Ryoichi Hasegawa, the localisation producer for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, has claimed that Nintendo demanded that Mario is always just ahead of Sonic in the game’s promotional art.
Mario and Sonic teaming up doesn’t seem weird at all nowadays, but back when Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games debuted in 2007, it was absolutely mind-blowing. Seeing two former rivals team up to compete in one of the world’s biggest events (in game form, at least) was truly a standout moment in gaming history, even if it makes zero sense when you stop to think about it.
While Mario is plenty fast and strong in his own right, he stands no chance in a real match against the fastest thing alive, something that we all just kind of ignore for the fun of it. That makes it even more baffling to hear that Nintendo once demanded that Sega subtly change the cover art for the first game so that Mario is poised to win.
Nintendo Told Sega To Change Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games’ Box Art And Put Mario Ahead
Not Such A Friendly Competition After All
As pointed out by ResetEra user Dooble, Arcade Attack recently had the chance to talk with Ryoichi Hasegawa, a producer at Sega of Japan who specifically worked as a localisation producer on the first Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games in 2007. Hasegawa took the chance to highlight a funny story while working on that game.
Few Things In Video Games Look Tastier Than Stars In Super Mario Galaxy
I want to eat the stars. Now please. Now.
According to Hasegawa, the iconic cover art of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games that features the pair jumping over a hurdle caused quite a ruckus with Nintendo. When it was sent to them, there was “one small error” that showed Sonic’s foot just ahead of Mario’s, which Nintendo seemingly took as a subtle way to say that Sonic was going to win.
Hasegawa shared that Nintendo “demanded” the team change the priority and make it so that Mario is just slightly ahead of Sonic, something that the team had to change, otherwise there might be “no deal”. Interestingly, Dooble shared a screenshot from the game that shows Mario just ahead of Sonic, suggesting it might have gone further than the cover art and affected screenshots as well.
It’s a funny story that reminds you of the real context behind Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. While the two are on somewhat equal footing now and both rockstars in the gaming world, Sonic was on a downward slope all the way back in 2007 and absolutely the underdog of the pair. It’s no surprise that Nintendo had a lot more control over the collaboration than Sega did, even if it still makes no sense that Mario would even compete with the Blue Blur.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
- Released
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November 6, 2007
- ESRB
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e
- Developer(s)
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Sega Sports R&D
- Engine
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hedgehog engine 2
