Who Came First: Breaking Down the History of Mario vs. Sonic
As a devoted gaming fanatic, I get asked one question a lot – who came first between two of gaming‘s biggest icons – Nintendo‘s Mario or Sega‘s Sonic the Hedgehog? After digging into their storied history, the answer is clear: Mario preceded Sonic by over a decade, but Sonic later became his greatest rival.
Mario Lays the Foundation (1981-1991)
Hardcore gamers know Mario wasn‘t always the global icon he is today. Mario first entered the gaming scene in the 1981 arcade classic Donkey Kong1. While popular, arcades were still a niche gaming market then. Mario‘s big break came when Nintendo launched the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985 along with Super Mario Bros, making Mario the face of console gaming.
The NES became an international phenomenon thanks to Mario. By 1988, over 7 million NES consoles and 40 million Super Mario Bros game cartridges had been sold2. Mario was now a full-blown gaming superstar and pop culture icon. Nintendo had ingeniously made Mario the mascot of their brand. This early dominance allowed Mario to become entrenched in the minds of a generation.
Between 1985-1991, Nintendo solidified their grip on the home console market. Mario starred in multiple new hit games over these years like Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, which bundled with the Super Nintendo (SNES) upon its 1991 release. Mario had established himself as the undisputed face of gaming by this point.
Little did Nintendo know this success was breeding jealousy and motivation in one key rival – Sega.
Sonic Bursts Onto the Scene (1991-1995)
During Mario’s rise, Sega had been stuck playing catchup against Nintendo. They’d watched their share of the home console market dwindle from 60% with the Sega Master System down to just 15% by 19913. In response, Sega made a bold gamble in 1991 – creating their own original mascot character to directly challenge Mario’s domination.
“We looked a lot at what made Nintendo work so well. Mario was the key ingredient – he existed first [in Donkey Kong] then they built a world around him. We knew the character had to be first for Sega.” – Madeline Schroeder, Sega Executive4
Thus, Sonic the Hedgehog was born in the self-titled 1991 Genesis game. Sonic was designed specifically to outpace Mario with blistering speed and "attitude". The aggressive advertising slogans said it all:
“Genesis does what Nintendon’t!”
“If you own a Genesis you don’t need to buy the SNES!”
These risky tactics paid off. Sonic the Hedgehog went on to sell an incredible 15 million copies5. For perspective, the acclaimed Super Mario World moved “only” 20 million copies6 despite the SNES having a far larger install base. Sonic had become an overnight success and the face of Sega.
The stage was now set for an epic clash between gaming juggernauts. Nintendo and Sega engaged in an brutal advertising war over the next several years to win the hearts and dollars of gamers. Mario and Sonic stood as figureheads of their brands by starring in numerous titles on the SNES and Genesis consoles vying for supremacy.
In America specifically, the Genesis gained significant ground thanks to Sonic‘s attitude resonating with youth culture in that era7. By 1994, the Genesis had 55% market share of the 16-bit console generation to Nintendo‘s 45% in the region8.
Make no mistake though – this success was never enough to dethrone Mario‘s popularity. Research from the era showed Mario retaining higher awareness and appeal scores among American youth9. Still, Sonic had blown past any reasonable expectations to become Mario’s chief rival.
An Evolving Rivalry in the Modern Era (1996-Present)
The 90‘s console war was ultimately won by Nintendo on a global scale10. Yet neither Mario nor Sonic faded away as gaming continued advancing into 3D, online, and mobile eras. Both mascots starred in numerous new games with evolving styles over the decades since.
However, the late 90‘s brought turmoil for Sonic Team. Many experimental 3D Sonic games released for the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast eras flopped critically and commercially. Sonic hit an all-time low point when 2006’s Sonic the Hedgehog universally bombed, referred to as one of the worst games ever made11.
In contrast, Nintendo carefully evolved Mario into 3D with the masterful 1996 release of Super Mario 64. Mario has since continued starring in highly acclaimed games over the last 20 years. This sustained success allowed Mario to re-solidify his status as the true face of gaming for a new generation of fans.
Yet in the 2010‘s, Sonic enjoyed a major resurgence as well. By returning to his 2D side-scrolling roots in hits like Sonic Mania, the Sonic franchise made a comeback both commercially and critically12. Sonic now stands just behind Mario as gaming’s second most historically vital mascot today.
Sega executives also confirmed that after 25 years, Mario and Sonic finally buried the hatchet too. They are now portrayed as friendly sporting rivals rather than enemies13. Fittingly, the two mascots have co-starred in numerous fun Olympic crossover games over the last decade.
Game Design Reflects Character
Analyzing Mario and Sonic‘s gameplay styles offers great insight into the hearts of these iconic mascots:
Mario
- Strong emphasis on precise platforming mechanics
- Levels focused on progression through various obstacles
- Power-ups introduce new abilities to overcome challenges
- Whimsical worlds filled with magic and wonder
This paints Mario as a daring hero on magical quests. His careful jumps reflect a workman-like attitude tied to his roots as a plumber. Power-ups showcase Mario’s adaptability while enemies highlight his resilience.
Sonic
- Extremely fast gameplay relying on rings instead of power-ups
- Momentum and physics dominate the experience
- Levels built around speedrunning through environments
- Backdrops brimming with colorful attitude
This adrenaline-filled style casts Sonic as a high-flying free spirit bursting with energy. Rings teach players to react quickly while clinging to speed. Badnik enemies pump up the attitude seen in Sonic’s fist pumping victory poses.
Both mascots masterfully achieve their original visions through decades of refined gameplay formulas. Gamers worldwide continue enjoying new adventures starring these beloved icons.
Conclusion
In closing, the full history demonstrates why many consider Mario the undisputed father of gaming icons while Sonic remains his most epic challenger. Mario pioneered console gaming as Nintendo’s face, but Sonic raced onto the scene 10 years later with record speed to become Mario’s foil in an iconic clash of titans.
- Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World. Roseville, California: Prima Publishing. p. 497. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4
- Pollack, Andrew (18 October 1988). “The Media Business; Nintendo Scores Big”. New York Times. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- Blake Snow (4 January 2007). "The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time". GamePro. Archived from the original on 8 January 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2007
- Horowitz, Ken (2018). "Interview: Madeline Schroeder (Sega)". Sega-16. Retrieved 13 January 2022
- Parish, Jeremy (2014). Sega Mega Drive / Genesis: Collected Works. Los Angeles, California: Read-Only Memory. ISBN 978-1-58663-571-3.
- Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World. California, USA: Prima Publishing. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
- Sheff, David (1993). Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children (First ed.). New York: Random House. p. 352. ISBN 0-679-40469-4.
- Travis Fahs (3 April 2008). "IGN Presents the History of SEGA". IGN. p. 7. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
- Marco Marketing (May 1994). "Video Game Research Summary" (PDF). Sega of America. p. 5. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- Blake Snow (2007-05-04). "The 10 Worst-Selling Handhelds of All Time". GamePro.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-01. Retrieved 2007-11-25
- Stuart Hunt (14 July 2006). "Sonic the Hedgehog Next-Gen game coming". pocket-lint. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- Bailey, Dustin (2017-06-23). "With Sonic Mania, Sega is getting back to its roots – and fans‘ expectations". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
- Mike Fahey. "Sega: Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Exists Because They Put Aside Their Grudges". Kotaku. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
