What if Sonic was a Nintendo game instead of a Sega game?

[MegaMonster54]

I don't mean this like today where sonic is pretty much Nintendo's bitch. I mean what if in the late 1980's and early 1990's Sonic was released on NES and Mario was released on the Genesis (Yes, its the Genesis not The Mega Drive. I don't care what it was called in Japan, It was called the Genesis in the US so it's the fucking Genesis!). Do you think the world would be different? Do you think that Sega would have won the console wars? What do you think might have happened? I am genuinely interested!   

[SenEDDtor Missile]

Frankly, I don't think much would have changed if SEGA still made idiotic decisions like they did back during the years after the Classics.

[LATER BUDDY]

Mario probably wouldn't have succeeded if the shoes were on the other feet. What you're dealing with with this question is if Sonic was released first by Nintendo, meaning Sega would be trying to top it with Mario, something that in comparison at the time probably wouldn't have seemed as interesting. Mario already established itself as this awesome game and Sega was trying to steal some spotlight by making a mascot that had more coolness and attitude and junk. So that said I don't think Mario would've really made a good appeal and could've possibly just come off as another side-scrolling platformer clone.

 

But that's trying to swap directly across I guess. If it was just in general if Nintendo owned Sonic and Sega had Mario, IDK. Probably Sonic would be in Mario's spotlight right now while Mario was in Sonic's shoes these past few years, I couldn't really say.

 

And the world isn't the USA, both Genesis and Mega Drive are correct lawl.

[Tori Himemiya]

For starters, Nintendo would more of an empire than it was before and it wouldn't have much competition until the Playstation.

[Sonic The Badass]

well then that means we would have a mario 06 lol. but seriously like Rainbow Dash said, sonic comes off cooler, mario wouldn't have made a big splash and probably wouldn't have survived to see the light of 3D and sega would have moved on to the next mascot character in efforts to beat Nintendo.

 

EDIT: then we have the question of gameplay. when nintendo switched to 3D they changed mario's gameplay, and kept the basic formula throughout other 3D titles. and as for sonic team:  they like to build new gameplays from the ground up (dividing the fandom) meaning Nintendo would have perfected the adventure gameplay and occasionally add new features to future titles (and made for a much more sturdy, united fandom.)

Edited August 18, 2013 by Insane121

[-Mark-]

 (Yes, its the Genesis not The Mega Drive. I don't care what it was called in Japan, It was called the Genesis in the US so it's the fucking Genesis!). 

Was that really necessary? Aside from adding absolutely nothing to your point, it just screams "Look at me, I'm a stereotypical American who thinks that we're the centre of the universe, the whole world/ only country that matters and that everything that doesn't match us is wrong/ IN AMERICA" mentality.  (Aside from the fact that, IIRC, the name 'Genesis' was actually in the worldwide minority compared to how many countries called it the Mega Drive anyway.) It didn't even need to be said. 

 

And as others have said, I guess it would have more or less been a role-reversal. 

Edited August 18, 2013 by -Mark-

[azoo]

Sonic would've set some of the norms in platformers and thus set an incredibly high standard for other games from lower companies to try to compete with and/or go in the opposite direction of to stand out and be unique. Platformers would be focusing a lot more on player physics and multi-tiered routes than before.

 

 And considering if Nintendo were to be behind Sonic, the series probably wouldn't have been nearly as experimental as it was with its rapid art style jumping, focus shifting and story expanding, since.. well you know how rigid Nintendo can be at times. On that note, for any expansions to the series, it probably would've been listed as an 'alternate universe' thing and most likely have a different art style, similar to how the Zelda games do it, and the games themselves at their most normal base probably would've remained looking generally like Sonic 1 / 2 with new powerups... this sounds familiar LOL

 

Now, if Nintendo made Mario /and/ Sonic, Sonic would've probably been their "experimental" platformer series while Mario was their "tried and true" one. It probably would've been a lot like what we got with that, but not exactly, considering the lack of connections from being in Sega, but it probably would've been much more consistent in quality than what we got.

Edited August 18, 2013 by New Age Retro Azoonky

[Tani Coyote]

A lot of Mario's success isn't just quality, I think, but entrenchment. He has several years on Sonic, and had already wormed his way into the hearts of millions by the time the hedgehog showed up. Doubt the power of entrenchment? Look at how incumbent politicians almost always school would-be freshman, or attempt to relocate from one forum to another, or switch from one product to another. It's an incredibly powerful force, and it shows inertia applies to things besides physical objects.

Presumably things would be no different: Nintendo would follow the same formula it has today; while it would experiment it would not do anything anywhere near as radical as SEGA has done with our universe's Sonic.

So, we'd end up with Sonic being the world's most successful franchise and having a spotless reputation, while Mario's would be incredibly tarnished.

...you know what? Give me a time machine. This sounds like one hell of a plan.

Edited August 18, 2013 by Ogilvie Maurice

[SkyLlama]

Yes, its the Genesis not The Mega Drive. I don't care what it was called in Japan, It was called the Genesis in the US so it's the fucking Genesis!).

 

I take issue with this. The parts of the world where it was known as the Genesis (mostly NA) are in the minority compared to those it was known as the Mega Drive. The only reason we got it under a different name was because of a trademark despite^_(source). If anything it should be considered the Mega Drive by default, seeing how that's what it was originally called.

 

I'm not trying to mean, but it adds nothing to your post. I'd say more, but I'd just be echoing what Mark already said.

 

And if they were released in the same time frame just reversed? I think Mario would have still done well, but not near as well as he's done with Nintendo.

