Sonic Aims to Outshine Mario
Sega sets ambitious goals for Sonic the Hedgehog, aiming to surpass the iconic Mario and establish the Blue Blur as the ultimate gaming icon
Article Key Points
Sega's goal is for Sonic the Hedgehog to surpass Mario and become as iconic as Nintendo's plumber.
Sonic's gaming industry journey has been filled with ups and downs, with several of his games garnering a lukewarm or unfavorable response, making it a challenging road ahead. Moreover, surpassing the success achieved by The Super Mario Bros. Movie appears to be an improbable feat for Sonic.
Sega aimed to have Sonic the Hedgehog catch up to and surpass Nintendo's iconic plumber, Mario. Originally intended as a direct competitor to Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. series, Sonic became Sega's mascot, much like Mario represents Nintendo. This sparked a fierce rivalry between the two gaming giants in the 90s.
Unfortunately, poor decisions made by Sega led to their complete withdrawal from the home console market. As a result, the long-standing rivalry between Sega and Nintendo came to an end, with Sega choosing to release their games on Nintendo consoles instead. This included titles from their flagship Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Over time, there were even crossover games featuring both Sonic and Mario.
While Sega and Nintendo may have improved their relationship in recent years, there remains a strong desire for Sonic the Hedgehog to eventually eclipse Mario. In an interview published by Sega and reported on by My Nintendo News, Division Manager Osamu Ohashi was asked about his plans to expand the Sonic the Hedgehog brand in the future. "Simply put, our aim is to surpass Mario. Sonic was initially created to rival Mario, and we have yet to achieve that goal. We hold Mario in high regard, which is why our objective is to catch up to him and ultimately outshine him. We want Sonic to be enjoyed worldwide, including Japan, just like Mario, and we envision the movie becoming an even greater success than Mario. This is the aspiration we have as ardent Sonic enthusiasts."
Simply put, my goal is to outshine Mario.
There is a possibility that Sega could eventually achieve its objective of having Sonic the Hedgehog surpass Super Mario. However, this will be an incredibly challenging task. Unlike Super Mario, which has consistently produced successful and popular games, Sonic the Hedgehog has struggled. In fact, the majority of Sonic the Hedgehog games released since Sonic Adventure 2 have received mediocre or negative reviews. While Mario has excelled in both 2D and 3D gameplay, Sonic has not been as fortunate.
Sonic Frontiers garnered mixed reviews, yet it was received more favorably compared to recent 3D Sonic games. It could potentially serve as the groundwork for a Sonic the Hedgehog game of superior quality, capable of rivaling Mario's success. However, Sega may have better prospects in competing with Mario in the 2D realm, considering that 2D Sonic Mania is one of the highest-rated Sonic games in recent years.
As for challenging The Super Mario Bros. Movie, while not impossible, it appears unlikely. The Super Mario Bros. Movie stands as the highest-grossing video game movie of all time, surpassing $1 billion and ranking as the second-highest grossing movie of 2023 thus far. Sonic the Hedgehog movies have also achieved box office success, with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 surpassing its predecessor by $100 million. However, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 would need to make a substantial leap forward for Sonic to approach Mario's box office dominance.
Source: Sega
Editor's P/S
As a Gen Z netizen, I have mixed feelings about Sega's goal to surpass Mario and establish Sonic as the ultimate gaming icon. On the one hand, I understand the desire to have a more diverse range of gaming icons that appeal to different audiences. Mario has been the face of Nintendo for decades, and it would be refreshing to see another character take the spotlight. On the other hand, I am concerned that Sega's focus on surpassing Mario will lead to a decline in the quality of Sonic games.
In recent years, Sonic games have been hit-or-miss, with some being well-received and others being met with disappointment. If Sega is too focused on trying to beat Mario, they may neglect the things that make Sonic unique and special. I believe that Sega should focus on creating high-quality Sonic games that appeal to fans, rather than trying to directly compete with Mario. If they can do that, then Sonic will naturally become a more iconic character in his own right.
