MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES SPRINTS ONTO THE DS EARLY 2008

SEGA Europe SEGA America today announced that Mario& Sonic at the Olympic Games for the Nintendo DS will release across Europe early 2008.

This exciting game is part of an exclusive partnership between SEGA and Nintendo which brings one of the most legendary competitions - an epic face-off between Team Mario and Team Sonic - to Nintendo's immensely successful handheld system. Coming out for the Nintendo DS with exclusive new content, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is also being released for the Wii home video system on November 23rd 2007.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, created specifically to take advantage of all the features the DS has to offer, boasts 16 official Olympic challenges including two new events that are exclusive to the handheld game - 10m Platform Diving and Cycling. Using the unique Touch Screen and Nintendo DS stylus, players can interact with the game as they jump, swim, run, shoot, pedal and flip their way through authentic competitions to win Gold medals.

The Nintendo DS edition also features eight Dream events - five of which can only be found on the handheld game. Each Dream event takes an Olympic sport and brings it into a video game-inspired world filled with obstacles, power-ups and familiar opponents from the worlds of Mario & Sonic to challenge even the best players. These exclusive DS Dream events are: Dream Canoe, Dream Boxing, Dream Basketball, Dream Long Jump and Dream Shooting (Skeet). Dream events are available to play in both the single and multiplayer modes.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games presents DS players the chance to play as any one of 16 video game characters - eight from the world of Mario and eight from the world of Sonic - each bringing their own talents and athletic capabilities to the competitions. The gameis filled with challenges for all kinds of gamers thanks to the three gameplay modes - the Single Event Mode where players can choose one specific event to play, the Circuit Mode where players can choose a series of events to compete in, and the Mission Mode where players have the opportunity to fulfill a series of solo challenges that test their athletic capabilities, timing and reflexes. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games finishes up with the Gallery, where mini-games and Olympic trivia come together to bring more addictive DS fun.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the Nintendo DS also offers irresistible multiplayer opportunities by taking full advantage of the DS wireless communications capabilities that offers both Single-Card and Multi-Card gameplay options. Multiplayer gameplay can be enjoyed in Single Event Mode - including the Dream Events - as well as Circuit Mode for up to four players. For gamers looking to see how they do on an international level, DS players can use the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection to upload their scores to the worldwide rankings and check how they rate against players around the world.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the Nintendo DS will release across Europe early 2008.

SEGA SUPERSTARS TENNIS ANNOUNCED

SEGA Europe Ltd. and SEGA of America, Inc. today announced SEGA Superstars(tm) Tennis, a game that brings together some of the most treasured and well known characters from the SEGA universe, in some of the most unusual courts and outrageous settings ever imagined. Developed by Sumo Digital Ltd., SEGA Superstars Tennis will be released onthe Sony PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, Sony PlayStation 2, the Xbox 360(tm) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Nintendo Wii and DS, all hitting shelves early in 2008.

SEGA Superstars Tennis has over 15 playable SEGA idols including Sonic the Hedgehog, AiAi from Super Monkeyball fame, Ulala of Space Channel 5 and Amigo from Samba De Amigo. In addition to their own unique attributes, each character will also come equipped with their own superstar tennis skills, putting a whole new spin on each match played!

Exhibition mode offers the chance to challenge Sonic, or the character or your choice, to a match on one of many courts, including Sonic's home court of Green Hill Zone, or Amigo's Carnival Park court. Wherever you play there will be a host of SEGA celebrities cheering you on from courtside and by partaking in crazy doubles matches with your choice of partner, you could end up playing against some pretty unusual couples! Prove your SEGA hero is the shining star of SEGA Superstars Tennis by collecting silverware in the Tournament Mode. There will also be the opportunity to unlock a host of exciting extras which will be announced in the near future!

Complementing the Exhibition and Tournamentmodes, there will also be new and innovative ways of enjoying some of SEGA's classic titles, plus platform exclusive ways to play the game, including online modes for X360 and PS3 versions!

"SEGA Superstars Tennis has the potential to be one of the most fun and accessible sports games ever." commented Gary Knight, European Marketing Director. "The fantastic Sumo Digital team has had access to a wealth of SEGA IP and you'll be surprised at the gaming icons that will be making an appearance!"

