It's kind of strange that Mario and Sonic haven't entered into some bloody brawl by now. Those two mascots have been at it for years and even with the fall of Nintendo as a console maker these two still can't properly get along. Having "friendly" competitions in Smash Bros and competing in Olympic game are keeping that rivalry going strong and it's only a matter of time before things finally explode.

But until then cooler heads will prevail in Mario vs. Sonic at the Olympics Winter Games. Get it; winter games, cooler heads? No? Nothing? Well let's just move on then.

As in the last one Winter Games is geared towards all audiences being able to pick it up and entertain themselves. Simple controls pair with a variety of family friendly mini-games to make this an experience for all ages. In addition to two new characters, Donkey Kong and Metal Sonic, there are some new game modes that look like a lot of fun.

The first that was shown was figure skating and is probably the most amusing to watch. In this mode your character will skate around the rink, following a blue trail as he goes. Small colored circles appear on the floor and you will have to enter motion commands as you near them. Time it so that you perform it as you pass the middle of the circle and you net extra points. If there are no orbs you can freestyle with the remote, swinging it in rhythm with the music to get some extra points.

Second up was ice hockey. This one can be played by up to four players, either in all co-op against the computer or in a 2v2 game. As you pass the puck around to each other you will build up a charge that allows you to fire off a power shot at the goalie, these being harder to block. Things get very chaotic with the passing, puck stealing and body checking as you try to score. The controls are very simplistic but there's some depth and strategy to the affair.

While it doesn't really sound like the most interesting game to come out of E3 there's a definite appeal to the title for the casual crowd. Pairing up recognizable characters with easy to play game modes is a proven success and Mario vs. Sonic really seems set to continue proving this point. Look for it to come out late this fall exclusively to your favorite motion controlled console.