When considering some of the most popular video game mascots, there are two names that stand out from the rest as arguably the most influential in all of gaming. Nintendo's Mario and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog are some of the most recognizable characters, not just in gaming, but in pop culture as a whole. The influence of Mario and Sonic can be felt in almost every corner of the industry, from the way platformers have evolved over time, to how companies like Sony and Microsoft depend on mascots to sell certain exclusive titles. They're a part of gaming history, and they still manage to influence it to this day.

Mario and Sonic have been in gaming for a very long time, and their origins are steeped in the very beginnings of the "Console Wars" in the 90s. Sonic was essentially created in order to help Sega rival the popularity of Nintendo and Mario, and for a time it actually worked. The two mascots have undergone a substantial amount of change since the height of their rivalry, either in an effort to one up one another or simply due to the evolving nature of the video game industry. Now that the mascot war between Nintendo and Sega is long over, it's worth evaluating how Mario and Sonic have changed since their earliest days.

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Sonic the Hedgehog: Then and Now

Sonic's first appearance as Sega's new mascot was in 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog, and right out the gate Sega and Sonic Team made it clear that Sonic wasn't just any video game mascot. Keeping in line with pop culture at the time, the goal of Sonic's design was to exude a level of "coolness" that would draw in young gamers with a similar attitude. Sonic's round features in his first few games were also a calculated decision, allowing children to draw the character with ease. Sega hit the nail on the head with these designs for the most part, as Sonic became the model of 90s video game culture soon after his debut.

As the 90s started to come to a close and video games began to evolve from 2D to 3D, Sega evolved Sonic along with it. Starting with 1998's Sonic Adventure, Sonic began to look a lot more like he does now. His signature attitude was dialed up to 11 thanks to the addition of cinematic storytelling, and the general tone of Sonic's dialogue and the game's music was greatly influenced by the pop-punk scene at the time. Ever since Sega shifted focus to strictly developing software, Sonic has been a major linchpin to the company's image, and he still carries a profound legacy to this day.

Mario: Then and Now

Mario looks at a slideshow of his classic games

Although Mario is the model of the quintessential video game mascot today, he was much more simple in his early days. Most of his characterization simply came from his signature mustache, and it wasn't until later cartoons like The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! that Nintendo allowed Mario to embrace his affinity for plumbing and Italian food. In Super Mario Bros., Mario simply represented a hero saving a damsel in distress, but at the time it was enough to build up a strong following.

Much like Sonic, Mario underwent a handful of different changes to his character once he went 3D. Less of a focus was placed on making Mario a silly cartoon character, and more of a focus was placed on ingratiating him with the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom. Games like Super Mario Sunshine have shown Mario to have a stronger relationship with Peach and the Toads, and Mario's relationship with Bowser has also been given greater attention. He's largely remained the same family-friendly mascot, but the storytelling around Mario and the collection of characters in each game has gotten much more robust.

Mario and Sonic are some of the most classic examples of video game mascots, and their success in pushing software has served as a major motivation for companies like Sony and Microsoft. Characters like God of War's Kratos and Halo's Master Chief may be significantly less family-friendly, but they demonstrate the same marketing techniques and character building that Nintendo and Sega have excelled at for years. Mario and Sonic may be rather different from when they first debuted, but after decades of evolution in the industry, it's rather clear that they're not going anywhere any time soon.

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