The GHZ Forum

@Dr. SEGA Monkey: We don't know either way if the evironments will be distinctly real-world Beijing, Mario X Sonic, or even a cartoony version of Beijing--though I've read blurbs that hint towards the possibility of it being the "Mario X Sonic" option.

Also, not being able to play as Mario or Sonic? That's silly. Coupled with the fact that they announced Luigi, Tails, and Yoshi as other playable characters makes the notion even MORE silly.

And Sonic and Mario still share a rivalry--just because it isn't the "OMGOMGOMG KILL [insert mascot of choice here]" kind from the mid 90's doiesn't mean it's not there. IMO, the M&S artwork PERFECTLY conveys the friendly rivalry that the two sides share.

@OCB: omg Sonic Rush 2 plz?

@Zeta: I'm pretty sure they didn't mean it as the SOLE reason--I personally saw the statement as more of a "coincidence" that Sonic does better on Nintendo, both in games and in sales of said games.

One Classy Bloke wrote:

...Sonic spending time in the shop

Thats not really the case. They just haven't announced the next one at this time.

Indeed! Simon Jeffrey worded his response pretty carefully when he said that non-Nintendo systems are going to have to wait awhile for a new Sonic game.

Jeffery: If you look at recent Sonic games, the games that have actually had the best quality have been those that have been on the Nintendo platforms... We are actually undergoing a fairly considerable refresh of Sonic as an intellectual property, as a character. Sonic on the Wii is probably the first product that's come to market that reflects that. We're not going to be bringing another game out on the other platforms for quite some time, because we feel that it is time to reinvent Sonic, to make Sonic contemporary again.

well, fuck.

and just when you think they're learning.

This game could really go either way.

Even if it turns out swell, I would have rather a joint epic platformer (made with Nintendo AND Sega together) then this, which could easily turn out to be the following in verious forms:

Ok! Get set! GO! (wiggles Wiimote and nunchuck to run)

Sigh

Yami CJMErl wrote:Also, not being able to play as Mario or Sonic? That's silly. Coupled with the fact that they announced Luigi, Tails, and Yoshi as other playable characters makes the notion even MORE silly.

Ah yes, now that I re-read the press release it says "compete as or against". I must've just read it too fast and thought it just said "against".

And Sonic and Mario still share a rivalry--just because it isn't the "OMGOMGOMG KILL [insert mascot of choice here]" kind from the mid 90's doiesn't mean it's not there. IMO, the M&S artwork PERFECTLY conveys the friendly rivalry that the two sides share.

It's just that I wanted a Sonic vs. Mario thing to be a competition in what they do best, running around and jumping on stuff. That's what they're known for. Not participating in the Olympics. And about the art, it's nice art, but I would've prefered something like this:



Couldn't find a clearer version, but you get the idea. This art shows the rivalry between the characters. The Sonic & Mario one, while can be inferred as a rivalry, can also be inferred as a "teaming-up" kind of thing, which obviously isn't the case with this game. Of course, there's obviously going to be more official art for this game anyway so we'll see.

Anyway, I didn't even know until a couple of days ago that ther even ARE official video games based on the Olympics. What exactly is the formula for these games anyway? Just a bunch of sports mini-games thrown together with no depth? Any leveling up, strategy, etc.?

CM August wrote:Sega claimed they had reinvented Sonic for 2k6 too. Could they be serious about it this time?

I dunno... I'm under the impression that they believed (and likely still do) that Sonic 360 was "going back to Sonic's roots," but then they've never really clarified what the hell that's supposed to mean. Several months after the release of the game and we still have no clue what Sonic Team believes/believed they reinvented. Maybe they don't actually know what the word means.

Still, if they're re-reinventing Sonic, and actually doing a more well-defined job (or hell, AT ALL defined)... I'm still not sold. Sonic Team are a bunch of androids. Look how they reacted to the criticisms of Sonic Adventure 2: Sonic Heroes. "The darker, blatantly sci-fi inspired environments don't work for us" translates to "bright colors and checkerboard patterns on linear paths."

One Classy Bloke wrote:

...Sonic spending time in the shop

Thats not really the case. They just haven't announced the next one at this time.

Yes, i know of one.

Good thing or bad thing?
Come on, you can tell us~

I dunno... I'm under the impression that they believed (and likely still do) that Sonic 360 was "going back to Sonic's roots," but then they've never really clarified what the hell that's supposed to mean. Several months after the release of the game and we still have no clue what Sonic Team believes/believed they reinvented. Maybe they don't actually know what the word means.

Not only that, but "re-invention" and "going back to the roots" are like complete opposites.

Why don't they just go back to using "BLAST PROCESSING ZOMG!!1". I'd love if they'd do that, but only if they do it in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way.

Oh, and about whether or not this game will take place in Sonic or Mario environments, this quote kinda suggests it doesn't:

"So rather than being in a Sonic or Mario world this is the perfect meeting place where both characters can bring out their own strengths in the different sports."

All the talk of the game being set in the real world made me think of the old cartoon Scooby-Doo's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics.

Appearance of Harlem Globetrotters circa 1972: confirmed.

Dr. SEGA Monkey wrote:Oh, and about whether or not this game will take place in Sonic or Mario environments, this quote kinda suggests it doesn't:

"So rather than being in a Sonic or Mario world this is the perfect meeting place where both characters can bring out their own strengths in the different sports."

