Following Nintendic’s recent media update for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games where lots of great new Wii screenshots were shown off, firm details have emerged about the actual gameplay side of the title. After finding out what characters are on offer, now we know what events will be in the highly anticipated game.

Developed by Sega, published by SEGA across Europe and North America, and published by Nintendo in the Japanese market, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is the first game to feature both Mario and Sonic together and will be hitting the Wii on 27th November this year and the Nintendo DS in the first quarter of 2008. The game is licensed through a worldwide partnership with International Sports Multimedia (ISM), the exclusive interactive entertainment software licensee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Recently the initial character line-up was revealed, with players being able to choose from the the likes of:

• Mario (All-Round)
• Amy (All-Round)
• Princess Peach (Technical)
• Tails (Technical)
• Sonic (Speed)
• Yoshi (Speed)
• Knuckles (Power)
• Bowser (Power)
• Waluigi (Technical)
• Dr. Robotnik (Technical)
• Shadow (Speed)
• Princess Daisy (Speed)
• Cream (All-Round)
• Luigi (All-Round)
• Wario (Power)
• Vector the Crocodile (Power)

Whether or not more characters will ultimately be revealed is currently unknown, although if there were no surprise additions to unlock it would be quite disappointing. Now new details have emerged about the all-new interactive features and the inclusion of twenty authentic Olympic events – played out in stylised Olympic venues. The Wii controls have been created specifically to replicate the actions that offer the best results for each event, which include:

• Fencing - Individual Epée
• Archery
• Shooting – Skeet
• Gymnastics - Trampoline
• Gymnastics - Pummel Horse
• Athletics - High Jump
• Athletics - Pole Vault
• Athletics - Long Jump
• Athletics - Triple Jump
• Athletics - Javelin Throwing
• Athletics - Hammer Throwing
• Rowing - Single Sculls
• Table Tennis - Singles
• Swimming - 100m Freestyle
• Swimming - 4 x 100m Freestyle
• Track - 110m and 400m Hurdles
• Track - Relay 4 x 100m
• Track - 100m and 400m

The Wii’s unique control setup means players can swing the Wii Remote to simulate hammer throw, notch the Nunchuk to shoot arrows and replicate swimming strokes using both controllers in tandem. Players can also discover the best way to win a game by experimenting with different movements to discover secret boosts to propel them towards a win. In addition to various single and multiplayer modes, gamers can also learn about the history of the Olympic Games through trivia, quizzes, and mini-games, as well as unlock all-new facts and figures from past Olympic Games in the Gallery.

Stick with Nintendic for even more updates on Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games…