The gaming world was shocked when producer Lee Cocker revealed the ambitious crossover plans that never materialized for the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series. While fans enjoyed seeing Nintendo's mustachioed plumber and Sega's blue blur compete in various Olympic events, the games could have featured an even more spectacular roster of characters from across the gaming universe.

Originally released in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 marked the sixth and final installment in the popular crossover series. The game brought together characters from both iconic franchises to compete in events based on the (later postponed) 2020 Summer Olympics. What many players didn't know was that the development team had much grander visions for the game's crossover potential.

In a surprising Twitter revelation, Cocker explained that licensing issues prevented what could have been the most ambitious crossover in sports gaming history. "We had discussions about including characters from Pokemon, Dragon Ball, Metal Gear Solid, Mega Man, The Legend of Zelda, and even Street Fighter," Cocker shared. "Each franchise presented unique opportunities - imagine Goku competing in track events or Solid Snake in shooting sports!"

The producer elaborated on the challenges, noting that "certain characters could only be used for specific events" due to licensing restrictions. This limitation, combined with the complexity of coordinating between multiple rights holders, ultimately led to the more focused Mario and Sonic pairing that fans came to know.

While the Mario & Sonic Olympic series concluded with the Tokyo 2020 installment, the door may not be completely closed on future crossovers between these gaming icons. Recent developments suggest Nintendo and Sega might collaborate again for the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, potentially in a racing title that could unite the universes in new ways.

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