Big Ben
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Big Ben is a famous bell in the Houses of Parliament, found in London, England in the real world. The term often refers to the clock tower that houses the bell (which is officially known as Elizabeth Tower, having been renamed from Clock Tower in 2012). The tower has made a few appearances as a notable landmark in Sega-related media.
History[edit]
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games[edit]
Big Ben features prominently in both versions of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games due to the game being set in England. In the Wii version, the tower appears several times in the game's opening, ending with Mario and Sonic stood on top of the tower at the end. The tower appears as one of the landmarks in the London Party mode, but also has the additional purpose of acting as a countdown timer until the next Event. The clock's face appears in the lower right corner of the screen while leading up to the event with a ticking sound, and the clock will strike every sixth hour (12am, 6am, 12pm and 6pm) to indicate the start of an event. Fences themed to Big Ben appear in Equestrian - Show Jumping, and the tower also appears on the European and Japanese box art for the game. An image of the clock face and top of the tower appears on the sticker earned for completing the Collect Shy Guy's Coins! minigame.
In the Nintendo 3DS version, Big Ben appears as a central location in the Story Mode. As well as the area surrounding the tower, which is passed by in 20km Race Walk and Marathon, the inside of the tower also appears as a location, where Dr. Eggman has set up a lab. The lab includes the fog amplifying system, Fog urn and several computers that Dr. Eggman uses to monitor various areas around London, including the area directly outside the tower, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and the Main Stadium. Big Ben first appears in The Night Before, where the exterior is shown before cutting away to Bowser and Dr. Eggman in the lab, who conclude that the Olympic Games are being started without them. Dr. Eggman starts the fog amplifying system before using the computer screens to observe the reaction at the Main Stadium. The lab appears again in Clear Skies Again, where after observing the clearing of the Phantasmal Fog Dr. Eggman uses the fog amplifying system to create more, overloading the system and causing the rainbow colored fog to be distributed from the top of the tower. In To the Ruins! Omega reveals that he had transported the urn to Dr. Eggman in Big Ben, and he travels there along with Mario, Luigi, Toad, Sonic and Tails in The Promise to Toad, where it is shrouded in the rainbow fog. Mario, Luigi, Sonic and Tails confront Bowser and Dr. Eggman at the top of the tower in The Grand Showdown, sealing the fog back into the urn and stopping the fog amplifying system. In Dr. Eggman's Robots, Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic practice Taekwondo in the lab at the top of the tower, which lacks the fog amplifying system, with Orbot and Cubot watching. After Metal Sonic loses, the group uses the computers to observe Waluigi outside the tower and head out to compete with him. Metal Sonic challenges Wario outside the tower in An Old Urn and Wario forfeits the fog urn to Dr. Eggman, who then takes it back up to the lab. In The Fog Returns, Dr. Eggman places the urn in the newly constructed fog amplifying system, which is not yet fully completed and successfully tests the device. Lakitu also mistakes the Tower of London as Big Ben in Bowser's Blues that distinction goes to the tower's 13 ton bell, which strikes the hour and lets London know all is well.
Gallery[edit]
The European Wii box art for Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, featuring Big Ben in the top left
The Japanese Wii box art for Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, featuring Big Ben in the top left
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii) pre-release screenshot of Luigi jumping a Big Ben-themed fence in Equestrian - Show Jumping
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS) screenshot of Bowser and Dr. Eggman admiring the full fog amplifying system in the lab at the top of Big Ben in The Night Before