Available on the Sony PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, Sony PlayStation 2, the Xbox 360(tm) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Nintendo Wii and DS, SEGA Superstars Tennis will release in early 2008.

Sonic Rush Adventure

Sonic Rush Adventure is a Sonic the Hedgehog game for the Nintendo DS videogame handheld, developed by Dimps and Sonic Team, published by Sega. Sonic the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat return as playable characters, alongside a new female raccoon named Marine the Raccoon. Sonic Rush Adventure is a direct sequel to Sonic Rush and the second online game in the Sonic series, the first being the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic Rivals

Sonic Rivals is a game in the Sonic series, developed by Backbone Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation Portable. This is the first Sonic game to be developed by a Canadian company, and the first to be released on the PSP.

It features 2.5D gameplay, as players scramble to reach the end of a level before the other players do (whether they are computer-controlled or live opponents). It otherwise plays very much like the older titles in the series.

Coming in the holiday of 2007, Sonic Rivals 2 will be released for PSP, featuring Tails, Espio and Rouge, 150 more collectable cards, and new play modes.

Sonic Rush

Sonic Rush is a Sonic the Hedgehog game for the Nintendo DS. It was developed by Sonic Team in cooperation with Dimps and published by Sega. Sonic Rush was released worldwide in November, 2005.

Sonic Rush is a traditional 2D platform game much like the original 8/16-bit versions and Game Boy Advance titles in the series. However, graphics of the main characters as well as the bosses are fully polygonal, as opposed to sprites as all 2D Sonic games had previously used. Stages are of the 2-D side-scrolling variety, much like the Sonic Advance games. The two DS screens are used to double the display of the play area, joined at the bottom of the top screen and top of the bottom screen. The characters will generally be displayed in the center of one screen, only to run, fall or jump into the other screen, making full use of both screens. A 3D perspective is used during boss battles.

Sonic Battle

Sonic Battle is a fighting game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps (under the guise of Sonic Team) and published either by Sega (in Japan) or THQ (outside of Japan)[2] for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. This is the second Sonic fighting game, the first being the 3D arcade game Sonic the Fighters.

Sonic Advance 3

Sonic Advance 3 is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps and published by THQ for the Game Boy Advance. It was first released in North America on June 7, 2004, later in Japan on June 17, 2004 and then in Europe on June 18, 2004. The game uses elements from Sonic Advance and Sonic Advance 2, as well as allowing the player to choose an additional partner, who augments the player's actions. The Chao Garden mode from the previous Advance games has been removed due to memory limitations, and the Chao Garden in this game serves to help the player view the Chaos Emeralds and chao they have collected.

Sonic Advance 2

Sonic Advance 2 is a side-scrolling platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps and published by THQ for the Game Boy Advance. The game was released in Japan on December 19, 2002, in North America on March 10, 2003, in Europe on March 18, 2003. It is based on a modified version of Sonic Advance's game engine.

Sonic Advance

Sonic Advance is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps, published by SEGA (in Japan), by THQ (in North America) and by Infogrames (in Europe and Australia) for Game Boy Advance. It was released in Japan on December 20, 2001, in North America on February 4, 2002 and finally in Europe on April 12, 2002. Sonic Advance was also ported to Nokia's N-Gage system on October 7, 2003, under the title SonicN.

Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure

Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, or just Sonic Pocket Adventure is a video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was released in 1999 for the Neo Geo Pocket Color handheld game console. The game is similar in level design and gameplay to Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis but includes a few features from the original Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as special features such as puzzles and multiplayer options. It was the second Sonic game to be released for a non-Sega console (the first was Sonic Jam for the Game.com). It was also the last game for almost eight years to feature Sonic as the only playable character (apart from multiplayer elements) until Sonic and the Secret Rings was released in 2007.

Sonic Blast

Sonic Blast is a video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Aspect and published by Sega for the Sega Game Gear. It is known as G Sonic in Japan. It was released in November of 1996 for both North American and European markets. A Japanese release followed later that year on December 13. The game was also ported to the Sega Master System in Brazil by TecToy and released in December 1997 which is also the last game made for that system. Sonic Blast was later compiled with other Sonic titles in Sonic Mega Collection Plus and Sonic Adventure DX, and a demo of its ending can be unlocked in Sonic Gems Collection.

