So, we find ourselves with the prospect of a 2D showdown in mid-October between two video gaming titans. Of course, we’ve seen contests between them various times over the years, not least in the Mario and Sonic Olympic Games… games, but two brand new entries in celebrated series starring characters so iconic they became mascots for their respective owners? That feels a bit special.
In fact, looking back, it’s arguable that there’s never been a contest this direct between Mario and Sonic. The hedgehog debuted on Genesis in North America on 23rd June 1991, with Super Mario World arriving in the region two months later on 23rd August. Super Mario Land 2 on the Game Boy was released in the same month as 1992’s ‘Sonic 2sday’ (24th November), although the power difference between the systems negated any real comparison between those particular 2D classics.
Beyond that, gaming’s princes of platforming have managed to steer clear of each other on the release calendar. Probably the closest we’ve come since the ’90s was in November 2011 when New Super Mario Bros. U launched for Wii U four days prior to Sonic Generations, although the latter was on 3DS. 3D platformers Mario Odyssey and Sonic Forces launched within 10 days of each other in 2017, but let’s keep things civil and stick to the two-dimensional plane, shall we?
The fact is that two of gaming’s brightest stars are launching their latest flagship platformers within 72 hours of each other, and we’re excited for some old-fashioned, good-natured, nostalgic rivalry.
Who wins? We all do, of course, but it’s fun to speculate who might come out on top. Historically, if you look across the entire series, the Mario brothers have got this one in the bag… but as recovering Sega fanpeople, everything we’ve seen so far of Superstars suggests that this could finally be the 2D game to do justice to the 2D classics while bringing something new to the Sonic series.
So, what do you think? Is it wise for Sega to send the hedgehog out a mere three days before Mario and Co. ground-pound onto their home territory of Switch? Is this town big enough for the both of ’em? Let us know if you’re Team Sonic or Team Mario in the polls below.
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