SEGA and Nintendo today announced that two legendary icons in the entertainment industry, Mario and Sonic, are set to star in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Developed for the Wii and DS, this will be the first time these two stars have appeared together in a game in video game history. We thought we would take a walk down memory lane and look back on the highlights in Mario and Sonic’s video game careers.

Let’s a go!

Mario is Nintendo’s legendary icon, the best known and best loved character in video game history. First appearing as ‘Jumpman’ in the original Donkey Kong arcade game in 1981, Mario was destined for success. Mario became hugely popular all over the world on every Nintendo home console and handheld system. Up until April 2007 Mario has appeared in nearly 100 video games with Mario games selling more than 193 million worldwide.

Blue dude with the ‘tude

Sonic the Hedgehog celebrated his sixteenth anniversary this year. To date SEGA’s much-loved blue hedgehog who can travel at super sonic speeds has sold over 44 million copies worldwide and starred in more than 30 games. Sonic was born on the 23rd of June 1991 as the fastest, most technologically advanced character for the SEGA Genesis console. Sonic’s original name was ‘Mr Needlemouse.’

Sonic is not just a video game icon, he has also starred in two animated TV series, comic books and an animated movie. In addition he has his own theme park and was the first and only game character ever to be featured in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Sonic’s appearance on almost every well-known game platform earned him his star on the ‘Walk of Game’ landmark which honours gaming icons.

SEGA of Europe compiled a list of the highlights of Mario and Sonic’s careers. Enjoy!

Highlights of Mario’s career

1981: Mario is created by legendary video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He appears in his first game, the arcade game Donkey Kong, but is known simply as ‘Jumpman.’

1982: The Jumpman character is renamed ‘Mario’ for the arcade release of Donkey Kong Jr. He is named Mario because of his resemblance to the owner of Nintendo of America’s first warehouse, Mario Segali.

1983: The arcade game Mario Bros. becomes the first game to feature Mario as a title character and also marks the first appearance of Mario’s brother, Luigi.

1983: Mario becomes a TV star by appearing as a circus trainer in the CBS cartoon series Saturday Supercade, which runs through 1985.

1985: Mario stars in Super Mario Bros. on Nintendo’s first US home video game console, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The world is introduced to the Mushroom Kingdom, the setting for many future Mario adventures.

1989: Mario becomes one of the first video game characters to appear in a motion picture. He debuts on the silver screen in The Wizard, which gives eager players their first glimpse of Super Mario Bros. 3.

1989: Mario jumps into every kid’s hand with the launch of Super Mario Land for Nintendo’s original Game Boy.

1990: Super Mario Bros. 3 for the NES launches and goes on to sell more than 17.3 million games worldwide, making it the most successful individually sold video game of all time, a record that still stands.

1991: Mario appears with Yoshi for the first time in Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

1992: Super Mario Kart for the Super NES launches one of the most popular franchises in Nintendo history.

1993: Mario’s adventures inspire a major motion picture: Super Mario Bros. – The Movie. The film stars Bob Hoskins as Mario, John Leguizamo as Luigi and Dennis Hopper as King Koopa.

1995: The Super NES game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island features Mario as a baby – and he still saves the princess!

1996: Mario becomes the first video game character to have complete movement in a 360-degree, 3D home video game environment in Super Mario 64 for Nintendo 64.

1999: Mario Party for Nintendo 64 defines the party-game genre and sparks numerous popular sequels on future platforms.

1999: Super Smash Bros. arrives on Nintendo 64 featuring Mario and a cast of all-stars.

2001: The top selling Super Mario Advance marks Mario’s debut on the new Game Boy Advance handheld system.

2001: Mario’s first appearance on the Nintendo GameCube in Luigi’s Mansion. Mario’s little brother and sidekick, Luigi, has to rescue Mario when he is held captive by ghosts in a haunted mansion.

2002: Super Mario Sunshine marks the first true Mario game on Nintendo GameCube. Mario is given unprecedented freedom of movement as he tries to clean up Delfino Island.

2005: The Walk of Game in San Francisco honors both Mario and Shigeru Miyamoto as two of its first inductees.

2006: The tables are turned on Mario when longtime kidnap victim Princess Peach has to rescue him in Super Princess Peach for Nintendo DS.

