Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

Last updated
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.jpg
Cover art, depicting Mario and Sonic at the Japan National Stadium
Developer(s) Sega [a]
Publisher(s) Sega
Director(s) Naohiro Hirao
Producer(s) Nobuya Ohashi
Designer(s)
  • Shingo Kawakami
  • Takao Hirabayashi
  • Mariko Kawase
Programmer(s) Mitsuru Takahashi
Artist(s) Hiroshi Kanazawa
Composer(s)
Series Mario & Sonic
Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, Arcade
ReleaseNintendo Switch
Arcade
  • WW: 2020
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 [b] is a 2019 sports video game based on the 2020 Summer Olympics. It is the sixth and final game in the Mario & Sonic series, a crossover between Nintendo's Super Mario and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchises, and the first since the Rio 2016 Olympic Games edition. It was developed and published by Sega for the Nintendo Switch in November 2019 and for arcade cabinets in 2020.

Contents

The game received mixed reviews, with praise for the presentation and gameplay, but criticism for a perceived lack of content for single-player, multiplayer features, and the story mode. It is the final game in the series, as the International Olympic Committee chose not to renew Sega and Nintendo's license to produce Olympic video games after 2020, in favor of a new partnership with nWay, who has developed mobile games for the subsequent editions, as well as exploring opportunities in non-fungible tokens and esports. [3]

Gameplay

8-Bit Princess Peach & Luigi and 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog & Knuckles competing in a retro version of the 400 metres hurdles at the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan Mario&Sonic1964Olympics.jpg
8-Bit Princess Peach & Luigi and 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog & Knuckles competing in a retro version of the 400 metres hurdles at the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan

Like previous Mario & Sonic titles, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is a sports game featuring a crossover cast of characters from Nintendo's Super Mario and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. [4] The player, using one of the characters, competes in a multitude of events based on sports from the Olympic Games. The game features a variety of events; returning ones from previous Mario & Sonic titles include boxing, soccer, swimming, and gymnastics, while new ones include karate, skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing. [5]

The game supports a variety of controllers, including the Joy-Con motion controllers. [5] [6] The game also features single system split-screen multiplayer, LAN multiplayer, and online play. [5] An additional 2D Mode is also included, based on the 1964 Summer Olympics, and featuring 8-bit and 16-bit styles for Mario and Sonic, respectively. These 2D Mode events have more limited controls and the option to enable a CRT overlay to further emulate the feel of games of that era. [7]

There are thirty-two playable characters in the game. Similar to the Wii U version of the previous game, the series' regulars since the second game are playable in all events while the other twelve are only playable in one event as a guest. Guest characters include Larry Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, Ludwig von Koopa, Diddy Kong, Rosalina, Toadette (who is the game's sole newcomer), Dr. Eggman Nega, Jet the Hawk, Rouge the Bat, Zavok, Zazz, and Espio the Chameleon. In order to unlock these guest characters, players had to progress through the game's story mode. [8]

Development and release

In October 2016, Sega announced it had secured the licensing rights from the International Olympic Committee to publish video games based on the 2020 Summer Olympics, with plans for games to be released on various devices. [9] Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was announced alongside Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game on March 29, 2019, at the Sega Fes stage show in Japan. [6] [10] It was the first Mario & Sonic game since the Rio 2016 Olympic Games edition for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, [6] [11] and was released worldwide for the Nintendo Switch in November 2019; [5] a version for arcade cabinets will release sometime in 2020. [6] A companion game for Android and iOS, Sonic at the Olympic Games - Tokyo 2020, was also released in 2020. [4] [10] The game was featured at E3 2019, and Gamescom 2019. [12] [13] Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was the final game AlphaDream worked on before it filed for bankruptcy in 2019. Racjin, Yuke's, and Success Corp also worked on the game; Racjin helped develop previous Mario & Sonic games, while Yuke's helped Sega develop Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game. [14]

