Listen — not every game at E3 is a winner. The Joystiq heavyweights get to go play all the big games and interview all of the developer hotshots, and that’s the stuff you love reading about. But some of us are down in the trenches, doing all of the demos that no one else wants to do, checking out all the games whose names are read around the schedule planning table, and answered only with the silence of bloggers who have better games to play.
That’s not to say that Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics is a bad game — its audience will probably enjoy it. Just like the previous Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, it offers multiple Olympic sports-based minigames featuring popular Nintendo and Sega characters, controlled by various Wii and DS motions. People who like buying that kind of thing (parents wandering a videogame store looking for wholesome family entertainment) will probably enjoy it. But even though most of the Joystiq staff passed on this demo (and your faithful blogger bravely attended it), it was one of the more surreal things we’ve seen this week. Our strange experiences, let us show you them.
“I feel that this game will bomb but only because of the olympic theme.”
“Ha ha ha!”
Those are just a small number of your initial responses to Sega’s prediction that Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games would sell four million copies worldwide. Not that we’re bragging at our readers’ expense, for we also pooh-poohed the notion. Over a year on from our mocking laughs, and Sega is now hoping to break two million by the end of this year — in the UK alone. Yeesh.
“Our aim is to hit two million by the end of 2008,” Sega UK sales director John Clark has told MCV (the most recent figures, which we assume are from before Christmas, have the title at around 1.75 million across the Wii and DS), adding that the game has more than a 30 per cent attach rate to British Wiis. We shall think twice before snickering into our Earl Gray and crumpets again.
The Master System version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was never released in North America (only the inferior Game Gear version made it there), so its appearance on the ESRB database (which pretty much guarantees a Virtual Console release) is a little bit of history in the making. A very little bit, mind, because the differences between the 8-bit Sonic 2s are trivial, to say the least.
We never played either iteration, so are unqualified to comment on the game’s quality, but Wikipedia informs us that this was Tails’ debut appearance, which also means this game marks the start of Sonic having friends. Man, look howthatturnedout.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for Nintendo Wii has players competing in events that take place in environments based on the official venues of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. In making this game SEGA used 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 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.
Does this Olympic team-up of old-school rivals go for the gold or stumble out of the starting blocks? To find out, watch the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games video review.
Surprise! With 24 different events it looks like a fun game.
Travellers' Tales, the British developer most recently known for their Lego Star Wars series, will soon be acquired by Warner Bros. Luckily, this does not spell the end of their popular series, as they have announced that they will maintain their current partnerships with Lego and LucasArts. Quite a relief for those looking forward to the upcoming Lego Indiana Jones game.
Just about the only relationship this new acquisition calls into question is that between Travellers' Tales and Sega. TT has had a longstanding partnership with Sega, developing high-profile games like Sonic R, Sonic 3D Blast and Super Monkey Ball Adventure. Of course, those aren't the best three Sega games, so maybe it's not much of a problem for them to be off the market.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
The sequel to Sonic’s 2D racing-action platformer, is another PSP-exclusive, featuring a revamped rival jostling gameplay system for tighter head-to-head competition. A brand new Battle mode allows two players to jump into six different multiplayer challenges: Knockout, Ring Battle, Race, King of the Hill, Capture the Chao, and Tag (all with one disc). Rivalry is further improved with upgraded power-ups and range weapons allowing players to attack or defend themselves regardless of their position. Additionally, card trading and collection in Sonic Rivals 2 has also been revamped with 150 more collectable cards enabling player to customize characters with new track suits, unlock PSP backgrounds, and unlock Cup Circuits.
Sonic Rivals 2’s Knockout Mode gives Sonic the chance to start his Super Smash Bros. Brawl early!
Sonic Rivals 2 will be released on November 13th, 2007.
We occasionally fret that we may have already seen the whole of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, such has been Sega's bloody-minded determination to extract everylastdrop of video from the game in the build-up to release.
Still, the rowing is new to us, and it shows promise, if only because it looks like one of those events where a bit of timing and rhythm is the key to success, rather than the brainless, arm-waving lunacy required for the track-based events (this may teeter on being sacrilegious, but we don't all miss Track & Field, you know). That said, the fencing and archery still intrigue this blogger a little more than anything else in the package.
Okay, these "viral" videos are kind of ridiculous. The rotund Sonic suit looks pretty bad, and we question the validity of calling something "viral" when it's distributed via the same channels as officially-released material, just because it's intentionally kind of cheap-looking.
But we have to admit, that this video for Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games made us laugh out loud. At first, there was something hilarious about the interaction of a normal human person with a guy in a Mario suit speaking in Charles Martinet's voice. Then Sonic came along and replicated a classicKids in the Hallskit and we, shamefully, LOL'd.
The other video, not so much. But it's embedded after the break anyway.
This latest trailer for the trampoline event in Mario & Sonic at the Olympics could be conceived as "fun looking" if the folks playing it in the video were any indication. We have a more keen eye, however, as we looked to the controls and event itself as an indication for how fun the event could be. And, for us, it looks like it lacks.
So, why post it, you are probably thinking? Well, as always, we value your opinion most, so we want to hear what you have to say? Won't you humor us?Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Maybe we're not as up on our Sonic fandom as we should be. Legions of fans have been sounding a battle cry, and where were we? Not paying attention, clearly. But now we're aware that an injustice has been foisted upon dedicated Sonic fans, fans who want something very simple:
Ryan Drummond.
Ryan Drummond provided the voice of Sonic in the 1999 Sonic Adventure and in several games, until he was replaced with jonny-come-lately Jason Griffith. But what about the fans who adored Drummond? What solace can we offer them? All we have lying around is a shoulder to cry on and a box of tissues ... but wait! Perhaps there will be a solution! Dedicated fans have begun a campaign to get Drummond back (at least for Brawl), and that is the subject of this week's video spotlight. The above video is but one part; you can continue the saga here, and in a bevy of related videos on the subject.
Mario, meet Sonic (at the Winter Olympics) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
