Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Japanese: マリオ&ソニック AT バンクーバーオリンピック) is a sports game by Sega, published by Nintendo in Japan and by Sega in North America and Europe. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through exclusive licensee "International Sports Multimedia". The game is the third official crossover title to feature characters from both Mario and Sonic The Hedgehog's respective universes. It's been released on the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS on October 13, 2009, and is the first announced video game based around the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games enable players to assume the role of a Mario or Sonic character while competing against the others in Winter Olympic events. The EU release was on October 16th, 2009.

Gameplay
Some of the events in the Wii game use the Balance Board accessory. The multiplayer mode offers "co-op and competitive gameplay" whereas the DS version uses its wireless capabilities.

Development
In January 2009, an article in the Spanish Nintendo magazine Nintendo Acción mentioned a sequel to Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, to be created for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Both IGN and Eurogamer received confirmation on the games' existence, with IGN stating that game would be officially announced within the following month. 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 that Vancouver 2010 and the IOC will share royalties from this game.

The official announcement did arrive within the month as predicted, the game's title being given as Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games at a joint press release by Sega and Nintendo on February 12, 2009.

Events
All the events of the game include:

Olympic Events

 * Alpine Skiing - Downhill
 * Alpine Skiing - Giant Slalom
 * Ski Jumping - Individual Large Hill
 * Ski Jumping - Team Large Hill
 * Freestyle Skiing - Moguls
 * Freestyle Skiing - Ski Cross
 * Snowboard - Halfpipe
 * Snowboard - Snowboard Cross
 * Skating - Speed Skating 500m
 * Skating - Short Track
 * Skating - Short Track Relay
 * Figure Skating
 * Bobsleigh - Skeleton
 * Bobsleigh
 * Ice Hockey
 * Curling

Dream Events

 * Dream Alpine - Individual
 * Dream Alpine - Team
 * Dream Ski Jumping - Individual
 * Dream Ski Jumping - Team
 * Dream Ski Cross - Individual
 * Dream Ski Cross - Team
 * Dream Snowboard Cross - Individual
 * Dream Snowboard Cross - Team
 * Dream Short Track
 * Dream Figure Skating
 * Dream Bobsleigh
 * Dream Ice Hockey
 * Dream Curling
 * Dream Snowball Fight
 * Dream Gliding - Individual
 * Dream Gliding - Team

Olympic Events

 * Skiing - Alpine Skiing GS
 * Skiing - Moguls
 * Skiing - Nordic Combined
 * Skiing - Ski Jumping LH
 * Skiing - Cross-Country
 * Skating - Speed Skating 500m
 * Skating - Short Track 500m
 * Skating - Figure Skating
 * Snowboard - Snowboard Cross
 * Bobsleigh
 * Bobsleigh - Skeleton
 * Ice Hockey
 * Curling
 * Biathlon
 * Luge

Dream Events

 * Dream Skiing - Ski Cross Racing
 * Dream Skiing - Rocket Ski Jumping
 * Dream Skiing - Super Sonic Downhill
 * Dream Skating - Intense Short Track
 * Dream Skating - Ultimate Figure Skating
 * Dream Snowboard - Extreme Snow Boarding
 * Dream Snowboard - Deluxe Halfpipe
 * Dream Bobsleigh - Blazing Bobsleigh
 * Dream Ice Hockey - Fever Hockey
 * Dream Curling - Curling Bowling
 * Dream Biatlon - Ski Shooting
 * Dream Snow Machine - Snow Machine Fight

Characters
The cast consists of the full roster from the previous game, as well as some new characters.

Sonic the Hedgehog series
Playable Characters

Rival Characters

Additional Sonic Characters

Mario Series
Playable Characters

Rival Characters

Additional Mario Characters

Other

 * Mii (Wii version only)
 * Santa Claus (only during December as a VIP)

Sonic Stages

 * Radical Highway
 * Egg Factory
 * Sky Sanctuary Zone
 * Seaside Hill
 * Nocturne/Special Stage
 * Dream Figure Skating features 3 Sonic backgrounds: Green Hill Zone, Death Egg, and destroyed Station Square.