A tie-in free-to-start mobile game Sonic at the Olympic Games - Tokyo 2020 was released for on Android and iOS on May 7, 2020. Like its predecessor Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games , it features similar gameplay to the main game, albeit lack of Mario characters and the 2D mode, additional events, and a new story. [15] [16] Despite the delay of the Tokyo Olympic Games from 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the game retained the "Olympic Games Tokyo 2020" name for branding purposes. [17]

Reception

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has received "mixed or average reviews" from critics according to the review aggregator Metacritic. [18]

The game has received praise for its mini games, which have been described as fun to play. The game has also received praise for the story mode for having its own mini-games, references to various Mario and Sonic games, respectively, humor, and Olympic history. Also, the game has received praise for the 2D events for adding value for fans of the retro Mario and Sonic style, as well as emulating the feel of sports games of that era, such as Track & Field . [25] [27] [32] However, the game has also received criticism for its story mode having "tedious progression" and slow dialogue. [25] [27] The game has also received criticism towards its lack of single-player content. [27]

Reception to multiplayer was mixed. Local play received praise for making events more enjoyable and adding replay value, but was criticized for its limited options and "lack of formal structure". [7] [32] The online mode has been criticized due to lag, especially when playing with eight players, although two to four players online has been reported to be smoother, with less lag. [25]

In Japan, it was the 28th-best-selling game of 2019, with 195,128 units sold in Japan that year. [33] The game sold over 900,000 units as of March 2020. [34]

Notes

  1. ↑ Additional work by Racjin, Yuke's, AlphaDream and Success
  2. ↑ Japanese: マリオ&(アンド)ソニック AT(アット) 東京2020オリンピック, Hepburn: Mario ando Sonikku atto Tōkyō 2020 (Nī-Zero-Nī-Zero) Orinpikku

Related Research Articles

Mario Kart is a series of kart racing games based on the Mario franchise developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up items. It features characters and courses mostly from the Mario series as well as other gaming franchises such as The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, F-Zero, Excitebike, and Splatoon.

<i>Super Mario Kart</i> 1992 video game

Super Mario Kart is a kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The first game in the Mario Kart series, it was released in Japan and North America in 1992, and in Europe the following year in 1993. Selling 8.76 million copies worldwide, the game went on to become the fourth best-selling SNES game of all time. Super Mario Kart was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console in 2009, on the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2013, and on the New Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in 2016. Nintendo re-released Super Mario Kart in 2017 as part of the company's Super NES Classic Edition.

<i>Mario Party 5</i> 2003 video game

Mario Party 5 is a 2003 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the fifth installment in the Mario Party series and the second game in the series to be released for the GameCube. The game is set in the fictional Dream Depot, consisting of seven game boards. The single-player "Story" mode involves the player winning multiple games against the Koopa Kids to prevent Bowser from conquering the Dream Depot. The main multiplayer game mode consists of four characters from the Mario series playing a board game, with each board having a set theme. The game also features several minigames, which are played after every set of turns. Mario Party 5 introduces the "Super Duel" mode to the franchise, which requires players to assemble and control custom made battle vehicles which can be used in combat against other machines. The game features 10 playable characters, with playable debuts to the series from Toad, Boo, and Koopa Kid.

<i>Sonic Advance</i> 2001 platform video game

Sonic Advance is a 2001 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and Dimps and published by Sega for the Game Boy Advance. It was the first Sonic the Hedgehog game to be released on a Nintendo console with Sonic Adventure 2: Battle on the GameCube, and was produced in commemoration of the series' tenth anniversary. The story follows Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy as they journey to stop Doctor Eggman from taking over the world. Controlling a character, players are tasked with completing each level, defeating Eggman and his robot army, and collecting the seven Chaos Emeralds.

<i>Marios Tennis</i> 1995 video game

Mario's Tennis is a 1995 sports video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Virtual Boy. It was released as a launch title for the Virtual Boy, and later was a pack-in game in North America. It is the first installment of the Mario Tennis series.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 2</i> 1992 video game

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 1992 platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute (STI) for the Sega Genesis. Players control Sonic as he attempts to stop Doctor Robotnik from stealing the Chaos Emeralds to power his space station. Like the first Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), players traverse side-scrolling levels at high speeds while collecting rings, defeating enemies, and fighting bosses. Sonic 2 introduces Sonic's sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower and features faster gameplay, larger levels, a multiplayer mode, and special stages featuring pre-rendered 3D graphics.

