Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games - interview

A 15-year rivalry ends this Christmas as gaming's favorite mascots finally meet head-to-head in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games.

The Olympics genre has already been done many times before, with plenty of success and just as much button-mashing (Track and Field excluded). So how is Sega going to take the games forward when Luigi, Tails and co. brandish the torch? Sega's UK Product manager Grant Gie talked us through an early demo of the Wii version.

Sonic and Mario are finally meeting for the first time. Which characters can we expect to see in Olympic Games, and how diverse will they be?

Gie: We've got a handful of characters from both camps at the moment, though obviously the final game will have significantly more.

Different character types have different attributes so you can pick a character that fits your own play style, or just pick your favorite and get used to their strengths and weaknesses.

Also if you're playing a circuit-style game, you can be strategic about your decision and decide whether you want a balanced character; someone who's strong but maybe not as fast, etc.

So Sonic isn't always going to win?

Gie: The great thing about this is it's similar to Mario Kart in leveling the playing field. Sonic isn't always going to win the 100-meter dash; it's really up to the players and how well they use the Nunchuk and Wii Remote.

Mario and Luigi for example are great all-rounders. Their stats are spread across speed, acceleration and dash. Sonic, meanwhile, has a good top speed but his acceleration is low. It's a real balancing act.

The final build will have lots more characters in there and some of the animation is really early at the moment. I hope you'll agree, though, that it's starting to like a really strong, almost Nintendo first-party, quality title. It is being published by Sega, but there's a critical partnership with Nintendo to make sure that the product delivered is nothing shy of first-party quality come Christmas.

CATEGORIES
Latest in Sports
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 locker codes guide to free MyFaction cards
Skate 4
The Skate reboot isn't even out yet, but it already has an EA specialty: microtransactions
Umaga is a key player in The Bloodline Showcase
How to unlock all wrestlers in WWE 2K25
FC 25
FC 25 FUT Birthday guide and full cards list
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 review: "A colossal package even if you never go anywhere near Virtual Currency"
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 screenshot showing three skaters performing tricks in mid-air
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 could be making a major change to Pro Skater 4, with the apparent removal of free-roaming in favor of "streamlined goals"
Latest in News
Lea Myren as Elvira in The Ugly Stepsister
Cinderella body horror movie that made viewers sick gets release date, and it’s coming very soon
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Horses
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has another secret skill, and this one is an absolute game changer - looking down makes you duck under branches while riding your horse
Dollman being buckled into a seat in Death Stranding 2
Hideo Kojima left "a number of clues" in the new Death Stranding 2 trailer, including hints of a day/night cycle
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Ubisoft shareholder plans protest in response to mismanagement, Assassin's Creed Shadows delays, and alleged acquisition talks with Microsoft and EA
Palworld
Palworld is finally getting crossplay across PC, Xbox and PS5 this month as Pocketpair teases "some little surprises" to come to the survival game
Millie Bobby Brown in The Electric State
All of the Best Picture winners of the last 10 years combined still have a lower budget than the Russo brothers’ new Netflix movie