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 Christmas 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 favourite 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."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=160825

500$ says the blue hedgehog runs faster than the fat Italian plumber.

Sonic needs to be in Super Smash Bros Brawl!

Nitro needs to pay more attention...

well dont know if thats official? But Yojiro Ogawa has said he wants Sonic to appear in the game

ORIGINAL: Agent Ghost

500$ says the blue hedgehog runs faster than the fat Italian plumber.

$1000 says Mario gets disqualified for " performance enhancers" . No F*cking way a man that fat can jump that high.

If I wasn' t shocked enough at Nights 2 this has just knocked all the wind out of me. Mario vs Sonic in the Olympics for Wii and DS. Imagine, this could be the ultimate party game.

I was starting to think we' d never see Sonic vs Mario, now I might be playing it for Christmas. Thank you gaming gods, I love you!

…GTA trailer tomorrow too!

we may finally learn who is actually faster, Mario or Sonic?

Unless this is some kind of inappropriate euphemism from Miyamoto-san, I don' t think anyone has actually been unclear on who' s faster. Maybe it' s a typo and he really said " who is actually fatter" .

They have to make mario fast because it sets an example for fat kids and tells them that their not complete failures

... But seriously why do they always make mario the balanced character?

I think he was joking when he said that.

ORIGINAL: Dead Saint

$#!T i thought sonic in SSB was only a rumour. This game cannot come any sooner

If Metroid gets pushed back to next year then this BETTER be still coming this year WITH online or i will be pissed with Nintendo!!!

I think he was joking when he said that.

I wasnt

Another Minigame Title! YEEEEAAahahhhuhwait... um... go Sonic?

I want a co-op/vs. style platformer with the two of them in it. Not this.

I' ve read the articles & they say it' s not going to be all minigames, but when they say it' ll appeal to everyone from 11 yr olds to 70-something grandma' s, it doesn' t get much more minigame oriented than that.

I want a co-op/vs. style platformer with the two of them in it. Not this.

I want them to do like they did with spyro and crash bandicoot and put mario in a sonic game and sonic in a mario game just so i can laugh at mario when he goes in loops

I want to kill some kittens every time Travelers Tales or Vivendi interactive rapes a Crash or Spyro game.

I want to kill some kittens every time Travelers Tales or Vivendi interactive rapes a Crash or Spyro game.

I know crash and spyro games have sucked recently,but thats no excuse to kill kittens

Seems awfully gay.

I' m the only person who has touched this thread with an iota of sense. Why is Sega further pile-driving Sonic' s reputation into the ground by teaming up with the biggest fraud in video game history? Who thinks it' s necessary, besides the requisite stupid children who have never played a real Sonic game, to make Sonic and Mario appear in an Olympics spinoff? It' s fanservice at its worst. This will be no different than the result Sega got by tossing up a poll on its website asking which character that Sega fans would like to see in a spin-off game. Guess who they chose to star in a brand new spinoff game? It wasn' t Miles " Tales" Motherfucking Prower.

People used to beat up little children back in the day for suggesting that Sonic be in a game with Mario, and now this move is being applauded? The Gamer God' s are clearly interested in punishment rather than Divine Divinity. For everything that Sega did right with Sonic in Secret Rings, they are taking it away with this blasphemous enterprise.

And don' t get me started on Nintendo' s cash cow fanservice vehicle known as the smash bros. series. If you' re still playing that and have reproducing capable genitalia, then it' s time to switch to big boy diapers and drop the party game masquerading as something other than EGM reader' s standards for entertainment.

An Olympics video game starring an overrated whore and soon to be whore. Pathetic.

Why is Sega further pile-driving Sonic' s reputation into the ground by teaming up with the biggest fraud in video game history?

Woohoo, another idiot enters the forums :P

Think of it like this...

Darth Vader = Nintendo
Luke Skywalker = Sega
Emperor = Sony / Microsoft

Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker teaming up in the old days (first movie) would be as likely as jabba the hutt actually getting any from princess leia (ouch, yeah I said that). Anyway, as crazy an idea as it was back then, it makes perfect sense now-a-days. I loved the Sonic - Mario rivalry. Still do. But the fact is, " the enemy of my enemy is my friend" .

I don' t think this was the best choice of game for them to do, I mean Brawl better have Sonic in it. But I' m really glad to see them finally interacting in the same game together.

Oh and welcome to the forums DontPeeOnBilly, intriguingly original name :/