Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

After decades of stubborn rivalry in the console wars, the unthinkable happened: Mario and Sonic, gaming history's two greatest rivals, lined up at the same starting line. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games from 2007 is historically the first game where both mascot icons met, and on top of that under an official Olympic license.

The game is a collection of Olympic disciplines ranging from athletics through swimming and gymnastics to shooting, which on the Nintendo DS the player controls mainly via the touch screen. These control schemes, where you scratch the stylus into a run or draw strokes for individual disciplines, are the core of the experience and turn the game into a brisk party affair. You can compete as characters from both worlds, from Mario and Luigi to Sonic, Tails or Knuckles.

In terms of development, it was a groundbreaking collaboration between Nintendo and Sega under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee, tied to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. For players who grew up in the nineties on the rivalry of both brands, the mere meeting alone carried enormous symbolic weight. The series also existed in parallel in a version for the Wii, where it relied on motion controls.

Culturally, it is one of the most significant crossovers in the history of games. The pairing of Mario and Sonic kicked off a long and commercially very successful series that returned with every subsequent Olympic Games and became a fixture of family gaming.

On the Nintendo DS, it is an ideal title for short but fun competition, whether alone or with friends. It is not a deep sports simulation, but as a historic milestone and a brisk party game, it has its firm place.

Why play it: The historically first meeting of Mario and Sonic in the form of a brisk Olympic party game, a symbolic milestone as well as fun for the whole family on the road.