Last month, SEGA released Sonic Superstars, a long-awaited brand new 2D entry in the Sonic The Hedgehog series.

Although generally well received, it seems that the game did not quite meet SEGA’s expectations in terms of sales. In a recent investor Q&A, Sega head Haruki Satomi reportedly admitted that Sonic Superstars had a “slightly weaker start” than they expected. Interestingly, when asked about why this might have been the case, Satomi said that there may have been “significant impact” from a game released by “other companies” around the same time.

Q: What do you see as the reason for the lower-than-expected start of Sonic Superstars?

A: We believe that the impact of other companies’ major title released at the same time is significant, but we plan to expand the promotion towards the holiday season, especially in overseas market. Both the Metacritic score and user score are higher than SONIC FRONTIERS, and we would like to continue to sell firmly.

Although not explicitly mentioned, the “other major title” is more than likely Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which infamously launched during the same week as Sonic Superstars. In a somewhat nostalgic revival of the two gaming icons’ classic rivalry, it seems that the plumber has come out on top this time.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.