Nintendo is very protective of its image and iconic mascot, Mario, even when working with other companies like Sega.
The rivalry between Sega and Nintendo is very different now than it was 30 years ago during the peak of the console wars. Originally, Sega created Sonic the Hedgehog to challenge Mario and encourage players to choose the Sega Genesis. However, Sega stopped making consoles in 2001, and eventually began collaborating with Nintendo. This led to Sonic appearing in Super Smash Bros. games and a joint game featuring characters like Mario and Sonic competing in Olympic events.
Mario Can’t Appear to Be a Step Behind
Ryoichi Hasegawa, who used to work at Sega, helped create the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series. He recently revealed an amusing story that shows just how careful Nintendo is with its famous character, Mario.
Adrian from the Arcade Attack Retro Gaming Network recently interviewed him, and he shared a story about Nintendo being unhappy with the promotional art for Mario & Sonic at the Beijing Olympics. Apparently, Nintendo took issue with Sonic’s foot being positioned in front of Mario’s in the artwork.
There’s a funny story about the game’s artwork. We had images of Mario, Sonic, and other characters on the field, which we used for the packaging, instruction manual, and cartridge label. There was just one small problem: Sonic’s foot was positioned in front of Mario’s. Nintendo insisted we fix it, and I remember we were really stressed about it – we knew the deal would fall through if we didn’t!
Forget about processing power – Mario always comes out on top! There have been six games that brought Mario and Sonic together for the Olympic Games. But the series has been on hold since the 2019 release of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
If you’re interested in learning more about Nintendo’s approach to protecting its brand, you can read about why they discontinued the “Nindie” label. And be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more updates!
What are your thoughts on Nintendo’s rules about how Mario’s foot appears in games? Share your opinion on our official Discord server!
Robert DeFelice
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2026-01-19 01:18