SEGA used to rule the world when it came to the home console game, or at least came very close to doing so. There was a time when the biggest video game console manufacturer battle wasn’t Nintendo vs. Sony, Sony vs. Microsoft or Microsoft vs. Nintendo, but rather SEGA vs. Nintendo, a battle which it ultimately lost.
SEGA is known for a few stand-out series, and they continue to make games as a publisher today. But far and away their most popular franchise is Sonic the Hedgehog, their answer to Mario and a defining game of many childhoods.
The first Sonic game was released in 1991, and the franchise continues to exist today, now available on many consoles, and SEGA has actually partnered up with former rival Nintendo quite often for games like Super Smash Bros. Melee and Mario and Sonic at the Olympics. And a fun fact about the series? Because of how well the Wii and DS sold for Nintendo, it’s those Olympics games that are actually the highest selling of the Sonic franchise.
In fact, if you look at the top ten selling Sonic games of all time, half of them are Mario and Sonic Olympics titles. Added together, they account for nearly 25 million games sold, and the number one selling Sonic game of all time is actually the original Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games with nearly eight million copies sold.
As for the beloved classics, it should reassure some that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is in the number two spot with 6 million sold, and the original Sonic the Hedgehog is number five with 4.3 million sold. Also filling out the top ten are Sonic Rush, Sonic Heroes and Sonic Mega Collection Plus.
It’s hard to even keep track of just how many Sonic games have been released between actual titles for SEGA systems, new-gen games and spin-offs like Sonic Pinball. But the series continues to live on well into present day, though many would argue Sonic has lost much of his luster once he stopped being on SEGA consoles exclusively.
And yet, he remains SEGA’s most valuable property, which is why they’re still trying to expand the Sonic brand with upcoming projects like a new TV show called Sonic Boom, which has a computer animated Sonic and friends fighting the evil Doctor Robotnik.
But in terms of whether or not Sonic ever really posed a threat to rival Mario, the numbers don’t lie. The top 13 Super Mario games of all time all outsell Sonic’s number one game, which as we’ve established, was a partnership with Mario. If we use Sonic 2 as a benchmark, then 17 Mario games have outsold it. The plumber is simply a more established franchise, and ultimately has proved victorious over his blue rival-turned-friend.
It’s hard to say how long Sonic will live on through SEGA, but the character is so iconic, I have to imagine we’ll be seeing new Sonic games for decades to come in some form or another. While it may not be on Mario’s level, it’s done very well for itself in its own right, and exists as one of gaming’s most iconic, longest-lasting, best-selling franchises.
[Photos via SEGA]
