Sonic and Mario Game Brainstorm

[TryhardDreamer]

This topic is for any ideas that could evolve into a really good Sonic and Mario game. Not a game like the Olympics series, but more like a full-blown release of a serious game. I have NO influence in the games SEGA makes, this is only a brainstorm because I've always wondered how a game like that would end up.

[Sinister-the-luck-dragon]

What if all of the non-human Sonic characters, or just some of them, ended up as humans in Mario's dimension? Or something.

[TryhardDreamer]

Was thinking more along the lines of sonic and Mario fighting a common foe (eggman, browser, etc), how would it work?

[Sinister-the-luck-dragon]

Maybe eggman and bowser made them into humans and they needed the chaos emeralds [cliché but they're always needed] to turn back into whatever they were to begin with. And eggman had them?

[TryhardDreamer]

Hmm... that isn't a bad idea at all. That gives a chance to make a new game mechanic on sonics part. The downside is that it wouldn't necessarily be Mario and sonic, more like Mario and humanoid sonic. Good idea though.

[Sinister-the-luck-dragon]

It would also be interesting to see if it went like this: Half the Sonic fans thought it was so awesome to have a human Sonic. The other half hated it.

Or like this: The biggest flop in video gaming EVER RECORDED, 'human' Sonic and Friends cause SEGA to lose millions after being repeatedly sued for mental health care funds.

Or like this: BEST MARIO GAME EVER ALSO HAPPENS TO BE BEST SONIC GAME EVER!

Or like this: Mario fans ask why strange anime-style teenager with blue hair keeps popping up in their game for no particular reason...

How do you think it'd go?

[Salamander]

It writes itself.  Just take Sonic Rush and replace Blaze with Mario.

 

Storywise it's easy: Eggman's experimenting with some kind of dimensional gateway doohickey and ends up in the Mario universe, he teams up with Bowser and Bowser uses magic on the gateway.  Cue merging of Mushroom Kingdom and Sonic's world.

 

Aesthetically, every world would be a mixture of Mario and Sonic tropes.  So you'd start off with Green Hill Zone plus Mario grasslandiness, and it wouldn't look all that different unless you played it up, checkerboards and loop-the-loops popping up throughout this scenic hilly area.  Maybe stick a giant checkerboard mountain right in the middle of Peach's castle.  After that you'd have, I don't know, desert + ruins, ice + city, coastline + casino, clouds + planes, maybe some wacky extra worlds based on Sonic special zones.  Mario and Sonic would have the same world map but different routes around it and probably the same levels would have different level design for each to account for their different playstyles.  2D-only, a mix of the Sonic classics plus New Super Mario Bros.

 

Enemies would be Badniks with Mario power-ups for Sonic and Badnik versions of traditional Mario enemies for Mario.  Tower bosses would be... start off with Sonic vs. Bowser Jr. and Mario vs. Metal Sonic but then flip it to Sonic vs. Metal Sonic with a wand imitating Koopaling battles and Mario vs. Bowser Jr. in a Koopa Clown Car inside first zone Eggman mechs (ball and chain mech, etc.).  Castle bosses: Koopalings in original mechs for Mario, Mecha Koopalings for Sonic.

 

Coins and rings would be the same thing, a coin with a ring around it.  There'd be a mixture of ?-blocks and item monitors.  Sonic would be able to use Mario power-ups (slightly tweaked for him) and Mario would be able to use Sonic's elemental shields.  Sonic would have special stages based on maybe Mario special worlds for the Chaos Emeralds, Mario would also have special stages for, let's say power stars.

 

There'd be occasional cutscenes at certain points on the world map where like Mario sees Sonic running around and is awed by his speed, or Sonic sees Mario jumping and showing off his acrobatics and is inspired.  In the final level you'd have all the set-up for a Mario vs. Sonic boss fight but instead of fighting they clasp hands because the truth is they've always been allies supporting the video game market and inspiring people everywhere, and there's a final Bowser/Eggman boss fight.  Then an extra fight against a Death Egg airship where Bowser and Eggman have the last Chaos Emerald and Power Star in a magical techno-staff that's keeping the worlds fused.  Peach uses her magic to combine the Chaos Emeralds and Power Stars to give Mario and Sonic Super and invincibility powers.  Final platformy level where you play as both but switch between them at the push of a botton, final boss is a giant Bowser/Eggman mech.

