Mario & Sonic
|
This article requires a cleanup to meet the Sega Wiki's quality standards. Reason: add sections for the Sonic at the Olympic Games mobile versions Please edit this page to improve it. Feel free to discuss this cleanup on the article's talk page. |
- "Mario and Sonic" redirects here. For information about the Story Mode episode in the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, see Mario and Sonic (episode).
| Mario & Sonic | |
|---|---|
  Bottom: Previous version of the logo, used in the first three games. | |
| First installment | Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii) (2007) |
| Latest installment | Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Arcade Edition (2020) |
| Number of installments | 11 (6 main, 5 indirect) |
| Related franchises | Olympic Games: Beijing 2008 (2008) Vancouver 2010 (2010) London 2012 (2012) Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game (2019) |
| Parent franchise | Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog |
The Mario & Sonic series is a collection of crossover sports games produced by Sega. It features characters from both Nintendo's Mario franchise and the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. It is the first time where former mascot rivals Mario and Sonic appeared together in a video game. Since Super Smash Bros. Brawl, they also appear together in the Super Smash Bros. series.
The series began when Sega acquired the license to create video games based on the Olympic Games, intending to create a version featuring Sonic the Hedgehog characters. Due to the atmosphere of competitive sportsmanship the Olympics had to offer, Sega received approval from Nintendo to include Mario characters in the game, somewhat reflecting their past real-world history as mascot rivals. The Mario & Sonic series has been overall well-received by the media, mainly for being a crossover between Mario and Sonic, with the gameplay and multiplayer having been praised as well. However, Mario & Sonic has been criticized for the choice of setting for both series, the controls, and having the Olympics be the only theme in the series.[citation needed]
Games[edit]
Main series[edit]
| Title | |
|---|---|
| Cover, original release, and system | Synopsis |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games | |
   November 6, 2007 (Wii)  January 17, 2008 (Nintendo DS) |
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is the first game in the series and the first game ever to establish a crossover appearance with Mario and Sonic, in addition to including a cast of characters hailing from the same franchises respectively. The game was released for both Wii and Nintendo DS, each one featuring exclusive content. The game is based on the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics and includes 20 real-world Olympic events and some Dream Events consisting of elements from the Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog franchises. |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | |
  October 13, 2009 (Wii, Nintendo DS) |
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is the second game in the series, set during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, and instead features winter Olympic events due to the season. Like its predecessor, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games was released for both Wii and Nintendo DS. The game adds four more playable characters: Donkey Kong, Bowser Jr. from the Mario franchise and Silver, and Metal Sonic from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. The Nintendo DS version includes an exclusive Adventure mode named Adventure Tours, which revolves around a plot involving Bowser and Dr. Eggman's scheme to melt all the snow in Christmas Village by capturing the Snow Spirits so that they can host their own Olympics, prompting Mario and Sonic to stop them. |
| Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games | |
  November 15, 2011 (Wii)  February 9, 2012 (Nintendo 3DS) |
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is the third installment of the series featuring new sports and events. It was released for the Wii like past installments and is also the first in the series to be released for the Nintendo 3DS. The game now takes place in London, home of the 2012 Summer Olympics. The Nintendo 3DS version features an exclusive Adventure mode revolving around Bowser and Dr. Eggman covering London in Phantasmal Fog to prevent the Olympic Games from occurring due to being jealous that they were not invited to the Olympic Games. The heroes find a way to get rid of the fog in a total of seven adventure stories. |
| Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games | |
 November 8, 2013 Wii U |
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games is the fourth installment in the series. It was released exclusively for the Wii U, making it the first Mario & Sonic game to not have a dual-platform release, let alone the only one to not be released for a handheld console. The game takes place in Sochi, Russia, home of the 2014 Winter Olympics. |
| Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games | |
  February 18, 2016 (Nintendo 3DS) June 23, 2016 (Wii U) |
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is the fifth installment in the series. The game takes place in Rio de Janeiro, home of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Like the first three Mario & Sonic titles, the game received both a home console and a handheld version, for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS respectively. The game also features new playable characters for the first time since the second installment, with some of these characters having appeared previously in the series as non-playable boss/rival characters. Unlike previous games in the series, the character rosters differ between versions. Collectively, the games introduce Birdo, Ludwig, Dry Bones, Diddy Kong, Dry Bowser, Rosalina, Nabbit, Wendy, Larry, Roy, Espio, Cream, Omega, Eggman Nega, Sticks, Jet, Wave, Zazz, Zavok, Rouge, and Toad as playable characters to the series. The Nintendo 3DS version is also the overall playable debut appearance of Eggman Nega, Zazz, and Zavok. |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 | |
 November 1, 2019 Nintendo Switch |
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is the sixth installment in the series, taking place in Tokyo of Japan, home of the 2020 Summer Olympics. It was released for Nintendo Switch in 2019. Unlike previous games in the series, most characters wear unique outfits that pertain to the chosen event, simultaneously marking the first time where male characters wear sport-based clothing instead of their standard attire. Larry, Ludwig, Wendy, Diddy Kong, Rosalina, Jet, Eggman Nega, Rouge, Espio the Chameleon, Zazz, and Zavok all return as playable characters for certain events. Toadette makes her playable debut in the series, although is also exclusive to certain events. New events include Surfing, Karate, Sport Climbing, and Skateboarding.
