Sonic's had one heck of a journey over the last 30 years, and while he and Mario are the best of buds these days with their regular Olympic outings, the two were the largest of rivals in the gaming industry once upon a time. It's that particular fact that makes this little discovery all the more interesting, though, and all the more bizarre.
Let's be clear before we dive in – this isn't Mario appearing in the original Sonic the Hedgehog game. What it is, is a carving that looks uncannily like Mario, and we can't believe we haven't ever noticed it before.
As highlighted by Twitter user @TanookiKuribo, a face-like shape can be seen in the ruins of Marble Zone, the game's second level. On the left, we see how it looks in-game; on the right, colour helps to highlight just how much the shape looks like Mario's moustachioed mug.
Whaaaat?!
As people in the replies have mentioned, it's actually much more likely to be two lions with a vase in the middle – take a second look, and now you'll be able to see that, too. We prefer the thought that Mario snuck his way into Marble Zone, though, so we'll conveniently ignore that and tell our friends that it really is Mario, before letting them down gently and ruining the short burst of excitement we just gave to them.
Have you ever noticed this Mario resemblance before? Let us know and feel free to trick your friends with this little discovery too – or don't, if you're nice like that.
Comments 61
I wouldn't be surprised if that was intentional. Just to keep folks speculating back then.
I'm assuming that it's implying how Mario will be a memory while Sonic will strive.
And look how we are now.
I guess this is a case where my brain can't see it at all even with the little Mario icon lol. I mean it's a cool easter egg thing if true but I'm doubtful it is.
This is what happens when you stare too hard at pixels people!
Mario on the brain?
What the...
I've never seen this before, and now that I've seen it I can't go back. All I see is Mario now.
"and we can't believe we haven't ever noticed it before."
The most diehard fans don't play Sonic 1 so no one expects nintendolife to play it either.
@GrailUK if you stare at a mesh of paint you can see anything in the world so yes a couple people looking really hard might see mario
I played this game when it was brand new, and played it regularly over the last 30 years.
Why have I only just noticed this now!?
My life feels different now.
@AlienX yes I was confused why sonic 1 wasn't on genesis online then I realized it's sonic 1
This has the same energy as the Goldeneye 007 boxart having James Bond’s mouth extended by his hand.
This has been known for...a long time. Slow news day I guess?
Also, its meant to be lions, much like classic architecture. It just so happens lining those sprites up in that way looks like Mario.
What's more notable about Marble Zone is those damn UFO things.
I noticed this a really long time ago, while playing the GBA Sonic 1 port due to how the GBA port is zoomed in and it's easier to see the pixels than an old TV.
I was like, "Mario?" when I saw it. You kind of can't unsee it afterwards, lol.
I noticed this the first time I played that level, Then I remember, oh ya, they had that fun is infinite screen thats probably a jab at mario.
This is your brain on Nintendo
I actually remember that someone made a review of Sonic 1 on YouTube in like, 2007 or so, and he pointed out that Mario face in Marble Zone.
Removed - unconstructive
That's not mario, just a random design pattern that can be anything, just a coincidence
I'm on the "lions and a vase" team
I think this is a controversial opinion, but Marble Zone is a good level. Sonic can still be fun even when the platforming is slow and methodical with light puzzle elements. If I wanted meaningless auto-running sections, I would just play the uninspired Mario Maker uploads that get into the popular section for some reason. Not much to do with the topic at hand, but I'm not that interested.
Never noticed it before. Now I can't unsee it. Thanks, NintendoLife
I've looked at it for 10 minutes and it still looks more like Mario than two lions and a vase.
I see crash bandicoot
Mario in Sonic. Luigi in Sega GT. Honestly, have SEGA always wanted to be Nintendo?
Removed - unconstructive
@AlienX Sonic 1 is the ONLY Sonic game in my opinion!
Lol I noticed that as a little girl. Confused me at the time. As I was too young to either realize it was an optical illusion or that devs have a sense of humor about their work.
As others have said, your brain has been conditioned to look for Mario as a Nintendo fiend
@Carck True.
