Nintendo’s Strict Positioning Rule for Mario & Sonic
When Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games brought gaming’s most famous rivals together in 2007, the collaboration came with precise requirements. Ryoichi Hasegawa, who worked as a producer at SEGA from 2007 to 2012, recently shared details about Nintendo’s demand regarding promotional artwork. The video game company insisted that Mario’s foot must always appear in front of Sonic’s foot across all materials, including packaging, instruction manuals, and cartridge labels.
During production, SEGA created artwork featuring both characters standing on a field. An error placed Sonic’s foot ahead of Mario’s, which prompted Nintendo to demand immediate changes. Hasegawa recalled the team’s reaction: they had to fix it or risk losing the deal entirely. This requirement extended beyond static artwork—Nintendo also specified that promotional videos must show Mario winning, regardless of Sonic’s established speed advantage.
The Historic Partnership Timeline
Pre-2007: Console Wars Era
Mario and Sonic represented competing companies Nintendo and SEGA during the 1990s console wars. The two mascots competed for gaming supremacy across different platforms, with each character becoming synonymous with their respective brand identity.
2007: First Collaboration
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games launched as the first title featuring both characters together. The game represented a significant shift in the gaming industry, bringing former rivals into a single crossover experience.
Production Phase: Artwork Creation
SEGA developed promotional artwork showing Mario, Sonic, and other characters on a field. This artwork was designated for multiple uses: game packaging, instruction manuals, cover art, and cartridge labels.
The Error Discovery
Nintendo identified a positioning error in the artwork where Sonic’s foot appeared in front of Mario’s foot. The company immediately contacted SEGA to demand the artwork be modified to place Mario ahead of Sonic.
The Mandate
Nintendo established a strict rule: Mario must maintain visual priority in all promotional materials. SEGA complied with the request, understanding that approval depended on meeting this specific requirement.
Character Positioning Simulator
Use the slider below to adjust how Mario and Sonic are positioned relative to each other. Move the slider to see how different arrangements would have been received by Nintendo during the approval process. When Sonic moves ahead of Mario, you’ll see why SEGA had to make changes.
✅ Nintendo Approved: Mario is positioned ahead
There was one small error and Sonic’s foot was in front of Mario’s foot, and Nintendo demanded us to change the priority. I still remember that. We were like ‘Oh my God, we have to change it or there will be no deal.’
— Ryoichi Hasegawa, Former SEGA Producer (Arcade Attack Retro Gaming Network Interview)
Behind the Positioning Demand
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Producer Background
Ryoichi Hasegawa worked at SEGA from 2007 to 2012 following an earlier stint from 1992 to 1998. He contributed to the Mario & Sonic Olympic Games series during his second period with the company.
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Affected Materials
The positioning requirement applied to all promotional materials including game packaging, instruction manual covers, cartridge labels, and marketing artwork used across different platforms.
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IP Protection
Nintendo maintains strict control over how its intellectual properties appear in crossover projects. The company regularly sets specific guidelines for character representation in collaborative works.
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Video Requirements
Beyond artwork, Nintendo required that Mario win in promotional videos. This rule applied even though Sonic’s canonical abilities include superior speed compared to Mario’s characteristics.
The Partnership’s Requirements
The collaboration between Nintendo and SEGA for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games included specific visual guidelines. Hasegawa’s account detailed Nintendo’s demand for Mario to be positioned ahead of Sonic in promotional artwork, with the discovery of an error requiring SEGA to modify materials before approval. The requirement extended to video content where Mario needed to be shown winning.
The Mario & Sonic series produced multiple entries following the 2007 release. Hasegawa’s interview with Arcade Attack Retro Gaming Network provided insight into Nintendo’s approach to brand management during crossover projects. Similar stories about Nintendo’s IP requirements have been discussed by other developers who worked with the company’s properties. For more gaming industry coverage, explore updates on Minecraft’s spring 2026 features or check out Forza Horizon 6 release information.