The game also introduces 2D Events, which take place within the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. These events feature eight characters in sprite form as they play through old-fashioned sports. There is also a Story Mode where Mario, Sonic, Toad, Bowser, and Dr. Eggman get sucked into the Tokyo '64, a video game device set in the 1964 Summer Olympics. They try to escape as Luigi and Tails also figure out how to get them out. |
Arcade spin-offs[edit]
| Title | |
|---|---|
| Logo, original release, and system | Synopsis |
| Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Arcade Edition | |
 February 2016 |
The arcade version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was originally released in Japan in February 2016 as a companion game to its Wii U and Nintendo 3DS counterparts. The arcade machines make use of various components and has the player perform various physical tasks such as running, jumping, or controlling the analog sticks. The series' main 20 playable characters are playable in nine different Olympic events. There are four rivals who can be fought against: Nabbit, Toad, Omega, and Rouge. |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Arcade Edition | |
 January 23, 2020 |
The arcade version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was released in January 2020 in Japan as a companion game to its Nintendo Switch counterpart. As with its predecessor, the game makes use of various machine components to engage players in the events. There are also events based on the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which uses sprite-based gameplay. In Tokyo 2020, 20 characters can be played across eight events, and unlike the Nintendo Switch version, each character now has visible stats. In the Tokyo 1964 events, there are eight characters who can be played across three events. |
Characters[edit]
Playable characters[edit]
Not including supporting characters, the series has spawned a total of 43 playable characters - 22 from the Mario series, 20 from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and Mii characters. Listed in the table below are which characters appear in each individual installment.
1 - The character is only playable in the home console version of the game
2 - The character is only playable in the handheld version of the game
3 - Planned but cut
4 - The character is only playable as a guest for selected events
Athlete types[edit]
All-Around[edit]
Characters in this classification have an equal balance of speed, acceleration, power, skill, and stamina.
| Game | All-Around characters |
|---|---|
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games | Mario · Luigi · Amy Rose · Blaze the Cat |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | Mario · Luigi · Bowser Jr. · Amy Rose · Blaze the Cat |
| Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U) | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 |
Speed[edit]
Characters in this classification have high speed and acceleration, but poor skill, power and stamina.
| Game | Speed characters |
|---|---|
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games | Princess Daisy · Yoshi · Sonic the Hedgehog · Shadow the Hedgehog |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | Princess Daisy · Yoshi · Sonic the Hedgehog · Shadow the Hedgehog · Metal Sonic |
| Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U) | Princess Daisy · Yoshi · Sonic the Hedgehog · Shadow the Hedgehog · Metal Sonic · Nabbit · Toad · Jet the Hawk · Wave the Swallow · Zazz |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 | Princess Daisy · Yoshi · Sonic the Hedgehog · Shadow the Hedgehog · Metal Sonic · Toadette · Jet the Hawk · Zazz |
Power[edit]
Characters in this classification have high power, and stamina, but have poor speed, acceleration, and skill.
| Game | Power characters |
|---|---|
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games | Bowser · Wario · Knuckles the Echidna · Vector the Crocodile |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | Bowser · Wario · Donkey Kong · Knuckles the Echidna · Vector the Crocodile |
| Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U) | Bowser · Wario · Donkey Kong · Knuckles the Echidna · Vector the Crocodile · Wendy O. Koopa · Dry Bowser · Zavok |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 | Bowser · Wario · Donkey Kong · Knuckles the Echidna · Vector the Crocodile · Wendy O. Koopa · Zavok |
Skill[edit]
Characters in this classification have high skill, and have an average balance of speed, acceleration, and stamina, but are weak in power. In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, this category was renamed as "Technique".
| Game | Skill characters |
|---|---|
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games | Princess Peach · Waluigi · Miles "Tails" Prower · Doctor Eggman |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | Princess Peach · Waluigi · Miles "Tails" Prower · Doctor Eggman · Silver the Hedgehog |
| Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U) | Princess Peach · Waluigi · Miles "Tails" Prower · Doctor Eggman · Silver the Hedgehog · Rosalina · Diddy Kong · Larry Koopa · Rouge the Bat · Espio the Chameleon · Sticks the Badger |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 | Princess Peach · Waluigi · Miles "Tails" Prower · Doctor Eggman · Silver the Hedgehog · Rosalina · Diddy Kong · Larry Koopa · Ludwig von Koopa · Dr. Eggman Nega · Rouge the Bat · Espio the Chameleon |
Mobile phone tie-ins[edit]
The Mario & Sonic series consists of a few mobile game tie-ins, although none of them consist of elements from the Mario franchise.
Following the release of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Sega published Sonic at the Olympic Games, a Java-based mobile phone game that features characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.[1] Despite the similar premise, no Mario characters or references appear in the game.
Sega would publish another mobile title shortly after the release of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, called Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, this time on iOS. It also features characters competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics. It was taken down from the App Store shortly after release, without any specification.[2]
Another game called Sonic at the Olympic Games, set during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was released worldwide for iOS and Android on May 7, 2020.
Trivia[edit]
- As the announcement of the Mario & Sonic Olympics video game series was revealed (starting with Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games), the agreement was also reached that in the case of publishing and marketing duties for each Mario & Sonic Olympics installment, Sega would handle the process for all territories outside of Japan while Nintendo would handle the process inside of Japan itself. The fourth game, however, was published by Nintendo outside of Japan rather than Sega. Nintendo has since published subsequent titles globally as well.
- Since the start of the series, neither the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea nor the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China have had Mario & Sonic games to coincide with their events. In the former's case, Ubisoft acquired the rights to make video games for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games before Sega could.
- Bowser and Peach are the only playable Mario characters to change their voice actor during the series (the former switching from Scott Burns to Kenny James in the third installment and the latter switching from Jen Taylor to Samantha Kelly in the second installment). Conversely, Dr. Eggman and Eggman Nega are the only playable Sonic characters to keep their English voice actor in every installment (keeping Mike Pollock as their voice actor).
References[edit]
- ^ April 8, 2008. SEGA Announces 2008 Mobile Games Line-Up. IGN. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ Erickson, Tracy (February 3, 2010). Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games disqualified from the App Store. Pocket Gamer. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
