Nintendo and Sega Combine Forces to Bring Sonic to Nintendo GameCube

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NintendoPosted: May 20th, 2002. Gaming Icons Shake Hands In Historic Video Games Collaboration

Sonic the Hedgehog rolls on to the Nintendo GameCube in a move that sees thevideo games industry’s most illustrious competitors trade rings and sharecoins in the spirit of unity and harmony!

Nintendo, whose presence in the European video games market began in 1986 withthe launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System, were historically rival hardwaremanufacturers with Sega and its Saturn and Dreamcast consoles. In January 2001Sega announced that it would refocus its business on producing software titlesacross all platforms, halting production in the games console market completely.

Nintendo, whose most famous character is the vivacious Italian plumber, Mario,launched the Nintendo GameCube in Europe with resounding success. Mario, whofirst donned his trademark blue dungarees in the original arcade game – DonkeyKong – back in 1981, went on to collect those valuable gold coins in a rangeof titles on all the Nintendo platforms. Mario has appeared on everything fromthe Nintendo Game & Watch to the Game Boy Advance, including the top sellingSuper Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

Sonic, Sega’s super hero blue hedgehog first picked up his iconic red bootsand dashed on to gamers screens in 1991 in Sonic The Hedgehog with a mission tosprint and roll around at high speed collecting rings and thrashing his rivals.

And now, Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog is careering on to the screen of not one, buttwo Nintendo platforms. Sonic will make history as the first game to utilise thelink between Nintendo’s groundbreaking handheld console, the Game Boy Advance,and the Nintendo GameCube.

The games, Sonic Advance on Game Boy Advance and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle onNintendo GameCube, feature little ‘Chao’ creatures, which players can collect andraise within the ‘Chao Garden’. By storing their Chao in the Game Boy Advancegame, they can develop Chaos with different powers and then pitch them intocompetition in a variety of different mini-games on the Nintendo GameCube andGame Boy Advance.

David Gosen, Managing Director, Sales and Marketing, Nintendo of Europe comments:“After 10 years, Mario and Sonic, two of the most iconic video games characters,have reconciled their differences and are bringing new harmony to the gaming industry.

Sega’s Sonic brings creative and exciting gameplay that Mario would be proud of,and the power of Nintendo’s two latest platforms gives Sonic the perfect platformto bring the gamer a unique experience and hours of gaming entertainment.”

Nintendo GameCube launched in Japan and the US on September 14 2001 and November18 2001 respectively and has already sold over 3 million units worldwide.

The Nintendo GameCube launched on May 3 2002 in Europe at a recommended retailprice of 199 Euros.