When
Sega acquired the rights to develop titles for the
Olympics, they contacted
Nintendo about a joint partnership to create Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. The success of the title lead to the production of subsequent Olympic games featuring a cast of characters from the
Mario [マリオ] and
Sonic the Hedgehog [ソニックザヘッジホッグ] franchises.
See also:
Sonic at the Olympic Games