Why Ristar Should've Been The Genesis's Mascot, Not Sonic

Ristar is celebrating its 30-year anniversary today, February 16, 2025. Below, we make the case that despite Sonic's breakout celebrity, Ristar really deserved to be the face of Sega.

It's fair to say that Mario will likely always sit on the throne as the most iconic video game mascot of all time, but Sonic the Hedgehog certainly gave him a run for his money back in the '90s. The lovable 'tude and blistering speed of the Blue Blur made him a cultural figure par excellence in the days of the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, and you can even argue that his signature velocity defined the idea of that Sega console in the average gamer's mind. That said, Genesis fanatics are well aware that Sonic isn't even the best platform star on his own console. That honor belongs to Ristar, who Sonic kneecapped like a coward 30 years ago so he could stay on the treadmill of producing endlessly mediocre spin-offs with no substance or new ideas.

Okay, that is a bit harsh to Sonic--it's not his fault that Sega has dropped the ball with his games since roughly the turn of the century, with a few notable exceptions. But while Sonic's signature speed and beautiful pastel aesthetics never quite made the transition to 3D, mechanics-focused indie platformers similar to Ristar have continued to find an audience, from the gravity flip of VVVVVV to the no-jump gimmick of Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom. In this way, Ristar was a swinging star-man ahead of his time, and it's unfortunate that Sega didn't realize that.

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