Visually, the game is up to par with other Nintendo all-star orgy titles. The characters are large and colorful, with the Sonic cast looking right at home next to the likes of Mario and Bowser. The stadium environments shown were full of small nods to both the Mario and the Sonic series; the audience members were made up of infinitely repeating Chaos and toadstools.
While the game will feature 20 or so official Olympic events, only two were shown -- the shot put and the 100 meter dash. If appears as if Ubisoft's Rayman Raving Rabbids might have been the inspiration for Sonic and Mario at the Olympics. The shot put involved swinging the controller around to gain speed, and pressing a button at the precise time. The dash basically involved "pumping" the controllers up and down to gain speed.
As for the questions as to how anyone is going to best Sonic in anything involving dashing, Sega is answering that by giving each character his or her own attributes. Sonic for instance, is fast but has low acceleration. In an event like the 100m dash, this could leave him at a disadvantage unless he takes the lead early.
The game will support 1-4 players, and in addition to official Olympic events, will have unlockable events based on themes of both the Mario and Sonic universes. With simple controls, this is clearly aimed at extremely casual players and children, which should surprise no one. The simple button mashing of previous Olympic games have been replaced with high intensity, simple waggle.
But so what? This game is going to be a huge seller for Sega when it hits the Nintendo Wii, along with a DS version, this holiday.
1. Mashup licenses
2. ???
3. Profit!
Miss Cleo predicts another comment section full of posts knocking the Wii and all its mini-game compilations.
It puzzles me when folks on the intranets are saying they are dissappointed that this game is just a "mimi game fest".
Aren't all Olympics games "mini game fests"? What did y'all expect?
I personally have high hopes for this one. The 100 Yard dash and Hurdles will be boring as always, but Fencing and Teo Quan Do could be awesome.
Gymnastics as well.
The potnetial is there for this one. In Japan, where Wii Sports and Wii Play are still the Wii's best sellers, it will likely sell over 2mil in 6 months.
I think the number one goal in making this game was to fuel more internet hype about SSBB and Sonic possibly being in it(again...)
Another set of many games.
Well Nintendo... I guess if it ain't broken...
@ tron:
The depth of the game is what's disappointing ... but not surprising. Yes, they're all mini-games, but they don't have to be as simple as those found in something like Mario Party.
And there's no doubt the game is going to sell like crazy.
is sonic goin to be in the new super smash brawl
Bowser doing the shotput zoMG!!!
I remember a time when Mario and Sonic in the same game would have been a sign of the apocalypse.Ah early 90's gaming, I hardly knew ye. Too bad Sonic and Mario's fist appearance together in the same game had to be some crappy Olympics game.
I'm sorry, but in no possible way in HELL should mario ever be allowed to race sonic.
You don't see sonic going round the mushroom kingdom trying to unblock toilets?!
This game should be the greatest team up ever, but they should be in like a real game.
This is retarded. Tron, don't try to defend it. It's not worth your time.
There's still a year left and plenty more events to be unveiled so hopefully by the time they roll it out it does more than your average Olympic cash-in title.
*crosses fingers*
I was hoping for something closer to Wii Sports than something like Rayman or Mario Party. Let's hope the other games they haven't shown yet have more depth.
Nick- So the games didn't have much depth?
Which games did you play, and in what way was there a lack of depth? What level of complexity were you looking for?
I'm still not understanding what the complaining is about.
@ Tron Knotts...
In my opinion, the complaining is about two phenominal icons coming together to form, as we see THUS FAR (game ain't done yet), another Mario Party. Yes, the games sells, but gamers want more than a game that parents will buy their little kids... and with what we've seen so far you can't say that isn't the main target.
Key word is thus far. It's amazing seeing as many Mario Parties as there is Pokemon games since they're all THE SAME EXACT GAME... but Mario coming together with Sonic being a party game as well? We have to do better than that... it's like bringing all the hottest models (male and female) to a special event just to talk behind closed doors... it's a waste of their looks. Mario and Sonic being together deserves more than what we're seeing... again... thus far.
Maybe this is a warm-up... or maybe the game will be much more. But Tron, even you have to admit, all the complaining and disappointment can be justefied with these two characters being used in a Mario Party rehash.
Again, my horrible spelling baffles me...
Honestly, I expected worse.
taking bets on the outcome. I'm placing good odds that Sonic will win all the foot-races (except maybe triathalon) and mario wins everything else.
Every olympic game ever has been a mini game fest. Im with you, tron.
And Altair, complaining was justified when the title was announced, but not now. We knew what we were getting when we heard the title.
Just expression my opinion and guess on why peeps would still be going "Awww, man!" over the game's turnout. But, just for kicks, to back myself up a little there can be a difference between an actual good olympic-type game and another Mario Party rehash. So far it's looking like the rehash, as it has already been said many times in this thread.
Something more than waggling my controller around in any fashion I see fit. I'm not saying that other track and field games have depth -- they don't. And they're not really good games.
What do I expect from the Wii (or any other system for that matter)? I don't know, something new and interesting. The Wii is supposed to change the way we play games, and it has. It's just unfortunate when button pressing is simply replaced by shaking my hand repeatedly.
And I'm not complaining now, I'm confirming -- from what I saw demonstrated, they didn't do anything more with the title than we had expected. That's what I said. I wasn't complaining. There's no need for Nintendo fanboys to jump all over me for this.
Relax.
I'm pretty sure that Bowser is shown trying his hand in the hammer throw, not shot put. But, more importantly, I think this game has huge potential. Just think back to that old Nintendo Olympic game that had karate, fencing ... kayaking! How cool could kayaking be if you used the wiimote as a long paddle, dipping and stroking your wii side-to-side (I can has punz?) to turn left and right. Fencing with the wiimote, for that matter, couldn't be more intuitive. Or holding the wiimote in one hand and pretending to do an IM in swimming, with the hand motions for freestlye, breastroke, butterfly, etc. all being different. If Nintendo decided to really go for variety here and make things in depth, this could be the raddest Olympic game since the power pad first came out.
P.s. Archery, badminton, shooting, table tennis, and a whole bunch of winter sports (are they included...?) would be awesome for the wii. Come on, Nintendo, give us something good!
I was hoping that if they ever actually had a Sonic/Mario cross over it'd be a platformer of something with the two characters. Of course mostly developed by Nintendo to keep it from sucking since Sega can't make good Sonic games anymore. This is pretty disappointing.
@ an800lbGorilla:
The game you're thinking of on the NES was Track & Field II, and it was indeed awesome.
Did anyone really expect a Olympic game to be any more than a button ashing collection of mini games? That's what they're always been, only now the button mashing has been replaced with waggle. Seesh, some people just expect far too much from this game.
I guess Nick considers you a Nintendo fanboy too, Gagaman. Overreact much, Nick?
@800lbGorilla: This is made to coinside with the beijing games, so it will mostlikely be summer events only.
1. shitty 4chan memes
2. lack of social life
3. ???
4. virgin for life!
oh man i apologize to emotaku i am a dick in the morning
Mario=Money
Why isn't this like Super Mario Bros Z ?? That would've kicked @ss
Is it just me, or isn't it kind of obvious who *would* win a sprint between mario and sonic? It's just way not fair for mario. Idk, just seems to level of a playing field, sonic's speed ftw.
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