Sonic Superstars and Super Mario Bros. Wonder are two important upcoming 2.5D platformers that have already excited fans of some of the most iconic mascots in gaming, and for good reason. Both titles aim to harken back to the franchises' roots. When one looks at both games, there are quite a lot of similarities between what both the new Sonic and Mario games set out to do in terms of features and making what's old feel new again.
Rather, the similarities don't end with introducing new power-ups and including characters who've been needing the spotlight for a while. Super Mario Bros. Wonder has already revealed that it's releasing October 20, 2023, and Sonic Superstars has only stated a window of Fall 2023. Both of these are still subject to change, but if they don't, the old Sonic and Mario rivalry may come back after years of being on peaceful terms.
Sonic Superstars and Super Mario Bros. Wonder May Come Out Too Soon
While many gamers typically see a release date as something to mark on their calendars as the day they can play something new, the exact date a game is made available is much more important than that. For game developers and publishers, picking the perfect day to start selling a game is crucial to sales.
Currently, October 2023 is loaded with release dates for many different titles, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder has already thrown itself on top of the pile. Meanwhile, Sonic Superstars has yet to announce when it'll be available beyond a timeframe. It could be said that Sega could take note of Super Mario Bros. Wonder's release date and possibly wait to release Sonic Superstars at a more opportune time, but the blue blur may already be fated to fight the plumber for players' attention and money.
A recent listing by GameStop suggests Sonic Superstars will release on October 17, just three days before Super Mario Bros. Wonder hits shelves. While Mario is staying on Switch and Sonic debatably has more reach by going multiplatform, the hedgehog might not keep up with other prominent releases like Alan Wake 2 or Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
How the Fight Between Mario and Sonic in 2023 Could Pan Out
Even if the release date for Sonic Superstars was moved to give Super Mario Bros. Wonder some breathing room, there's hardly anywhere else left for Sega to place the game without significantly delaying Superstars, meaning the battle for sales between Nintendo and Sega is likely to happen regardless. After all, Superstars is likely aiming to release before the holidays, and before Sonic Frontiers' best-selling run finishes its first year in November.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is likely also aiming to release before the holidays, so it can be sold as a great gift for the season. Even though Sonic and Mario (as well as the companies they represent) have been seen shaking hands and being good sports to each other since 2008, there's a relatively small overlap between their fans even to this day.
Both franchises are particularly full of loyal fans who will likely get their favorite series over the other any day. This means that while Sonic Superstars is on every current and next-gen console, its sales will likely be lower than Wonder's on Switch as the numbers are scattered across several systems.
However, Sonic Superstars isn't easily written off in this race. As the game was playable at Summer Game Fest this year, many hands-on impressions of the new classic Sonic game have been positive, and many fans are excited about the return of Naoto Ohshima and the character Fang (AKA Nack) the Hunter. Out of the two titles, Sonic and friends may need more support than Mario, as Sonic Superstars faces a lot of pressure as the first 2D game developed by Sonic Team itself in years.
Sonic Superstars will release in Fall 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.