Today the gaming industry is loaded with iconic characters, but in the days when gaming was still something of a niche market it was a very different scenario. Console holders traditionally built their brand on one key mascot, and hoped for the best. We saw Sega stumble miserably trying to sell Master Systems on the back of the forgettable Alex Kidd, while Nintendo struck gold with an unlikely hero; the moustached plumber Mario. It wasn't until Sega introduced the world to an equally dubious character - a supersonic hedgehog - that the console wars really kicked into gear. Stark naked except for a pair of dodgy red sneakers and Mickey Mouse gloves, Sonic The Hedgehog gave Mario a solid run for his money, unlike any competing mascot who had come before him. The epic Sonic VS. Mario duel was a battle of unprecedented scale for its time, a proper taste of the kind of fully weaponised console exclusive face-offs we see driving sales (and troll wars) regularly these days. The skirmish burned furiously for a time, but it fizzled out with a sorry whimper when Sega started falling apart at the seams. Today we see the two teaming up in games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and the trite Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games. Sonic's later failings can't detract from his legacy though - the spiky chap was largely responsible for pumping Sega's 16-bit consoles into peoples homes for years. But history has shown us that he was punching above his weight class, up against an adversary that was well out of his league. While Sega's speedy creation has been reduced to supporting cast status, Mario has gone on to sell over 400 million games since his inception, making Nintendo's most formidable brand the clear winner in what is probably the biggest franchise war of all time. Are there any that we missed? Let us know in the comments which franchise rivalries you always end up getting stuck into!
Game-obsessed since the moment I could twiddle both thumbs independently. Equally enthralled by all the genres of music that your parents warned you about.
