Nintendo of Europe has released the following PR statement regarding the upcoming Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for Wii U:

LET THE GAMES BEGIN WITH MARIO & SONIC AT THE RIO 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES™, COMING TO Wii U ON 24th JUNE

New Duel Events allow you to unleash power-ups and chaos on opponents as you vie for Olympic Glory

4th May 2016 – The worlds of Mario and Sonic come together once more for 17 exciting events in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games™, arriving on Wii U across Europe on 24th June. Taking place in Rio de Janeiro, host city of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, the latest instalment of the series features over 30 playable characters, the ability to play as your Mii, and plenty of frantic four-player multiplayer action to enjoy with friends and family, including the new Duel Events, which give familiar sports a classic Mario & Sonic twist.

Rugby Sevens is one of three sports, along with Football and Beach Volleyball, that comes with its own Duel Event. The action’s powered-up, familiar items like Bullet Bills and Chaos Emeralds are allowed, and chaotic multiplayer matches are guaranteed. In Duel Events, players build up Duel Points by pulling off actions like tackling, spiking or shooting, then have to score a try, point or goal to add these Duel Points to their total score. Last-gasp turnarounds and severe drubbings on an unprecedented scale await!

Players can also vie for gold medals in classic Olympic Games events like Boxing, Archery, and the 100m sprint, using either the Wii U GamePad in single-player, or with Wii Remote button controls in multiplayer. All events take place in venues modelled after the real-life venues of the Olympic Games, bringing an authentic touch of Rio to the proceedings. Rhythm Gymnastics (with clubs) and Rugby Sevens – the latter making its debut at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games – are also playable for the first time.

Alongside the new events comes the new Heroes Showdown mode: an addition for only the most dedicated Mario and Sonic fans out there, as it’s unlocked after achieving first place or being in the winning team in all 17 player events in single-player, or by winning the Bronze Medal more than seven times in tournaments. Competitors join up with Team Mario or Team Sonic and battle it out against the other side in knockout rounds. Events are picked at random for a real test of all-around skill, and each round a character from the losing team is knocked out until either all members are knocked out, or Team Captains Mario and Sonic are eliminated, so it’s all on the line to be the last team standing.

Over 30 playable characters from the Mario and Sonic series appear, including some that are exclusive to certain events. Sporting hopefuls can put themselves in the game as their Mii, and take part in tournaments for each event. Coins and rings earned through gameplay can be used to buy additional costumes from the Mario series or Sonic series respectively.

Additional special tournaments can be accessed through the use of amiibo figures, which can be used after completing 25 tournaments. By tapping a Sonic amiibo to the Wii U GamePad, the Sonic League will begin, pitting a player’s Mii against characters from the Sonic series. Meanwhile, the Mario League can be played if any Mario amiibo is tapped, and will see players squaring off against characters from the Mushroom Kingdom. A special Mario or Sonic Mii costume will be earned for winning their respective leagues, while scanning in any other amiibo will reward the player with either coins or rings to use at the Item Stand for a chance to win additional costumes.

With 14 official Olympic Games disciplines and three Duel Events, over 30 playable characters and the ability to play as your Mii, and local multiplayer for up to four players, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games™ will offer everyone a chance to go for the gold when it comes to Wii U on 24th June!

For further details:

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games website:

http://www.olympicvideogames.com

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/MarioSonicGames

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/mariosonicgames

TM IOC/RIO2016/USOC 36USC220506. Copyright © 2016 International Olympic Committee (“IOC”). All rights reserved.

About ISM:

“ISM is active in managing and developing entertainment software applications. In addition to the exclusive rights ownership of the Olympic Games, ISM is one of the world’s leading providers of sports fantasy games, particularly specializing in the football/soccer sector. Visit the company’s website atwww.ismltd.com

About Nintendo:

The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.3 billion video games and more than 692 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Wii, and Nintendo 3DS family of systems including New Nintendo 3DS™, New Nintendo 3DS XL™, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL™, Nintendo 2DS™, as well as Nintendo DS™, Nintendo DSi™, Nintendo DSi XL™, Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in Europe.

PR provided by Nintendaan.