<i>Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games</i> 2007 video game

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is a 2007 crossover sports and party game developed by the Sega Sports R&D Department. It is the first installment on the Mario & Sonic series. It was published by Nintendo in Japan and by Sega in other regions, and released on the Wii in November 2007 and the Nintendo DS handheld in January 2008. The first official video game of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, it is licensed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through exclusive licensee International Sports Multimedia (ISM), and is the first official crossover game to feature characters from the Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog series.

<i>Sega Superstars Tennis</i> 2008 sports video game

Sega Superstars Tennis is a sports video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It is the second title in the Sega All-Stars series, preceded by Sega Superstars (2004), and crosses over characters, locations, and soundtracks from several Sega franchises, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Channel 5, and Super Monkey Ball.

<i>Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games</i> 2009 video game

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is a 2009 sports and party game developed by Sega. Like its predecessor, it was published by Nintendo for Japan and Korea and by Sega in the Western world. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through exclusive license International Sports Multimedia. The game is the third official crossover title to feature characters from both Mario and Sonic's respective universes, the first and second being the game's predecessor Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Super Smash Bros. Brawl respectively. It was released on the Wii and the Nintendo DS in October 2009, and is the first official video game of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

<i>Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing</i> 2010 video game

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is a 2010 kart racing video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It was released for Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, and Windows, featuring characters from multiple Sega franchises. The game is the third title in the Sega All-Stars series, preceded by Sega Superstars Tennis. A mobile version was developed by Gameloft, and released for iOS in June 2011, as a paid download. A version for OS X was released by Feral Interactive in April 2013.

<i>Mario</i> (franchise) Multimedia franchise by Shigeru Miyamoto

Mario is a multimedia franchise created by game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for the Japanese video game company Nintendo, which produces and publishes its installments. Starring the titular Italian plumber Mario, it is primarily a video game franchise but has extended to other forms of media, including television series, comic books, a 1993 feature film, a 2023 animated film, and theme park attractions. The series' first installment was 1983's Mario Bros. even though Mario made his first appearance in 1981's arcade game Donkey Kong and had already been featured in several games of the Donkey Kong and Game & Watch series. The Mario games have been developed by a wide variety of developers. Mario games have been released almost exclusively for Nintendo's various video game consoles and handhelds, from the third generation onward.

<i>Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games</i> 2011 video game

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is a 2011 crossover sports and party game developed by Sega Japan. It was published by Nintendo in Japan and Korea and by Sega elsewhere. As the third installment in the Mario & Sonic series, it was released on the Wii on 15 November 2011 in North America, 17 November 2011 in Australia, 18 November 2011 in Europe, and 8 December 2011 in Japan. It was also released for the Nintendo 3DS in February 2012. Mario & Sonic is the official video game of the 2012 Summer Olympics and is licensed by the International Olympic Committee through exclusive licensee International Sports Multimedia. The game is the only Wii title to come in a yellow keep case.

<i>Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed</i> 2012 video game

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is a kart racing video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U in November 2012; for PlayStation Vita in December 2012; for Windows in January 2013; for Nintendo 3DS in February 2013; and for Android and iOS devices in January 2014. The PS3 and Wii U versions of the game were released in Japan on May 15, 2014.

<i>Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games</i> 2013 video game

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games is a 2013 crossover sports/party video game for the Wii U. It is the fourth game in the Mario & Sonic series, the first to be released on the Wii U and is the official video game for the 2014 Winter Olympics that were held in Sochi. It was released on November 8, 2013, in Europe, November 9, 2013, in Australia, November 15, 2013, in North America, and December 5, 2013, in Japan.

