Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: A Rivalry Turned Collaboration – With a Catch!
The collaboration between Nintendo and SEGA to create Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was a landmark moment in gaming history. For years, Mario and Sonic were positioned as fierce rivals, representing the console wars of the 90s. Bringing them together for a sporting showdown was a bold move, but it came with a surprising stipulation from Nintendo.
The Foot Placement Fiasco
Ryoichi Hasegawa, a former producer at SEGA, recently shared a fascinating anecdote about the game’s development. According to Hasegawa, Nintendo insisted that in all official artwork, Mario’s foot always be positioned in front of Sonic’s. This seemingly minor detail almost jeopardized the entire project.
In an interview with Arcade Attack Retro Gaming Network, Hasegawa recounted the incident:
“There was artwork of Mario and Sonic and other characters standing on the field, and those artworks were used for the package, instruction manual, cover, the cartridge label, and things like that. There was one small error and Sonic’s foot was in front of Mario’s foot, and Nintendo demanded us to change the priority. I still remember that. We were like ‘Oh my God, we have to change it or there will be no deal!’”
This demand highlights Nintendo’s strong brand control and their desire to maintain Mario’s prominence even within a collaborative effort. It’s a testament to the power of the Mario franchise and Nintendo’s unwavering commitment to its image.
The Future of the Series
While Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games enjoyed several iterations, the series appears to be on hiatus. Ambitious plans for a 2020 installment, which envisioned a massive crossover including characters from The Legend of Zelda and Dragon Ball, ultimately didn’t come to fruition.
Despite the series’ current status, the story of the foot placement demand serves as a quirky and memorable chapter in gaming history, showcasing the complexities of collaboration and the importance of even the smallest details.
For more on the history of Nintendo and SEGA, check out IGN’s deep dive into the console wars.
