Former SEGA producer Ryoichi Hasegawa has revealed that Nintendo once demanded a very specific adjustment to the promotional artwork for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.
Speaking in a recent interview with Arcade Attack, Hasegawa, who worked as a localization producer on the 2007 title at SEGA, recalled that Nintendo objected to early box art showing Sonic the Hedgehog slightly ahead of Mario during a hurdle race.
According to Hasegawa, Nintendo felt that the positioning implied Sonic was winning and insisted that Mario always be placed just in front. He described the request as non-negotiable, explaining that the collaboration itself could have been put at risk if the artwork was not changed to reflect Nintendo’s preference.
The anecdote resurfaced after being shared by users on ResetEra, where fans noted that certain in-game screenshots and regional marketing materials also appear to follow this visual rule, often depicting Mario narrowly ahead in competitive scenarios.
When Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games launched, the crossover was unprecedented. Although the once-intense rivalry between the two mascots had softened by 2007, Nintendo still exercised tight control over how Mario was portrayed in shared branding and promotional materials.
The story offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how carefully character image and perceived status were managed, down to something as small as which character’s foot crossed the line first on a piece of box art.
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