Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

We take a look at three new events and one new gameplay mode in which Sega and Nintendo characters talk to each other and help each other out. Mass hysteria!

Mario and Sonic had such a blast competing at the Summer Olympics, it seems, that they're back for some wintery competition. During our E3 2009 demo for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, we got to see a few of the iconic events that the pair (and their respective crews) will be participating in. We also saw a new adventure-style mode that offers an interesting diversion from the sports-themed action.

The first event that we saw was Alpine Skiing. Using only the stylus, players must guide their character down the slope, between each set of gates, and across the finish line. Touching the screen to the right of your character will move them to the right, and likewise for the left. Swiping the stylus down the screen will put your character into a crouch position that will enable him or her to ski faster, but will also make him or her less maneuverable. Going through the gates is essential to earning a good time, and if you hug one of the flags when you pass through, you'll get a little speed boost. Motivated players can challenge themselves to crouch as often as possible and hit the gates with style, and more-relaxed players can just stick to the center of the fairly wide run. At the end of the race, you can view a cinematic replay of your run and relive (or regret) your performance.

The next event was the two-man (or creature) Bobsled. Players control both of the characters during this race, using the D pad for the front character and the face buttons for the back. When the race begins, players can frantically mash buttons to get a fast start, and then match the onscreen prompt to jump in the sled at the perfect moment. You'll have to lean into the curves by pressing the left/Y button and right/A button if you want to keep your speed up, and keeping both characters leaning the same way will let you go even faster.

The final event was Dream Snowboard Cross. The Dream events differ from the Olympic events in that they have more fantastical elements, such as power-ups, traps, and speed ramps. In Dream Snowboard Cross, players steer with the D pad and drift around turns to get a speed boost, like in Mario Kart Wii. Players can use the B button to get air off of jumps and, if they perform tricks in midair, they'll fill up the special move bar. The special move gives you a burst of speed and lets you break through any obstacles that may lie in your way.

The last thing that we saw was the new mode, called Adventure Tours. In this mode, Bowser and Dr. Eggman have conspired to stop the Winter Olympics by kidnapping the snow spirits. Mario and Sonic must explore the winter world and talk to various familiar characters to solve puzzles and get the snow spirits back. This adventure looks to offer a pleasant diversion from the action of racing and performing.

By Chris Watters, GameSpot