<i>Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games</i> 2016 video game

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is a 2016 crossover sports and party game in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series, released for the Nintendo 3DS in February 2016 in Japan, March 2016 in North America, and in April 2016 for Europe and Australia, and for the Wii U worldwide in June 2016. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee, as are the other games in the series. It was developed by Sega, with assistance from Arzest and Spike Chunsoft, and published by Nintendo. It is the fifth title in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series. The game is a collection of Olympic sports themed mini-games featuring characters from the Mario series and the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

<i>Team Sonic Racing</i> 2019 video game

Team Sonic Racing is a 2019 kart racing game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. A spin-off of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, it was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2019. A simplified version for iOS developed by Hardlight, Sonic Racing, was released via Apple Arcade in September 2019. The game was later released on Amazon Luna in March 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "マリオ&ソニック at 東京2020オリンピック™ ダウンロード版". Archived from the original on 2020-04-29. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  2. 1 2 "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 'Dream Events' trailer, screenshots". 16 September 2019. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  3. ↑ Phillips, Tom (July 30, 2024). "Olympics ditched Mario & Sonic series to explore NFTs and esports". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on July 30, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Romano, Sal (March 29, 2019). "Sega announces four Tokyo 2020 Olympics games". Gematsu. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Sarkar, Samit (June 11, 2019). "See Yoshi and Knuckles skateboarding in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020". Polygon . Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Doolan, Liam (March 29, 2019). "Sega Announces Mario & Sonic At The Tokyo 2020 Olympics For Nintendo Switch". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Review - Gotta Go Fast". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
  8. ↑ "選手介紹". Archived from the original on 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  9. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (October 27, 2016). "Sega Making Video Games for 2020 Summer Olympics". GameSpot . Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  10. 1 2 Wong, Alistar (March 30, 2019). "Sega Celebrates Tokyo Olympics With Four Different Games, Including Sonic Smartphone Game". Siliconera . Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  11. ↑ Theriault, Donald (March 29, 2019). "Sega Announces Pair Of 2020 Olympic Games". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  12. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (June 7, 2019). "Sega will feature Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games 2020, Mega Drive Mini and more at E3". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Nintendo Presents: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (gamescom 2019)". YouTube . August 20, 2019. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  14. ↑ Liam, Doolan (November 2, 2019). "It Looks Like AlphaDream's Last Project Was Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on November 6, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  15. ↑ Deschamps, Marc (February 16, 2020). "Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Release Date Revealed". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  16. ↑ Wong, Alistair (May 5, 2020). "Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Director and Producer on Gameplay and Development Hurdles". Siliconera . Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  17. ↑ EDT, Scott McDonald On 3/25/20 at 8:16 PM (2020-03-25). "The reason why Olympics in 2021 will still be called the 2020 Olympic Games". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 2020-04-01. Retrieved 2020-03-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. 1 2 "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 reviews for Nintendo Switch". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  19. ↑ "Test: Mario & Sonic bei den Olympischen Spielen: Tokio 2020 (Sport)". 4Players.de. 6 November 2019. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  20. ↑ Carter, Chris (5 November 2019). "Review: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  21. ↑ "Review: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020". Easy Allies. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Review | A fun throwback that lacks depth". Game Revolution. 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Review - Gotta Go Fast". GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Review: Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020". Hardcore Gamer. 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Jagneaux, David (5 November 2019). "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  26. ↑ "Test : Mario & Sonic aux Jeux Olympiques de Tokyo 2020 : copieux mais manquant de fun". Jeuxvideo.com. 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  27. 1 2 3 4 Scullion, Chris (5 November 2019). "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Review". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  28. ↑ Koopman, Daan (5 November 2019). "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  29. ↑ "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 review: As good as gold". Shacknews. 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Review: Run, Jump, Repeat". USgamer. 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 review". VideoGamer. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  32. 1 2 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Review - IGN, 5 November 2019, archived from the original on 2020-09-03, retrieved 2020-09-19
  33. ↑ "Japan's top 100 best-selling games of 2019". Nintendo Everything. 16 January 2020. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  34. ↑ "Sega Europe Limited Annual Financial Statements". gov.uk. March 2020. p. 4. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.