Dragon Ballfans were deprived of what could’ve been one of the greatest anime and video game crossovers of all time, a testament to Japan’s long-lasting impact on global popular culture. So, what was this crossover, and how close did it actually come to happening?
As surprising as it might be,Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020could have featuredDragon Ballcharacters. Already an ambitious and slightly confusing crossover between two gaming titans,Mario and Sonic at the Olympicsgathered characters from both universes together to compete in Olympic-tier sporting events.
With the idea of Goku in the picture, just what wasMario and Sonic at the Olympicssupposed to be?
Mario and Sonic at the Olympics 2020 Would’ve Featured Many Popular Franchises
Pokémon, Dragon Ball, Mega Man, and More Were Planned
In a conversation that took place onX (formerly Twitter)between a fan andMario and Sonicproducer Lee Cocker, the 2020 edition of the crossover franchise was intended to feature a lot more than just Sonic and Mario. When asked for details about characters who were approached but didn’t make it in, Cocker revealed several.
In addition to Sonic and Mario characters, the Sega game nearly featured characters from several other game franchises, includingPokémon,Metal Gear,Street Fighter,Zelda,andMega Man.However, Cocker only listed one anime franchise as an option they pursued:Dragon Ball.
The idea ofGoku and potentially otherDragon Ballcharactersappearing in aMario and Sonic at the Olympicsgame is a fascinating idea. Sonic is pretty heavily inspired by Goku andDragon Ballin general, as is clear by the existence of Super Sonic. Seeing Sonic and Goku finally meet would’ve certainly been a big moment in video game history.
The Project Was Simply Too Ambitious to Work Out
It’s not known how far along in the game-making process Sega was when it became clear that adding other franchises wouldn’t be viable, but it sounds like it must’ve been fairly early. Trying to get the rights to each of these series and characters, especially in other countries as well as Japan, probably proved too difficult to overcome.
Super Robot Warsis a major anime crossover video game series, but its titles are often difficult to localize due to how the rights to certain franchises can vary from country to country.
Not getting international distribution rights straightened out early can definitely be a problem.Super Robot Warsis a major anime crossover video game series, but its titles are often difficult to localize due to how the rights to certain franchises can vary from country to country, leading to several installments being Japan-only, to the chagrin of Western fans.
Had this plan panned out,Mario and Sonic at the Olympicswould’ve been aSuper Smash Bros.-tier crossover, at least for 2020, and would’ve paired characters who might otherwise never have had a shot at interacting. It’s certainly a shame thinking about what could’ve been, but there’s always the future to look forward to forDragon Ballfans.