Sonic Labyrinth

Sonic Labyrinth is a puzzle/platformer for the Sega Game Gear, released 17 November, 1995 in Japan and sometime during 1995 in the US and Europe. It is also playable on Sonic Adventure DX and in the PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox editions of Sonic Mega Collection Plus. The game features isometric 3D gameplay similar to Sonic 3D. Sonic and Eggman are the only characters in this game.

Sonic must move around a pinball-like arena, using his power to roll into a ball to defeat Badniks and pick up keys in order to exit through the GOAL door to clear the stage. The only move Sonic can use in the game is the Spin Dash, because Doctor Ivo Robotnik (Doctor Eggman in the new games) secretly replaced his famous red shoes with another pair; The Slow-Down Boots that took away his ability to run fast or jump,and they cannot be removed at all without the use of Chaos Emerald energy. Sonic does retain his ability to walk and Spin Dash, however there is a time limit in each stage so it is best to move quickly.

Sonic Triple Trouble

Sonic Triple Trouble is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was developed by Aspect and published by Sega for the Sega Game Gear. Originally released in 1994, the complete title of the game is Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble. In Japan it is known as Sonic & Tails 2.

Sonic Triple Trouble was re-released in 2005 as part of the Sonic Gems Collection for the GameCube and PlayStation 2. It has also featured as a hidden game inside Sonic Adventure DX for the GameCube and PC.

Sonic Chaos

Sonic Chaos (known as Sonic & Tails in Japan and Sonic the Hedgehog Chaos in Europe) is a video game for the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear, developed by Aspect and published by Sega in 1993. It was the last platform based Sonic game released for the Master System in Europe.

It was re-released in 2004 as an included game in Sonic Mega Collection Plus on the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC, and is also included as an extra on Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut for the Nintendo GameCube and PC. To unlock the game, the player has to collect 60 emblems as all of the playable characters. All these re-releases are the Game Gear version.

Sonic Chaos is notable for the fact that it is the first 8-bit Sonic title to feature Tails as a playable character, and also the first in the series to allow the player to manually control his flight.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a side-scrolling platform video game developed by Aspect and released by Sega for their Master System and Game Gear formats. The Master System version was released in Brazil on October 25, 1992, and in Europe around the same time. The Game Gear version was released in Europe on October 29, 1992, in North America on November 17, 1992 and in Japan on November 21, 1992. Being released before the 16-bit version for the Mega Drive (Genesis), the 8-bit editions of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 represent the debut of character Miles "Tails" Prower, Sonic the Hedgehog's best friend who became a recurring character in the series.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2006

Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 that was made to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. It was developed by the Sonic Team and directed by Shun Nakamura.

The game shares its name with two earlier video games, a manga, a television series, a comic book series and, of course, Sonic the Hedgehog himself. To disambiguate, the game has been called by a number of different aliases, including "Sonic 2006", "Sonic '06" and "Sonic Next-Gen".

This is the second Sonic the Hedgehog game to get an E10+ rating by the ESRB, the first being Shadow the Hedgehog. Other content rating organizations agreed with similar ratings. The PEGI rating is 12+, while the CERO rating is A.

Shadow the Hedgehog

Shadow the Hedgehog is a video game starring an anti-hero of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, Shadow the Hedgehog. It was revealed at Sonic's inauguration into the Walk of Game. It is the third game developed by Sonic Team USA, and was released in the United States on November 15, 2005.

The game's most well-known tagline is; "Hero or villain? You decide." Others include "Who do you fight when you don't know what you're fighting for?"; "Will he be good? Or evil? No one knows but you"; and "This time... Evil will face Evil!".

Sonic Heroes

Sonic Heroes is a video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is the first multiplatform game in the Sonic series. This is the second game developed by Sonic Team USA. Primary development was done for the Nintendo GameCube. It was then ported onto the Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox, and PC CD-ROM using Renderware technology. The title's phrase "Sonic Heroes" refers to the uniting of the protagonists of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

This game also marked the return of many characters from the Sonic universe: Chaotix, a group last seen in Knuckles' Chaotix on the Sega 32X; Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat from Sonic Adventure 2; Cream the Rabbit from Sonic Advance 2; Big the Cat from Sonic Adventure; Metal Sonic, who, prior to this game, had not played a major role in the series for years, last having one in Knuckles' Chaotix in 1995. The game also introduces a new character, E-123 Omega.