 

End of the story: Bowser and Eggman fall through the skies struggling over their McGuffin, it breaks in half and the two worlds get sucked into different wormholes, Mario and Sonic shake hands and high five and part ways.  Roll credits.  Depending on whether Mario or Sonic struck the final blow, you get a stinger with Bowser trudging away through World 1 with a lone Motobug following him, or Eggman trudging away through Green Hill Zone with a raccoon tail on his behind.

 

Then there's a stinger after the stinger announcing the upcoming Mario/Sonic/Crash crossover.

[Big Panda]

A Sonic Generations-like game: switch between Mario and Sonic, jump enemies and bash blocks as Mario in specially re-tailored Sonic levels, and speed through loops and badniks in re-tailored Mario levels.

[Johnny Boy]

A Sonic Generations-like game: switch between Mario and Sonic, jump enemies and bash blocks as Mario in specially re-tailored Sonic levels, and speed through loops and badniks in re-tailored Mario levels.

This sounds like the most plausible option have both Mario and Sonic go through levels catered to their gameplay styles. For example both Mario and Sonic can travel through Mushroom Kingdom and both can travel through Green Hill zone.

If we're really going the Generations route then maybe the game can have the most memorable levels from both Mario and Sonic's history (in Sonic's case, I think it would be best to go with levels that were featured on his Nintendo only releases. With a few notable exceptions). The overworld will take some inspiration from Super Mario 3D world where there are six stages throughout the world (3 mario themed and 3 sonic themed), enemy mini bosses, secret houses for power ups and mini games (bonus stages if sonic themed.

Level Tropes

Levels

1. Mushroom Kingdom/Green Hill (just first level tropes to be honest)

2. Island

3. City/Casino

4. Desert/Ice

5. Jungle

6. Spooky

7. Air Ship

8. Space

As for bosses, Eggman and Bowser won't be faced until the very end of the game. Over the course of the 8 worlds, you fight some characters from the rogues gallery of both Mario and Sonic. These bosses would be:

World 1: Orbot and Cubot (in a modified Eggwalker), Petey Pirahna

World 2: Boom Boom, Shadow

Gap Between 2&3:Babylon Rogues

World 3: Egg Robo (in a modified Egg Hornet), Wario

World 4: Pom Pom, Orbot and Cubot (in a modified Egg Breaker)

Gap Between 4&5: King and Queen Hisstocrat

World 5: Shadow Androids, Koopalings

Gap Between 5&6: Mecha Sonic and Silver Sonic (with Metal Sonic as their commander.

World 6: King Boom Boo, King Boo (from Luigi's Mansion series)

World 7: Bowser Jr, Metal Sonic

Gap Between 7&8: Kamek

World 8: Bowser and Eggman (final bosses)

Mario and Sonic are the only playable characters, however once you complete the story and unlock the special worlds you will be able to play as Luigi and Tails. The eight heroes that play a major role throughout story mode are Mario, Sonic, Luigi, Tails, Blue Toad, Knuckles, Peach, and Amy.

[Lady Soniko]

Slap Sonic in Yoshi's Island and...

 

Oh..

[Diogenes]

If they ever actually did it, I'd hope they'd do something interesting with the gameplay. Don't just throw them in each others levels and have them play like normal, that's boring. Get some proper teamwork going, treat them like they're Banjo and Kazooie or something.

[Kuzu]

I'd generally prefer a blend of the two rather than just sticking them in each other's levels....now how you go about that is a different story.

[TryhardDreamer]

Sonic and Mario should always be playing at the same time, and whoever the player chooses to play as the other character would be AI controlled (or controlled by second player). As far as levels, I like the system of 8 worlds, but I'd prefer 8 zones with 4 to 6 acts in each world. In all there should be 16 worlds, meaning that depending on your character you will experience a different set of levels.

