Super Mario Odyssey is one of the best games to come out this year, but if you're a long-time player of Sonic the Hedgehog like I am, you may have noticed a few familiar elements as you're traveling through the kingdoms, capturing everything in sight. Check out the totally legitimate list of things I noticed Mario lifting from the Sonic series in his latest adventure.

Be warned: There are some spoilers to Super Mario Odyssey below.

A theme song that describes actions he can do

During E3, this was the first thing we heard when we were introduced to Super Mario Odyssey, and I was immediately given flashbacks to Sonic CD's theme song, "Sonic Boom."

I mean, there are about two-and-a-half decades separating the two songs, but you get the picture.

Mario basically has a spin dash

The moment I saw Mario utilizing one of Sonic's most iconic moves in Super Mario Odyssey, I knew something was fishy. Could you imagine if Sonic started running and jumping on his enemies? It would be madness. It would be, dare I say, chaos. Thankfully, we'll never have to worry about that because Sonic never runs or jumps.

Mario running around with full-grown human men in suits



New Donk City is super fun to play around, but it is a bit jarring to see the little mustache man next to realistically proportioned humans. It's not like we've ever seen a cartoony mascot from a classic video game series spend time in a human-filled world... OR HAVE WE?

Look at Sonic just hanging out with that man in a suit. It's hard to say if it's the same man that Mario is spending time with in the pic above that, but I think it is. They have the same color hair, and the same propensity to sport stylish two-button suits. That man is basically the video game equivalent of the ex-Verizon spokesman that now shows up in ads for Sprint. The exact same thing.

When Mario dies in Super Mario Odyssey, he not only loses coins, but they appear in a ring. Hmm.



The conspiracy grows deeper. We all know that Sonic is the master of losing currency when he gets hit. In lieu of losing lives, Mario loses... coins? Ha. I'm sure that's just a coincidence. Not only that, but Mario's coins are finally worth something! Nintendo let us buy stuff with all those coins we find laying around. That's only something Sonic fans have been doing for over a decade now.

Mario transforms into things and gains their powers. No, not like a power-up.

Yeah, yeah; I get it. "Power-ups have been around forever in both series!" But when you collect a leaf in Super Mario Bros. 3, do you turn into a sentient leaf? No! You grow a raccoon tail. Changing a character's outfit and changing his actual form are completely different things. In games like Sonic Colors, Sega's mascot collects Wisps and changes his physical form to reflect those Wisps. In Super Mario Odyssey, Nintendo's main man throws his hat at things and he possesses them. Alright, I'll concede that it's not exactly the same thing, but it's pretty close, right? That has to count for something.

Robots hanging out in nature



Wooded Kingdom is a cool level in Super Mario Odyssey, but what's with all those robots in the woods? Sure sounds like a premise for... you guessed it! A Sonic level. In fact, the very first stage in the series, Green Hill Zone, is pretty much that. You heard it here first, folks.

Let's see... Sonic hung out with dinosaurs, too... right?



He sure did. Long before Mario threw his hat on a helpless T. rex, Sonic was running around with all kinds of dinosaurs in Sonic and the Secret Rings on Wii.

See? I told you.

Uhhh.... Are we still going? They both have a focus on the moon? Yeah. Let's go with that.



Ever since Sonic 2, Sega's speedy blue hedgehog has been traveling to space to do battle with Dr. Eggman. Hell, Dr. Eggman even blew up the moon in Sonic Adventure 2! Though this is hardly the first time Mario has traveled to space, Super Mario Odyssey places a keen focus on the moon throughout the game and, of course, at the end of the game.

I think that's all I've got. Thanks for reading... oh wait... I said "nine"? Are you sure? Alright.

Oh man... what else? You can unlock "Classic Mario" in Super Mario Odyssey, and Classic Sonic is a thing in Sonic Generations. Will you please free my family now?



Yup. It's a spoiler, but hey, I warned you in the intro so you have nobody to blame but yourself. In Mushroom Kingdom after you beat the main story, you can buy an outfit that makes Mario look like his N64 model. While classic Sonic in Sonic Generations isn't pixelated or polygonal, it's totally the same thing. No, you're wrong – I'm not grasping at straws. This is seriously the same thing, you guys. Ohhhh way to go calling me names in the comments section. Real mature.

So there you have it, folks. Indisputable evidence that Sonic the Hedgehog is the Simpsons of the video game industry. Just remember, that no matter what gimmick your favorite upcoming game is looking to attempt, Sonic has probably tried that gimmick and moved on without ever acknowledging it again at some point in its 26-year history.