@HotGoomba Official Genesis controllers on a Nintendo system, the kind of news that would have broken the schoolyard back in grade school. Nevermind the idea that Sonic is a fighter in the same official fighter series that Mario stars in.
You're talking about this now? I first heard about it in like 2010
or two lions with their front paws on a small stone statue or water fountain of sorts?? never heard of this before and never seen it.... However I can see it now, after all, the wee plumber was every where in the early 90's
I always thought it looked like the Loyola family crest.
@GrailUK I think it just depends on the brain. The first time I saw this when I was little I only saw Mario. To be honest it wasn't until this article that I realized that it was supposed to be something else, and I have to cover up one of the "lions" to see it.
Nope, it just a design similarity, you will only see Mario if that's what you wanna see. Dr. Robotnik himself is already like a Mario in Sonic.
That colorization is lame it adds in details that aren’t in the original sprite to make it more like Mario.
This shows how stone cold Mario is.
But it's clearly lions.
@Ryu_Niiyama I can see both. Depends on if you focus on the negative space for the eyes, or the actual pattern of two creatures I would figure.
Hard to notice little details like that in a Sonic game, where you`re blazing through stages as fast as you can go. Btw in this case I think it`s just a bizarre coincidence of sorts.
Sure...that's like saying there is batman on a dollar bill.
I think we are seeing what we want to see here
Oh wow, I will never be able to unsee that now, it is going to forever look like Mario to me now and there is nothing I can do about it. Thanks a lot Nintendo Life! XD OMEGALUL
It’s taken people, how long to notice this? Really?
I said it before; but I never been unable to unsee it since 2011.
M is fake 3021
What’s up with all the Sonic 1 hate in the comments? It has its flaws but I still think it’s a fun game & it was a groundbreaking hit for Sega at the time. That being said, however, IMO, Sonic 2 nearly perfected the formula
Lol this is news? I noticed this when I played it in 1991…. I just assumed everyone could see it.
Looks more like Kirby with wiggly long arms.
Once you see it, you can't unsee it!
It's clearly Waluigi, Sakurai went back in time and made the Sonic artists put that in the game to tease that Waluigi and Sonic would eventually fight each other in Smash Bros!
I don't see Mario in it at all. I don't understand how anyone jumps to that conclusion personally.
No one actually believes this is Mario right? Like come on, that's such a huge stretch
@Dingelhopper I think some of them actually do. Even the article says "colour helps to highlight just how much the shape looks like Mario's moustachioed mug" when in reality, it isn't just the color. They drew in the entire hat linking the lions together into one image, they drew on the ears, reshaped the whole image, etc. It looks nothing like Mario without the drawn part over it.
I thought this was obvious... Sorry.
@Lyricana exactly! Pretty absurd to think this was intentionally meant to look like Mario at all (which it doesn't). This reminds me of when people think they see a face in a rock wall texture in a video game when in reality it's just your mind playing tricks
@HotGoomba my toddlers absolutely love both of these characters. Certainly neither of them are ancient history!
"it's actually much more likely to be two lions with a vase in the middle – take a second look, and now you'll be able to see that, too."
Great, thanks for double-breaking my brain today, Nintendo Life.
Always seem like lions to me but ones you noticed it you just can't unsee it, lol =XD
@Thelastjedi2007 Sonic 1, at least, seems to have some weird copyright issue for Japan. Like Sega owes a band money for each copy sold or something. Not even sure how that would work for something like NSO.
It's funny to me that this often gets pushed even though it's wrong, but everyone ignores when Sega tried to stick an actual Mario parody boss into Alex Kidd in Shinobi World.
The music in Sonic 1 and 2 was composed by a member of well-regarded band Dreams Come True. One of their albums even has a full studio version of the Sonic 2 ending theme.
❗In my opinion, STH1 is the ONLY Sonic Game worth playing.
#TheOriginalAndTheBest
The design is based on the "Lion's Gate" in the ancient Greek city of Mycenae:
https://www.worldhistory.org/image/337/lions-gate-at-mycenae/
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