In honor of tonight’s Olympic Opening Ceremony that will officially kick off the Winter Games, I thought I’d mention these Olympic inspired video games.
There’s no shortage in video games inspired by major sporting events, and yes, that includes the most revered sports event of all time, The Olympics. If you couldn’t make it to Vancouver to see the Olympics in person, Sega has a pair of Olympic-branded video games so that everyone can play along.
In case you’re wondering why only Sega? Well, that’s because Sega is the sole video game publisher of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, through an agreement with International Sports Multimedia (ISM), exclusive licensee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC.)
Two beloved video game characters, Mario and Sonic, are once again taking their rivalry to the snow and ice in another officially licensed Olympic-themed game, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.
Released this past fall, this game is available on Wii and Nintendo DS. This game, rated E for Everyone, has 27 sports and activities to choose from including, Alpine Skiing, Speed Skating, Curling and Snowboarding, just to name a few. From the reviews I read, of the two official Olympic themed video games, Mario and Sonic seem to be the better rated of the two.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is available on DS and Wii, and can be played in single and multiplayer modes. With the Wii, players can be used with the Wii Balance Board, which is sure to add an interactive experience–something that’s often a selling point for games for our Wii-gaming family.
Sega also has Vancouver 2010, which is dubbed the Official Video Game of the Olympic Winter Games. This game is available for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 is described to be a simulation of events from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. This game offers a challenge mode, which is new to Sega’s Olympic branded games, as well as online gameplay and new control schemes.
Unlike Mario & Sonic’s 27 events, with only 14 events, Vancouver 2010 has fewer games to choose from. As I read in reviews, Vancouver 2010 is described as a straightforward game and an improvement from past Olympic-themed games, but it does seem to lose its novelty after a few plays.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games sounds right up our alley, and definitely a game that would get a lot of playtime, even after all the gold medals are awarded. If you’ve played either game, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Gaming systems aren’t the only ones participating in the Olympic video game arena, last month Sega released Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for iPhone and iPod Touch. Featuring Sonic and pals (including Tails, Vector, Metal Sonic, Eggman, Knuckles and Shadow) players can compete in curling, figure skating, snowboard cross, and skeleton. There’s a single player mode where you can compete for Olympic gold or across all events in circuit mode. There’s also three multiplayer modes — Pass & Play, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi. Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is available for iPhone and iPod Touch, and is on sale in the iTunes store for $4.99.
