News
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Releases 11-15-13
New Olympic Winter Event Snowboard Slopestyle Makes its Debut in Wii U Game
REDMOND, Wash.--(November 12, in the year of our Lord
2013)-- With the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia,
fast approaching, Mario™ and Sonic have been training extra hard
to make sure they are ready for the biggest competition of the
year. The two iconic video game characters are teaming up with
their friends in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter
Games™ launching on Nov. 15 for the Wii U™ console. In the game,
some of the most loved characters from the Mario and Sonic
universes like Mario, Sonic, Princess Peach™ and Tails compete
in Olympic Winter Events like snowboard slopestyle, which is
making its debut in both the game and the real-life Sochi 2014
Olympic Winter Games, as well as over-the-top Dream Events that
can only exist in the world of video games. And for the first
time in the Mario & Sonic series, players with a broadband
Internet connection can compete in select events online against
other players around the world, earning points for their home
countries.
“Two of the biggest names in video games are teaming up again
for another Olympic Games-sized competition,” said Scott
Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales
& Marketing. “Everyone in the family will be up off the couch,
joining in the fun with all the other Olympic hopefuls.”
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games contains
unique and intuitive controls using both the Wii U GamePad and
Wii Remote™ Plus controllers. In the four-man bobsled, one
player can stand at the front of a line and use the GamePad like
a steering wheel, while the other players stand behind him or
her and use Wii Remote Plus controllers to lean into each turn
on the track. In pairs figure skating, two players will swing,
twist and pose in sync while sometimes holding the same Wii
Remote Plus controller to perform cooperative moves. In
biathlon, players must switch between the GamePad and Wii Remote
Plus controllers to shoot and ski, respectively. And in
snowboard slopestyle, players race down a slope on a snowboard,
performing jumps and tricks using the touch screen on the
GamePad controller to score points.
In addition to events that will be featured in the actual
Olympic Winter Games, Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic
Winter Games features a selection of Dream Events that take
place in the fantastical worlds of Mario and Sonic. These events
feature extreme actions and power-ups, like Roller Coaster
Bobsleigh, which finds players speeding down the icy, looping
Speed Highway level from the Sonic the Hedgehog series and Snow
Day Street Hockey, which takes place in the tropical setting of
Delfino Plaza from the Super Mario Sunshine™ game.
Players can compete online with up to four players all over the
world in four fun events: ski cross, snowboard cross,
speedskating and Winter Sports Champion Race, which combines
many sports into one epic event. Every time players win a medal
in online game play, they will win points for their home
country, which can be viewed through persistent online rankings.
For Wii U owners who do not yet own a Wii Remote Plus or just
want to add a cool, blue controller to their collections, the
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games bundle with
Wii Remote Plus controller can be purchased in stores at a
suggested retail price of $59.99. The standalone game can also
be purchased in stores or in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U for
$49.99.