Mario & Sonic (series)

The Mario & Sonic series is a collection of crossover sports games featuring characters from Nintendo's Mario series and Sega's Sonic series. These series marked the first time Mario and Sonic ever appear together in a videogame.

The series began when Sega adquired the license to create videogames based on the Olympics Games, intending to create a version featuring characters from its well-known Sonic franchise. Due the the atmosphere of competitive sportsmanship the Olympics had to offer, Sega received approval by Nintendo to include Mario's characters in the game with Sonic. The series have been overall well-received by the media, mainly for being a crossover between Mario and Sonic, the gameplay and multiplayer have been praised as well. However, some criticism focused on the choice for the setting for both series, the Olympics; and the controls.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

 * Year Released – 2007
 * System – Wii, Nintendo DS
 * For this game's beta elements, see here.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is the first game in the series and the first game ever to establish a crossover appearance with Mario and Sonic, in addtion to including a cast of characters hailing from the same franchises respectively. The game was released for both Wii and Nintendo DS, each one featuring exclusive content. The game was based on the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics and included 20 real-life events and the ficticious Dream Events.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games was the second game in the series, but this time the setting was the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics which included different events from the previous games. It also incorpored new characters in the series, including Donkey Kong and Metal Sonic. Much like its predecessor, it was released for both Wii and Nintendo DS. In addition, the Nintendo DS version included an exclusive Adventure Mode revolving around a plot involving Bowser and Dr. Eggman's scheme to melt all the snow by capturing the Snow Spirits in Christmas Village, setting Mario and Sonic to stop them.
 * Year Released – 2009
 * System – Wii, Nintendo DS

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games will be the third installment of the series featuring new sports and event. It will be the first in the series to be released for the Nintendo 3DS. The game now takes place in London, home of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
 * Announced Release Date: – TBA
 * System – Wii, Nintendo 3DS

Trivia

 * The first game was believed to be an April Fools Joke as the game was revealed on March 28. However, soon after, Sega stated on their official website that the game was official, and that both Sega and Nintendo were working on the game project.