Overview
- Former Sega producer Ryoichi Hasegawa says Nintendo demanded Mario be depicted a step ahead of Sonic in promotional artwork for the original Beijing 2008 release.
- He recalls Nintendo ordering a correction when Sonic’s foot appeared in front of Mario’s, which Sega made out of concern the licensing deal could collapse.
- Hasegawa also says Nintendo required Mario to win every race in any officially released video for the collaboration.
- Reports comparing box art note early entries often show Mario slightly ahead, with later covers such as Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 presenting the characters more equally.
- Nintendo and Sega have not independently confirmed Hasegawa’s account, which resurfaced via Timeless Gamers and Arcade Attack and has been picked up by gaming outlets.