Sonic Adventure 2

Sonic Adventure 2 is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was the first game developed by Sonic Team USA for the Sega Dreamcast.

It was released in North America on June 19, 2001 and in Japan and Europe on June 23, 2001 to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of the original Sonic the Hedgehog. This game introduces two new playable characters, Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat, and is also one of the few Sonic games to officially feature Doctor Eggman as a playable character. Sonic Adventure 2 is a sequel of Sonic Adventure.

Sonic Adventure

Sonic Adventure is a video game created by Sonic Team and released on December 23, 1998 in Japan by Sega for the Sega Dreamcast. One of its development titles was Sonic RPG, (although the final game was an adventure game not a standard RPG)[citation needed]. The final updated edition, known as Sonic Adventure International, was released on September 7, 1999 in North America, October 14, 1999 in Japan and Europe, October 18, 1999 in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, and December 3, 1999 in Australia. A director's cut version was released in 2003 as Sonic Adventure DX for the Nintendo GameCube and in 2004 for the PC CD-ROM. It has sold over 1 million copies in the United States alone, making it the top selling Dreamcast game. Its sequel is Sonic Adventure 2.

Sonic & Knuckles

Sonic & Knuckles is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Sonic Team in collaboration with Sega Technical Institute, and published by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994. It is the direct sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which was released earlier that year. The game features unique "lock-on technology" which enables another cartridge to be plugged in via the socket on top.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Sonic the Hedgehog 3, often abbreviated and literally known in Europe as Sonic 3, is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed by Sonic Team in collaboration with Sega Technical Institute, and was published by Sega. The game debuted worldwide in the first half of 1994.

The game is closely tied to its direct sequel Sonic & Knuckles, as the two games were originally one until time constraints and cartridge costs forced the game to be split into two interlocking parts. Combined, both games have sold over 4 million copies.

Sonic the Hedgehog CD

Sonic the Hedgehog CD, or simply Sonic CD, is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by a different division at Sega rather than Sonic Team. It marked the first official appearance of both Metal Sonic and Amy Rose. It was released for the Sega Mega-CD in Japan on September 23, 1993, in Europe in October, 1993, and finally for the Sega CD in North America on November 19, 1993. The game was ported to PC CD-ROM in 1996.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2, or simply Sonic 2, is a platform game developed by Sonic Team in collaboration with Sega Technical Institute, and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis. It released in Japan on November 21 of 1992 and in North America and Europe three days later on November 24. It is the sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog and was followed by Sonic 3 in 1994. The game introduces Miles "Tails" Prower as an addition to the cast and a new playable character.

The story follows Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails on their mission to stop the evil Doctor Robotnik from stealing the chaos emeralds to power his Death Egg. Sonic and Tails must defeat Robotnik's army and free their friends.

Six months after its release it had sold around six million copies and became the best selling game on the Mega Drive. The game was compatible with Sonic and Knuckles' lock-on feature which allowed the player to play as Knuckles in Sonic 2 It has been included in a number of compilation packages on a range of platforms; on June 11, 2007, the game was made available on the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console, and released for Xbox Live Arcade on September 12, 2007.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis system. It is the inaugural game in Sega's flagship Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, and was the first title developed by Sonic Team. It was first released on June 23, 1991 in North America, and the next day in Europe. The Japanese Mega Drive version was released on July 26, 1991.

This game propelled the Genesis into mass popularity in North America. After it was released, it eventually replaced Altered Beast as the game bundled with the console, and was later replaced with its first sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The game featured many novel elements which contributed to its popularity and helped to promote the uptake of 16-bit consoles.

Sonic the Hedgehog added the element of speed to the standard platform formula and introduced other unique elements as well, such as the loops, springboards, high-speed devices, and the rings now permanently associated with the game series.

Sonic Shuffle

Sonic Shuffle is a video game for the Sega Dreamcast and was Sega's answer to the successful Nintendo party game, Mario Party. The game was co-developed by Hudson Soft, who also developed Mario Party.
The story involves Sonic and company getting caught up in a mess in a world land called Maginary World, which they inadvertently stumble upon one day. A villain named Void has shattered the Master Precioustone into many pieces, resulting in chaos in every part of the world. Lumina Flowlight and the rest of Maginary World are counting on Sonic to restore it and bring Illumina back, who mysteriously disappeared after the disappearance of the Precioustone.