2006: Mario’s 25 years of popularity continue, as New Super Mario Bros. for Nintendo DS emerges as one of the top selling games in the United States for the year, with nearly 2 million units sold.

2007: The first Mario game for the Wii system from Nintendo is Super Paper Mario, a remarkable game that shifts Mario between 2D and 3D environments. Other upcoming Mario games in development for the Wii include Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

2007: Mario will appear with Sonic the Hedgehog for the first time in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.

Highlights of Sonic’s career

Milestones

- An estimated 50 million people have played at least one Sonic game.

- Gamers have collected over 66 billion rings while playing Sonic.

- Sonic was the first video game included in the National Film and Television Archive of the UK, where historic films and TV programs are preserved.

- An average of 8 000 Sonic games are sold worldwide every day.

- Gamers have spent over 500 million hours playing Sonic games.

Important dates

1990: April sees the commencement of development of ‘action game for the new age’ and in November Sonic The Hedgehog is officially announced.

1991: Sonic The Hedgehog for Genesis ships in the US on the 23rd of June. Sonic ships in Japan in July. On the 28th of December Sonic The Hedgehog for Game Gear is released in Japan, marking Sonic’s debut on handheld platforms.

1992: In November Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is released for Genesis and Game Gear in the US on ‘Sonic 2s Day.’ Miles ‘Tails’ Prower is introduced for the first time. The game sells over 400 000 copies in five days.

1993: Sonic sponsors the F1 Williams team in April, and in the same month scientists discover a new gene with spikes similar to Sonic’s. They dub the new gene ‘Sonic The Hedgehog gene.’ In June the Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog cartoon begins airing in nationwide in the US. In September Sonic The Hedgehog appears in US arcades, and in November Sonic stars in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade with a 65-foot long balloon.

1994: Sonic The Hedgehog 3 blasts on Genesis on the 2nd of February. In October Sonic and Knuckles ships in the US. The two games could be combined by locking Sonic and Knuckles into the Sonic 3 cartridge, allowing the complete adventure to be played. In October Sonic appears in a nationwide MTV ‘Rock the Rock’ special shot on Alcatraz. Twenty-five finalists from over 100 000 entrants compete in Sonic 3 for the title of “The World’s Most Hard-Core Gamer.”

1996: In a videogame first Sonic is included in the National Film and Television Archive of the UK, where historic films and TV programs are preserved. Marking Sonic’s first full 3D adventure, Sonic 3D Blast is released on Saturn.

1998: In December Sonic Adventure is released in Japan on Dreamcast while US fans eagerly await its arrival stateside.

1999: Sonic Adventure ships on the 31st of August in the US, eventually becoming the best selling SEGA Dreamcast game of all time with over six million copies sold worldwide. Sonic’s second cartoon series launches in the US. In October Sonic’s first clothing line is released in Japan.

2000: The Sonic fashion project makes its way to Paris, France as Sonic apparel is displayed at the Concept Store/Jean Charles de Castelbajac.

2001: On the 18th of June Sonic Adventure 2 ships in the US for Dreamcast. In June a series of tenth birthday celebrations for Sonic are held across Japan. In December CoroCoro Comics announces that the artist of the Sonic The Hedgehog comic will be well known artist Santa Harukaze. The comic first appears in December.

2002: Sonic Adventure 2: Battle is released for GameCube on the 3rd of February, marking Sonic’s debut on the platform. Sonic Team’s Yuji Naka receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards in the US, an award presented to individuals who have made innovative and significant achievements in the videogame industry.

2003: In February the new animated series Sonic X is announced.

2004: In January Sonic Heroes is released on GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, marking Sonic’s largest multi-platform launch to date.

2005: On the 15th of November Shadow the Hedgehog marks Shadow’s first appearance in a standalone game, shipping on NGC, PS2, and Xbox. On the same day Sonic debuts on Nintendo DS with the well-received Sonic Rush.

2006: With games shipping or in development on seven different platform, 2006 marks Sonic’s busiest and most diverse gaming year to date.

2007: In the fall, Mario and Sonic make video game history by joining forces in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Beijing 2008. Sonic makes his debut on the Wii system with Sonic and the Secret Rings shipping in February.