Sonic and Mario as you've never seen them before

Japanese anime has tackled a wide range of topics over the years. From the price of fame to the effects of the bombing of Japan in World War II, the medium has been put to stunning use by animators in the Far East.

However, there's plenty of oddball stuff around, too - like Aoi Sekai no Chuushin. This new production is set in the mythical land of Consume, where two kingdoms are battling it out for supremacy. On one side there's the dominant Ninterudo Empire, and on the other there's the resurgent Segua Kingdom.

Unless you're totally clueless, you should notice that this is a thinly-veiled attempt to retell the console wars of the '90s, when the Super Nintendo and Sega Mega Drive (AKA: Genesis) fought for the attention and cash of millions worldwide. All of the characters featured in the series are based on Nintendo and Sega franchises. Check out the full list below (as translated by Nintendo Gamer):

Aoi Sekai No Chuushin De1

Gia – Sonic (Sonic The Hedgehog)
Opul – Opa-Opa (Fantasy Zone)
Neru – Nei (Phantasy Star)
Tejilof – Tetris (apparently a third-party mercenary hired by Segua)
Ramses – Columns
Marcse – Mario
Greege – Luigi
Zerig – The Legend Of Zelda
Carval – Kirby
Fare – Fire Emblem
Masa – Mother
Saroid – Samus (Metroid)
Pirika – Pikachu (Pokémon)
Fosta – Fox (Star Fox)

[source nintendo-gamer.net]