Yeah, but then there's this:

IGN: Are the real-life locations in the game going to be as realistic as possible or will you Mario-ise each one?

Mike Hayes: Yes, all the stadiums or tracks will be based on locations from the Beijing Olympics. However, to use your words, they will be Mario-ised or Sonic-ised to make sure they fit in with the worlds of those two characters.

SOURCE: http://wii.ign.com/articles/776/776878p1.html

Damn, missed yet another thing. How many interviews does this game have already??

That IGN article mentions that the Olympics committee wanted it to be for children. Hence, I think the Olympics in this game will be "cutsied" up.

The floors might be checkerboarded, there could be giant mushroom balloons around the ceiling of the arena, etc.

The stands will probably feature Blaze, Daisy, Pikachu, Billy Hatcher, NiGHTS, Donkey Kong, etc.

I think it will VAGUELY look like the real Olympics, as they have the licesnce, so the Olympic committie will want some resemblence. But I
think it will basically be Sonic and Mario'd up.

GN: Does this pave the way for Sonic and Mario starring together in other games?

Laurent Fischer: We've spent a long time finalising this one and we're not thinking about the next game, just yet. The Olympics just seemed like the right way to bring them together.

IGN: So we won't see Sonic appearing in Super Smash Bros. Brawl?

Laurent Fischer: That's not on the cards at the moment.

Well... Crap...

Does this mean this is a corny consolation prize for those who hoped to see Sonic in SSBB?

He's obviously not going to say Sonic is in the game if it's being kept a secret.

I remember Spider-Man 3 director, Sam Raimi, saying once in an interview that he hated Venom and he'd never appear in the movies.

I think Sonic is a hidden character, I remembering reading it in an interview once.

Well, Im already biased about SEGA so.. yeah.

Pics of the new character:

<img src="/gibbon/izzy.jpg">

There's an interview with some PR people at GameAnus.com. Here's a couple of interesting lines:

GAMEANUS: "Tell us about butt sex."
CAROLINE GAYLORD: "We don't look at it in terms of point vs point. Our goal is to keep the big picture in view and give Mario and Sonic a fresh start. We are reconstructing these characters from the ground up to appeal to a new generation of gamers. It's part of our forward-thinking strategy to keep software as cutting-edge as the consoles they're played on."
GAMEANUS: "What?"
STEVE BALDASS: "Absolutely. Plain and simple."
GAMEANUS: "What?"
CAROLINE: "[meaningless buzz words]"
GAMEANUS: "What?"

Also, as I understand it, Hideo Kojima is offering suggestions by phone, Hirokazu Yasuhara will be sending an occasional post card to the development team, and a medium has contacted the spirit of Gunpei Yokoi to oversee the entire project, so it has a chance of being decent.

I am cautiously optimistic.

I am very dissapointed that gameanus.com doesn't actually exist.

cjmcray wrote:He's obviously not going to say Sonic is in the game if it's being kept a secret.

Yeah, he chose his words carefully. If he said a flat "yes," he ruins the surprise. Saying "No comment" is basically "yes, but don't tell anyone," and naturally, "no" would be "no."

"Not in the cards at the moment" seems to say that if there's any negotiations, they haven't reached a definite agreement. So, it could still go either way, really. It could even mean "not yet, but we're trying." Sonic being a part of this Olympics thing is good, but like some people have said, Sega might be assholes and try to use it to get more out of a Smash Bros deal.

Dasher wrote:Does this mean this is a corny consolation prize for those who hoped to see Sonic in SSBB?

If it is, then we must pour out into the streets and cause reckless mayhem, and encourage those who don't care but want to cause mayhem to join us in our arbitrary rioting and looting. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games will be this decade's Rodney King.

Mike Hayes: Really, we felt that the Olympics provided a neutral ground for the two stars

This is the line up that pretty much confirms the lack of Sonic in Brawl, not the above 1.

One Classy Bloke wrote:

...Sonic spending time in the shop

Thats not really the case. They just haven't announced the next one at this time.

Yes, i know of one.

Should I not sell my 360 then?

I saw the headline this morning and thought it was conformation that Sonic was in Brawl; though my hopes for this are high, as long as Sonic swims in an inflatable tube.

Personally, I'm hoping it'll play like Athlete Kings. Loved that game.

All I can say is “Who let the blue hedgehog and the fat plumber in?â€￾

Green Gibbon! wrote:<img src="/gibbon/izzy.jpg">

I remember actually wanting that game at some point. I was torn between it, <i>Garfield</i> and <i>Aladdin</i> at the time. Eventually, taking monetary issues into consideration, I was pretty much stuck with <i>Aladdin</i>... a decision I haven't regretted since. I even wound up getting <i>Garfield</i> much later when I found the Genesis version just lying around in a British GAME store (for the oblivious, no, that's not emphasis, it's literally called "GAME"), but I never got to try <i>Izzy</i>. Was it any good? I'd imagine <B>not</b>, but humor me anyway.

but I never got to try Izzy. Was it any good?

No.

I think the character was supposed to be some kind of permanent mascot or something and nobody cared so they never used him again.

Anyway, the olympics are fucking stupid.