Sega is fully embracing its roots and bringing back the old-school feel that made it a head-turning brand that rivaled Nintendo. As Nintendo's mainstay is the beloved Mario franchise, Sega has grown tired of the blue blur living in his shadow and wants to revamp the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise to surpass Mario in terms of quality and reach.
In a recent interview with Osamu Ohashi, Division Manager at Sega, he expressed his desire for Sonic to finally achieve the goal it was originally created for... to compete with Mario. Ohashi's vision is for Sonic to become a global phenomenon, just like Mario. He even envisions Universal Studios Japan creating a "Sonic Area" for fans to immerse themselves in the world of Sonic. It's clear that Ohashi and the entire team at Sega are passionate about making Sonic a household name once again. However, the question remains - is Sonic being held back by Mario's success, or is Sonic simply tripping over its own Sega-themed shoelaces? Only time will tell if Sega can revitalize Sonic and bring him back to his former glory and then some.
When it comes to video games, there's no denying that Mario's adventures are far more memorable, and it's not because people just want Mario to have better installments. There are Sonic fans who desperately want Sonic to catch his stride and not have this hit/miss reputation going on, they want Sega to go hard... to the degree that supporters can take a step back in awe.
They've kept it cohesive, borrowing from the past (Mario's movements from Super Mario 64... can be seen in Super Mario Odyssey), but... they kept things moving forward in solid ways that decrease frustration and rev up the fun factor. Put the necessary time in to make everything smooth on a fluid level, and bring in a writer who can draw someone in with a captivating story or something.
By the way, Mario rolling around... totally feels like something borrowed from Sonic (but he moves much smoother with it). What can Sonic borrow?
Oh yeah... the city from Super Mario Odyssey... totally reminds me of Sonic Adventure.
That's not to say that Sonic can't be as thrilling without using pointers from Mario's adventures, but Sega needs to get serious about what they want to do with him if they're going to take on Nintendo. While games like Sonic Colors, Sonic Generations, and Sonic Frontiers have their merits, Sonic Adventure is the stand-out game for me that they should honestly consider exploring again but... in an all-new way and building upon it. I'm reminded of Sonic's movies and despite him living in a city, he has the ability to travel through rings. They can totally play on that and other emeralds from the past (see what I did there?). By the way, Super Mario Bros. Wonder also feels like the second coming of Super Mario World to me.
Mario has his adventures, but story isn't something Nintendo goes in-depth on by way of a script using voice acting. They let the captions and action do the talking. You play and proceed, and while you do get to enjoy progression as you make your way to big bad Bowser... an epic story showcasing Sonic's personality can help him win with little differences such as that. Add real comedy in there... Sonic has way more personality... and people saw it in the films.
This isn't to crap on Mario, he's the more squeaky-clean character... whereas Sonic was more of that cool character who's a little rough around the edges. By the way, Sega has other dope games... so it's not like they don't know how to deliver solid games, they just need to break things down to a science with Sonic.
Sega has tried in the past and continues to try in regards to the story... which is something I don't think they should abandon.
Anyway, Sega it's good to see this energy from Sega. Sonic Superstars is a step in the right direction, and if they continue to maintain a competitive spirit... we win. Sonic is still around for a reason, and it's because gamers want to support it. So keep on going Sega... keep what works while finding ways to wow the audience with new gameplay mechanics and exciting adventures. No longer should Sonic simply fly through environments though (I've always said this)... unless the section justified it. He needs to bring back the sense of wonder and excitement that made players fall in love with him in the first place.