Sonic Pinball Party

Sonic Pinball Party is a video game released for Game Boy Advance in 2003. It is a celebration of sorts for Sonic Team featuring many references to its previous games, mostly Sonic.

The story is set in Casinopolis (in Station Square), where Doctor Eggman turns the people gambling into robots, and brainwashes Miles "Tails" Prower and Amy Rose. Sonic must rescue his friends by winning a pinball tournament called the "Egg Cup Tournament."

Sonic Riders

Sonic Riders is a hoverboard-racing video game spin-off produced by Sega and developed by their second-party, Sonic Team's UGA Division for the Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox and PC. It is the fourth racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, preceded by Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2 and Sonic R. The characters race on floating airboards, air shoes and motorbikes powered by air, called "Extreme Gear".

The game was released to start off the 15th anniversary of the release of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. This game introduces five new playable characters, the Babylon Rogues and the E-10000 series. A sequel to Sonic Riders, entitled Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, is being developed for the Wii and PlayStation 2.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Mario ando Sonikku Eti Pekin Orinpikku?, lit. "Mario & Sonic at the Beijing Olympics") is a sports game developed by Sega and was released on the Wii gaming console on November 6, 2007 and is set for release for the Nintendo DS handheld in all regions by 2008. It is the first official crossover game featuring both Mario and Sonic The Hedgehog, Nintendo and Sega's former rival mascots, along with other characters from their respective series.

The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee through exclusive licensee International Sports Multimedia. It is the first official game of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games to be released, with a more realistic sports game to be later released by Sega in 2008.

Sonic Jam

Sonic Jam is a video game for the Sega Saturn and Game.com. The Saturn version is a compilation of titles in the Sonic the Hedgehog series originally released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was released in Japan on June 20, 1997, in North America on July 31, 1997 and in Europe during the month of August 1997.

It includes the main Mega Drive/Genesis anthology (including Sonic & Knuckles and its lock-ons); Sonic Spinball, Sonic 3D Blast and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine are not featured. The compilation also includes a 3D "Sonic World", which allows players to access virtual museums featuring Sonic the Hedgehog history, art, music and advertisements, as well as remastered and uncut animation sequences from Sonic CD. Sonic World functioned as both a hub for the extras and as its own game, utilizing missions such as ring-collecting, reaching markers, or finding Tails. Completing all the missions would unlock the credits for Sonic Jam.

Games included in this collection are:

• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Sonic the Hedgehog 3
• Sonic & Knuckles

Sonic Gems Collection

Sonic Gems Collection is a GameCube and (in Japan and Europe) PlayStation 2 compilation of the more obscure games of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

Games

• Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Sega CD, port of the PC version, ported by Sonic Team)
• Sonic the Fighters (Arcade, ported by Sega-AM2)
• Sonic R (Sega Saturn, port of the PC version, ported by Traveller's Tales)

The collection also includes the six Game Gear games that were absent in Sonic Mega Collection Plus, which are:

• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Sonic Spinball
• Sonic Triple Trouble
• Sonic Drift 2
• Tails' Skypatrol
• Tails Adventure

The two only unlockable games in all 3 regions are:

• Vectorman
• Vectorman 2

The other four unlockable games are only in the Japanese version are:

• Bonanza Bros.
• Streets of Rage
• Streets of Rage 2
• Streets of Rage 3

Sonic Mega Collection (Plus)

Sonic Mega Collection Plus is a update of Sonic Mega Collection for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles. A PC version was also released in Europe. This edition includes the addition of six Game Gear games, the two games that were included in the Japanese version only (The Ooze and Comix Zone), new artwork and movies, a new in-game menu, and a mid-game saving feature. It is, however, missing six Sonic Game Gear games that were included (along with the six included in this collection) in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, but they would later appear in Sonic Gems Collection. In addition, only the Japanese version of the original Sonic the Hedgehog is available. It is the first Sonic game with a 12+ PEGI rating. The PC version was released on March 6, 2007 in North America. The original packaging says CD-ROM, but it is instead a DVD-ROM; it will not play in a CD-ROM-only drive.

The following Game Gear games were added:

• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Sonic Chaos
• Sonic Drift
• Sonic Labyrinth
• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
• Sonic Blast