Sonic Wasn't SEGA's First Official Mascot. Here's Who Came Before Him
The golden age of console mascots is still looked back on fondly to this very day.
At one point, the major console manufacturers were usually represented by anthropomorphic icons, adorable animals with attitude, and other assorted heroes. Mario still reps for Nintendo, Sonic the Hedgehog ran at hyper fast speeds for SEGA, and Crash Bandicoot once stood proudly for the Sony PlayStation. Even the Microsoft Xbox console saw fit to garner gamer hype via the presence of Halo's Master Chief.
When it comes to SEGA, everyone has become accustomed to seeing the world's most recognizable "Blue Blur" hold down the fort for the Japanese publisher/developer. But at one point in time, Sonic wasn't the sole mascot for the company. Before he sped onto the scene, there were two characters that were propped up as SEGA's biggest representatives.
Here is the story behind two forgotten SEGA mascots, Opa-Opa and Alex Kidd.
Opa-Opa and Alex Kidd represented SEGA before Sonic took their spot
SEGA's first attempt at getting itself a legit mascot came with the introduction of Opa-Opa.
Opa-Opa is designed to look like a miniature ship that just so happens to have wings and legs attached to it. The character is most known for starring in the Fantasy Zone series, which are referred to as "cute 'em up" shooters. Opa-Opa is also featured prominently in a slew of other SEGA games. In fact, it can be unlocked as a playable character in Sonic & SEGA All-Star Racing and it even makes an appearance in Samba de Amigo with a song dedicated to it.
After Opa-Opa came Alex Kidd, a young tyke that mostly starred in SEGA's early attempts at platforming games. He appeared across numerous releases that relied on his star power, such as Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Alex Kid in the Enchanted Castle, and Alex Kidd in Shinobi World. Even though his popularity was eventually overshadowed by Sonic's presence, Alex was showcased in multiple SEGA.
Alex Kidd was also featured in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing and its sequel, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.