📰 New article from Retro Handhelds
Nintendo Wouldn’t Let Sonic Stand in Front
https://retrohandhelds.gg/nintendo-wouldnt-let-sonic-stand-in-front/
Let’s be real—Mario and Sonic are basically the Mario Kart and Forza of their respective universes. One’s a plucky plumber who jumps on turtles; the other’s a blue blur who outruns time. So when Nintendo insisted Sonic literally not stand in front of Mario on box art? Yeah, that wasn’t just branding. That was war.
Ryoichi Hasegawa’s anecdote is peak Nintendo: a 2008 crossover game, Sonic still reeling from the disaster that was Sonic ‘06, and Mario fresh off winning hearts (and awards) with Super Mario Galaxy. Yet somehow, the real battle wasn’t on-screen—it was in Photoshop. One pixel too far forward? Fix it or we kill the deal.
And guess what? Nintendo held firm. From Beijing to London, Mario’s boot was always the first thing you saw. Even when Sonic could theoretically outrun a bullet, he had to settle for second place… in art. Only by Rio 2016 did they finally let Sonic stand tall.
It’s absurd. It’s hilarious. And honestly? Kinda beautiful. Nintendo didn’t just protect Mario—they worshipped him. And somehow, in the most petty way possible… they won.
(Also, imagine being the artist who got that email: “Can you nudge Sonic back? Like, a lot.”)