[Splash the Otter]

As far as combining worlds, I suggest having an even mixture of franchise-specific elements in each zone. For example, Bowser and Dr. Eggman both use airships. Why not have them pool their fleets together for a level where some of the airships are Bowser's wooden galleons, while others are inspired by Wing Fortress or the Egg Fleet?

[MegasonicZX]

If they ever actually did it, I'd hope they'd do something interesting with the gameplay. Don't just throw them in each others levels and have them play like normal, that's boring. Get some proper teamwork going, treat them like they're Banjo and Kazooie or something.

The problem would be how mario would help sonic at all or vice versa, cause sonic can basically do everything that mario can do but better while mario has nothing to really help sonic out besides maybe his power ups and even then im not really sure how it would work out in the end, maybe mario can have extra jump height and if they go the extra mile, give him his hammer so he can break things that sonic can't and defeat tougher enemies.

[Big Panda]

You know how in some levels you can have Mario run up the side of a wall after getting a running start? They should make it so he can do that with loops.

[Diogenes]

The problem would be how mario would help sonic at all or vice versa

Well I figure since Sonic is obviously the speed, Mario would be the (relative) brawn. What's been rolling around in my head is Heroes-style switching and a sort of tether to keep the two together (though no wonky physics like Chaotix, just something to make the other character zip back to you). Playing as Sonic would be faster, but with looser, more momentum-based control, and he'd have shorter-ranged attacks, but with the protection of spinning. Mario would be slower, but with tighter platforming controls, and he'd be able to throw Sonic (who boomerangs back, due to the tether) to attack at range.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

 

Then there's a stinger after the stinger announcing the upcoming Mario/Sonic/Crash crossover.

Featuring an extra boss fight and chapter: Sonic & Mario vs Activision: "The Road to Crash Bandicoot's Freedom"

The problem would be how mario would help sonic at all or vice versa.

Taking notes from their tag team fights in Super Mario Bros Z might be a good place to start.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

 

Maybe a bit of a pipe dream, but anything's possible right?

[Emerald Chaos]

I always thought the best way to make this work would be through an RPG.

 

IIRC in the interviews for the Olympic series they were struggling to find a way to make the crossover work because of the conflicting gameplay styles.
 

An RPG would make that neglible, the differences between the characters could be seen in the move styles and stat differences, and the teams who do the Mario RPGs are lauded for really good writing. It's just always made sense to me.

[Sparky]

Sonic Lost World proves that a Crossover with Mario is now even more possible.

[Salamander]

There's a thought.  Were they testing the waters, seeing what the public at large thought of the idea?

 

Edit: I'm referring to the Yoshi's Island DLC, not Lost World's general style, in case that's not clear.

[Blitz 'n Burst]

I agree with Diogenes. Separating them into two different playstyles and just giving them some levels to run through is boring. Yeah I guess it would technically qualify as a "crossover," but not one with any real substance. You're pretty much just playing two separate games shoved onto a single disk. It sucked in Adventure, it sucked in Adventure 2, it sucked in Unleashed and it would suck here as well.

[Dizcrybe]

Playing as Sonic would be faster, but with looser, more momentum-based control, and he'd have shorter-ranged attacks, but with the protection of spinning. Mario would be slower, but with tighter platforming controls, and he'd be able to throw Sonic (who boomerangs back, due to the tether) to attack at range.

 

This sounds more jarring and hard to get used to than anything.

 

Then again I never played Heroes so...

[Ryusuke]

I always thought the best way to make this work would be through an RPG.

 

IIRC in the interviews for the Olympic series they were struggling to find a way to make the crossover work because of the conflicting gameplay styles.

 

An RPG would make that neglible, the differences between the characters could be seen in the move styles and stat differences, and the teams who do the Mario RPGs are lauded for really good writing. It's just always made sense to me.

I pretty much agree with this. 

 

Preferably, Alpha Dream (partially because I think the Mario & Luigi games have the best turn-based battle system of all time). I think Sonic would work pretty well in Mario & Luigi series' battle system. You usually have to be really active in battle with both characters, even on the enemies' turn, and it can get pretty chaotic. And their writing have always been fun. They should definitely give it a shot one of these days.