Winks, easter eggs and other hidden references are legion in video games. While some of them are discovered immediately after the release of the game that contains them, others take years to be found (when they are). And it also happens that people involved in the creation of a title are surprised by things unearthed in the latter. This is obviously what just happened to Yuji Naka.
ISEGA may have slipped a discreet image of Mario into the very first Sonic released on Mega Drive. Everything happens from the very first screen of the Marble Zone, the second level of the game released in 1991. In the background is a stone building with lions engraved on it. So far, nothing abnormal.
When you take a closer look, the two lions facing each other are strangely reminiscent of Mario. The resemblance is even more striking when the lions are covered in the colors of Mario.
It is precisely such a modification that a certain “TanookiKuribo“recently shared on Twitter. And it is true that the resemblance to Mario is disturbing. Before and after images are available in our gallery below.
Yuji Naka, father of Sonic and admirer of Mario?
This supposed wink has never been confirmed by a member of the Sonic team. But he still recently resurfaced on Twitter. And the subject made enough noise to reach Yuji Naka. The developer considered by many to be Sonic’s father has indeed shared this unofficial reference on his account. Twitter. And he commented on it like this:
“It is clear that it is not possible to say that it does not look like Mario. “
Sonic’s co-creator accompanied his post with an emoji showing a shocked face. If he doesn’t confirm the easter egg, Yuji Naka doesn’t seem to dismiss the possibility of a wanted reference either.
Despite his status as a SEGA employee, Yuji Naka was very fond of Nintendo’s Famicom. He also admitted a few years ago to have secretly developed a Famicom emulator for Mega Drive. If he himself has not integrated this Mario into the sets of Sonic The Hedgehog, it is therefore not impossible that another member of the team has shared his taste for the products of the competition.
What do you think of this situation? Is this a real hidden reference? Or conversely do you think it is a simple coincidence? Give us your opinion in the comments below.
