Mario? & ?Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is set for release in late? ?2009,? ?just in time for the frosty Christmas shopping season and a couple of months before the? ?XXI Olympic Winter Games,? ?held in? ?Vancouver on? ?February? ?12-28.
Both DS and Wii titles will be developed by Sega of Japan,? ?with the press release clarifying development will be “?under the guidance of Shigeru Miyamoto?”?.? ?New faces and new events are expected to emerge as the release date draws near.
Sega adds that the Wii version will allow use of the Balance Board,? ?which immediately implies skiing and snowboarding will inevitably feature in the game.? ?Sega says the Balance Board will allow,? “?a more interactive and realistic gaming experience.?” ?It is not known if there will be an option for consumers to buy the peripheral with the game.?
Reggie Fils-Aime said of the deal:? “?Sega? ?has been a valued publishing partner of Nintendo for many years and Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is the ultimate representation of that relationship.?”
The original? ?Mario? & ?Sonic at the Olympic Games had shifted a combined total of? ?10? ?million? ?DS and Wii? ?copies worldwide.? ?In the UK,? ?the Wii version is one of the few to games to make it onto? ?ELSPA’s Diamond-seller list,? ?a select group of titles that have made over one million sales.?
Picture: Kotaku