 

inb4 Mario 06'

Edited August 18, 2013 by Polan

[Jet Prower]

Sonic definately would have done alot better if he was Nintendo's rather than Sega's in the beginning. Since as was mentioned, Mario got a head start on Sonic and was one of the key figures that saved the industry to grow into what it is today, people love Mario alot more and almost everyone knows it and can hum that first level by memory with no troubles.

 

This big difference I see is Sonic likely wouldn't have expanded and grown as much as it may have under Nintendo. Nintendo doesn't seem to expand themselves too much. Nintendo is more about playing it safe and sticking to what works and rarely ever changing it. Yet, now they almost cant change things or people whine like crazy, such as with mario sunshine. I loved the games, but you constantly hear about people hating them having voice acting after so long. I don't remember anyone being upset when Sonic got voices at all.

 

I just feel Sonic likely may have been more dominate, but his universe may not be anywhere near as expansive and expressed as it would be now. Mario doesnt tend to get too many new characters and expansions from what works. If it does work though, you then just keep doing it and barely change up at all. Just seems like while he would still be successful, it would just be a different success and would we want that version of sonic over our current one?

[KrazyBean]

If Sonic was made by Nintendo then we wouldn't have games like Shadow and Sonic 06

[Jolt_TH]

And we would have already had Sonic Lost World and Lost World 2 (Now with rideable knuckles!)

[DarkXZA]

I'm sure Sonic would be more successful if he was with Nintendo, but I don't think he would be that interesting though.  

[Rexeljet]

Regarding how the console wars would have played out, aside from what people have already said, I don't think that Mario would have done Sega many favours, considering the fact that the SNES selling more than the MD had nothing to do with Sonic or Mario.

 

The reason the SNES sold more is largely due to the sales figures in Japan. Assuming the SNES still had plenty of JRPGs and the like in this alternate universe, then the SNES would have still done better there.

 

And assuming that Sonic came first in this universe and Mario was Sega's response, I imagine the whole "Sonic isn't popular in Japan" thing may not have been quite so apparent

 

Though I'm wondering if Sonic's pinball physics would be able to work on a NES or a SNES? Maybe the SNES would have been designed with a faster CPU with a new Sonic game in mind. It would have certainly been a benefit to certain games on the system.

[KrazyBean]

Maybe we will have New Super Sonic Bros.

[Jet Prower]

Maybe we will have New Super Sonic Bros.

So Manic would be in the games or Shadow would be Sonic's brother then?

[Riff-making Love]

Knuckles would have gotten his own blockbuster 3D game AND a sequel.

[RobotOmega]

Was that really necessary? Aside from adding absolutely nothing to your point, it just screams "Look at me, I'm a stereotypical American who thinks that we're the centre of the universe, the whole world/ only country that matters and that everything that doesn't match us is wrong/ IN AMERICA" mentality. 

 

Stereotypical? Come on man, we're not all like that!

 

...mostly. 

[Dizcrybe]

I think Sonic would be way more successful, whereas Mario would be the one getting reviews starting with "Mario hasn't had the best track record in 3D".

 

However, I also think the franchise would be a lot "safer". Like, not only more kid-friendly, but the games wouldn't really try anything radically new or different. Not often, at least. Also, the games would be a lot less story than they do now, and the lore would be next to non-existent.

 

Still, despite this, he'd be the darling of critics and gamers everywhere (save for the vocal minority getting bored with his games on account of them being a bit stagnated in their eyes). Mario, on the other hand, would have a very split fanbase and a spotty reputation, much like Sonic does now.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

Wait! Just for clarification: Are we talking about SEGA using Nintendo as a distributor for Sonic, or Nintendo developing Sonic themselves? That in itself makes a big difference.

[Jet Prower]

Wait! Just for clarification: Are we talking about SEGA using Nintendo as a distributor for Sonic, or Nintendo developing Sonic themselves? That in itself makes a big difference.

I think we are talking about, what is Nintendo made Sonic and Sega made Mario. That's at least what I got out of the topic.

[TitanWarlord93]

The only thing I could think of regarding of this topic is that Sonic would be more successful than Mario but technically there wouldn't be any changes, unless I imagine that Mario would be running through loops and collecting rings and Sonic would run slow, collecting items by hitting his head on boxes and attempting to rescue a princess who keeps moving from castle to castle until Bowser is defeated.

 

That is all.

[Tani Coyote]

Oh, how did I forget this bit? As an enthusiast for such things this is surprising it didn't hit me.

We would have Summer of Mario and Mario Boom, most likely.

It always puzzled me why Nintendo doesn't really try the fanfare event scene. Despite Mario's popularity in our world, it's bizarre Sonic has two conventions and he doesn't. I think Sonic's status as an underdog has made his fanbase more devoted or something. With regards to conventions, I think it may be the SEGA of our world has more of a vested interest in energising its fanbase since it's much smaller and thus, more valuable per capita.

Different playstyles aside, I really think we can just switch the labels on each game around and get the same results.

The biggest butterfly effect change of course, would be that Sonic's style probably wouldn't be as catchy, having been designed to be able to best Mario and all. But I guess that just means Mario would have been the one to really shake up the market instead.... or not, since he'd be slow to the already-existing fast Sonic.

[RobotOmega]

We would have Summer of Mario and Mario Boom, most likely.

 

 

Mario Boom?  

 

[Tani Coyote]

Mario Boom? 

Well that was the first thing that came to mind in this universe where SEGA, desperate to promote the tarnished Mario brand, has its own set of parties/concerts/conventions. I confess I have no idea about his moveset, having never played any games besides Sunshine. This in mind, in this alternate reality I'd have no idea what it'd be called, as I'm poor with naming an-

...Mario Party?