Mario Stages

 * Mario Circuit
 * Good Egg Galaxy
 * Bowser's Castle
 * Sherbet Land
 * Cool, Cool Mountain
 * Dream Figure Skating features 3 Mario backgrounds: World 1, Bowser's Castle, and Peach's Castle.

Face-Offs
Between each character, each have their own rival as based on either mission mode or by the starting prologue. Here are the following face-offs:


 * Sonic vs. Mario


 * Tails vs. Yoshi


 * Blaze vs. Daisy


 * Amy vs. Peach


 * Vector vs. Donkey Kong


 * Dr. Eggman vs. Bowser


 * Shadow vs. Luigi


 * Knuckles vs. Wario


 * Silver vs. Waluigi


 * Metal Sonic vs. Bowser Jr.

Official Artwork
Team Sonic

DS icons
File:Sonicdsicon.png|Sonic the Hedgehog File:Tailsdsicon.png|Miles "Tails" Prower File:Knucklesdsicon.png|Knuckles the Echidna File:AmyRosedsicon.png|Amy Rose File:Eggmandsicon.png|Doctor Eggman File:Shadowdsicon.png|Shadow the Hedgehog File:Silverdsicon.png|Silver the Hedgehog File:Blazedsicon.png|Blaze the Cat File:Vectordsicon.png|Vector the Crocodile File:Metalsonicdsicon.png|Metal Sonic File:Mariodsicon.png|Mario File:Luigidsicon.png|Luigi File:Yoshidsicon.png|Yoshi File:Peachdsicon.png|Princess Peach File:Daisydsicon.png|Princess Daisy File:Bowserdsicon.png|Bowser File:Bowserjrdsicon.png|Bowser Jr. File:DKdsicon.png|Donkey Kong File:Wariodsicon.png|Wario File:Waluigidsicon.png|Waluigi File:Rougedsicon.png|Rouge the Bat File:E-123Omegadsicon.png|E-123 Omega File:Jetdsicon.png|Jet the Hawk File:EggmanNegadsicon.png|Eggman Nega File:Drybonesdsicon.png|Dry Bones File:Drybowserdsicon.png|Dry Bowser File:KingBoodsicon.png|King Boo File:Boodsicon.png|Boo File:Frostydsicon.png|Frosty File:Poladsicon.png|Pola File:Cubydsicon.png|Cuby File:Icydsicon.png|Icy File:Blizzadsicon.png|Blizza File:Toaddsicon.png|Toad File:Espiodsicon.png|Espio the Chameleon File:CharmyBeedsicon.png|Charmy Bee File:Creamdsicon.png|Cream the Rabbit File:Bigdsicon.png|Big the Cat File:Chaodsicon.png|Chao File:PinkChaodsicon.png|Pink Chao File:YellowChaodsicon.png|Yellow Chao File:Darkchaodsicon.png|Dark Chao File:HeroChaodsicon.png|Hero Chao File:Omochaodsicon.png|Omochao File:Goombadsicon.png|Goomba File:ShyGuydsicon.png|Shy Guy File:GreenShyGuydsicon.png|Green Shy Guy File:YellowShyGuydsicon.png|Yellow Shy Guy File:Lakitudsicon.png|Lakitu File:Pengiundsicon.png|Penguin 

Trivia

 * This game marks Omega's first non-cameo appearance on the Wii, as well as Eggman Nega's debut on a home console.
 * Though Super Sonic isn't an unlockable character, you can get a Super Sonic costume for your Mii, giving your Mii better stats.
 * Blaze's outfit for this game looks similar to her regular outfit, but sightly altered.
 * This is the second 2009 sequel of a 2007 game (Sonic and the Black Knight was the sequel of Sonic and the Secret Rings and this game was the sequel of Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Games).
 * Unlike the sequel, where all the characters' stats have the same 4 stat ratings (Power, Speed, Skill, Stamina) regardless of system, the handheld version of this game has 5 stat ratings (Speed, Jumping, Power, Technique, Stamina), while the console still had 4 (Power, Speed, Skill, Acceleration).
 * The game got more positive reviews then the first game which got a few negative reviews
 * All of the Sonic characters' icons are based from their offical artwork or Sonic Channel design.