There have been very few battles fiercer than that of Mario vs. Sonic. Even though these two characters look sweet and harmless, they really have the violence only a plush toy can appreciate. From the moment Sonic the Hedgehog went head to head against Super Mario World (and the entire launch of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System) the industry knew there was a major player on their hands. That year Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game of the year to Sonic, only making the blood between the two boil over. You simply cannot dissect a fight such as this in just one sitting. So in the attempt to offer insight into the history of Mario and Sonic, Defunct Games has broken it down in to little itty bitty pieces. The first is an example of why the two characters, underneath all that pain and anger, really vying for the same thing. I think you'll see what I mean. -Cyril Lachel MARIO SONIC Nintendo released a collection of all the Super Mario Brothers games (sans Super Mario World) Sega released a collection of all the Sonic the Hedgehog games (sans Sonic and Knuckles) Nintendo has yet to bring us Super Mario Brothers 4 (even though there have been tons of sequels since Super Mario Brothers 3) Sega has yet to bring us Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (even though there have been tons of sequels since Sonic the Hedgehog 3) Nintendo took Mario racing in Super Mario Kart for the Super NES, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Advance. Sega took Sonic racing in Sonic Drift for the Sega Genesis, PC, and Game Gear. Nintendo released Kirby's Avalanche for the Super NES, a Puyo Puyo clone featuring Mario combatant Kirby. Sega released Dr. Robotiniks's Green Bean Machine for the Sega Genesis, a Puyo Puyo clone featuring Sonic combatant Dr. Robotiniks. Super Mario Brothers features famous characters like Mario, Luigi, and the Princess fighting for the prize of ultimate champ. Sonic the Fighter features famous characters like Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails, and Knuckles fighting for the prize of ultimate champ. Nintendo gave Mario offshoot Yoshi his own game with their niche-accessory the Super Scope, only to find it being a miserable experience. Sega gave Sonic offshoot Knuckles his own game with their niche-accessory the Sega 32x, only to find it being a miserable experience. Nintendo made Mario games specifically for kids, with the intent on learning, with releases for the Philip's cdi platform. Sega made Sonic games specifically for kids, with the intent on learning, with releases for the Pico platform.