and planned for Vancouver". Kim also stated "Vancouver 2010" and the IOC will share royalties from this game.^[11] In the same month, the sequel titled "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games" was officially announced via a joint press release by Sega and Nintendo on February 12, 2009. So, The game is being developed by Sega Japan under the supervision of Shigeru Miyamoto.^[1] This title is the third video game collaboration between Nintendo and Sega.^[12] According to gaming site IGN, development began immediately after the initial Olympic game was released in November 2007.^[4]

An iPhone OS app version was released in January 2010 by Sega. Due to only containing Sonic characters, the game is simply titled Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.^[13]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	74.95% (DS) 70.86% (Wii)
Review scores
Publication	Score
GameTrailers	5.2/10
IGN	6.5/10 (Wii) 7.5/10 (DS)
X-Play	3/5

The Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games received a generally positive reaction from critics.^[14] The DS version had a higher score than the Wii version.^[15] GameRankings lists the average scores as 70.86% for the Wii version and 74.95% for the DS.^[16][17] IGN said of the Wii version that "Most of the events also use a whole lot of waggle or over-exaggerated remote tilt where controls could have made for a better experience", giving the Wii game a 6.5.^[18] X-Play's Adam Sessler noted that the Wii version of the game is too simple and the events are not so great, despite praising the dream events, and saying the controls are too easy. As a result, they gave it a 3 out of 5.^[19] GameSpot agreed, criticizing the uninteresting mission objectives in the DS version.^[20] Nintendo Power was very disappointed that players can still use Wi-Fi only for worldwide rankings. No online play is available.^[21] GameTrailers also gave the Wii game a 5.2, criticizing the hit and miss motion controls.^[22] GamePro agreed, stating that "Where the original had a sense of novelty and charm, the sequel feels a little dated and tired."^[23]

GamesMaster praised the game, saying that it "justifies the hype."^[24] EuroGamer also praised the game, stating that "It's true to say that Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is no Mario Kart. But it's a fun, polished party game with broad appeal, and a marked improvement over the previous one."^[25] Gamervision praised the game also, stating that "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games isn’t going to surprise anyone with its gameplay, graphics, controls, or concept, but it’s a perfectly serviceable party game for the Wii."^[26] Nintendo Life praised the events of the game, giving it a 9/10.^[27] IGN called the DS version "impressive", giving it a 7.5.^[28]

By December 31, 2009, the game had sold approximately 5.67 million copies, making it Sega's best-selling game in the fiscal year starting that March.^[29]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} "Mario and Sonic Head to the Slopes in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games" (Press release). Sega. 2009-02-12. http://www.sega.com/news/?n=3012. Retrieved 2009-02-12. 
2. ^ "Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games Dated By Sega". Gaming Union. http://www.gamingunion.net/news/mario-sonic-at-the-olympic-winter-games-dated-by-sega--238.html. Retrieved 2009-07-13. 
3. ^ "Gēmu sofuto "Mario to Sonikku atto Bankūbā Orimpikku" hatsubai kettei! "Mario to Sonikku" atto Pekin Orimpikku" wo zensekai de daihitto saseta yume no kombi ga, arata na orimpikku gēmu de kaette kuru! (ゲームソフト『マリオ＆ソニック AT バンクーバーオリンピック』発売決定！『マリオ＆ソニック AT 北京オリンピック』を全世界で大ヒットさせた夢のコンビが、新たなオリンピックゲームで帰ってくる！?)" (Press release). Sega. 2009-02-13. http://sega.jp/corp/release/2009/0213/home.shtml. Retrieved 2009-02-21. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Hatfield, Daemon (2009-04-03). "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Hands-on". IGN. California: Fox Interactive Media. pp. 1–2. http://wii.ign.com/articles/969/969383p1.html. Retrieved 2009-04-03. 
5. ^ Fletcher, JC (21 April 2011). "Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games headed to Wii and 3DS". Joystiq. http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/21/mario-and-sonic-at-the-london-2012-olympic-games-headed-to-wii-a/. Retrieved 23 April 2011. 
6. ^ "E3 2009". Sega (Sega Press). 2009-06-02. http://www.sega.com. Retrieved 2009-06-02. 
7. ^ http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=10838
8. ^ Bailey, Kat (2009-01-22). "Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games Sequel May Be On The Way". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3172411. Retrieved 2009-02-12. 
9. ^ Gibson, Ellie (2009-01-22). "Mario & Sonic Olympics 2 on the way". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/mario-and-sonic-olympics-2-on-the-way. Retrieved 2009-02-12. 
10. ^ Casamassina, Matt (2009-01-22). "Rumor: Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympics". IGN. California: Fox Interactive Media. http://wii.ign.com/articles/947/947571p1.html. Retrieved 2009-02-12. 
11. ^ Inwood, Damian (2009-02-08). "Mario and Sonic will be part of video-game deal for 2010 Games". The Province. http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=2c530690-6a11-4c92-bcb3-712d0e449257. 
12. ^ Burman, Rob (2007-03-29). "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Interview". IGN. http://wii.ign.com/articles/776/776878p1.html. Retrieved 2007-03-29. 
13. ^ http://www.appstorehq.com/sonicattheolympicwintergames-iphone-132266/app
14. ^ "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (wii) reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/wii/marioandsonicattheolympicwintergames. 
15. ^ "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. http://www.gamespot.com/ds/sports/marioandsonicattheolympicwintergames/review.html?mode=web&tag=scoresummary;critic-score. 
16. ^ http://www.gamerankings.com/wii/958083-mario-and-sonic-at-the-olympic-winter-games/index.html
17. ^ http://www.gamerankings.com/ds/958082-mario-and-sonic-at-the-olympic-winter-games/index.html
18. ^ http://wii.ign.com/articles/103/1035150p1.html
19. ^ "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Review Videos - G4tv.com". G4tv.com. http://www.g4tv.com/videos/42200/Mario--Sonic-at-the-Olympic-Winter-Games-Review/. 
20. ^ "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Review for DS - GameSpot". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. http://www.gamespot.com/ds/sports/marioandsonicattheolympicwintergames/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review. 
21. ^ Nintendo Power Vol. 247, November 2009
22. ^ http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-mario/57874
23. ^ "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Review from GamePro". GamePro. IDG. http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/212683/mario-sonic-at-the-olympic-winter-games/. 
24. ^ GamesMaster Dec. 2009
25. ^ "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Review". EuroGamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/mario-and-sonic-at-the-olympic-winter-games-wii-review. 
26. ^ "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Review". Gamervision. http://www.gamervision.com/gamer/veggie_jackson/reviews/article/mario_amp_sonic_at_the_olympic_winter_games. 
27. ^ http://wii.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/10/mario_and_sonic_at_the_olympic_winter_games_wii
28. ^ http://ds.ign.com/articles/103/1035772p1.html
29. ^ Ivan, Tom (February 5, 2010). "Sega Posts Decline In Nine Month Game Sales". Edge. http://edge-online.com/news/sega-posts-decline-in-nine-month-game-sales. Retrieved April 20, 2010. 

External links

• Olympic Video games microsite
• Official website