Over the years, Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario have been neck and neck as two of gaming's most iconic characters. For Mario, his trajectory is mostly defined by his games, which continue to please. Mario has branched out into other avenues, with appearances in a TV show, a movie and even an upcoming theme park land. But, it's the games that have maintained Mario's success over the years. By contrast, Sonic has kept up by using a wildly different strategy.
Sonic the Hedgehog is still known for its hit video games. But as the years pass, it's become clear that games are no longer the primary way that the franchise succeeds. In fact, it often takes years for new titles to release, with Sonic's last 3D adventure being 2017's Sonic Forces. Instead, Sega has chosen to celebrate his classic titles with remasters to fill that void between new games.
Sonic has been making it a habit to release adventures from older consoles or new games that maintain a nostalgic feeling like Sonic Mania. With the newly announced Sonic Colors: Ultimate and Sonic Origins, players will enjoy the Blue Blur's earlier titles on current consoles. This has helped the character find a unique identity in the video game world in contrast to Mario, as Nintendo rarely re-releases his older titles.
Another way that Sonic maintains his success in video games is through mobile titles like Sonic Dash, allowing players to enjoy Sonic's exploits while on the go. Appearances in other titles like Sega's upcoming Lost Judgment have also helped keep Sonic in the public consciousness. Because Sega has so many unique franchises besides Sonic the Hedgehog, the character can appear in the most unlikely places like Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game.
However, unlike Mario, Sonic's popularity has mainly come from a multimedia presence. Those who don't play video games still can keep up with the Sonic franchise. Over the decades, Sonic the Hedgehog has maintained a solid footing in animation which will continue with a brand-new Netflix series, Sonic Prime. Sonic also has a film franchise that is getting ready to release a sequel and an ongoing comic series that helps ensure fans will always be up to date on his latest adventures. Sonic's success has never faltered because of all of this saturation across entertainment formats, even with fewer game titles releasing.
While Sonic the Hedgehog dominates multiple mediums with content, that doesn't mean that the mustachioed hero is less significant. The beauty of each character is how their different paths to success have led to their individual victories. Super Mario is defined by the game space and is beginning to expand outward with a theme park. At the same time, Sonic the Hedgehog's success involves massive attention to its legacy and steady content output across mediums. In the end, both are different, and that's what makes them great rivals decades later.