Not to be confused with Sonic at the Olympic Games (2020).
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020[4] (マリオ&ソニック AT 東京2020オリンピック Mario & Sonikku AT Tōkyō 2020 Orinpikku?, lit. "Mario & Sonic AT Tokyo 2020 Olympics") is a 2019 crossover sports party video game developed and published by Sega. It is the sixth and last installment in the Mario & Sonic series based on the 2020 Summer Olympics (which was later rescheduled for a 2021 date), which took place in Tokyo, Japan. The game was released on 1 November 2019 in Japan, 5 November 2019 in North America, and on 8 November 2019 in Europe and Australia on the Nintendo Switch.[2][3] An arcade version[5] was later released in 2020.[6][7]
Plot[]
Mario and Sonic arrive at the Olympic Stadium, excited for the Olympic Games. Soon, Toad arrives with a gift for both of them: a retro video game system and a note that reads, "To Mario and Sonic, in commemoration of the Tokyo Olympics! Try out this game featuring past Tokyo Games!" As Sonic wonders who sent it, Toad points out the "Tokyo '64" label, suggesting it's a retro game. Suspicious, Sonic grows wary. Meanwhile, Bowser and Dr. Eggman hide, waiting for Mario and Sonic to power up the system. When Luigi arrives, Bowser gets impatient and activates the system himself, scaring Luigi and causing him to accidentally trigger the game. The screen glows, and suddenly, everyone vanishes. They all fall into a pixelated world, realizing they've been sucked into the game, now appearing in 8-bit/16-bit form. Dr. Eggman deduces that the game was created by him and that Magikoopa's magic pulled them in. Toad helps Sonic figure out that Bowser and Eggman's plan backfired, now they're all trapped. After reading a sign, they realize the game is based on the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Dr. Eggman and Bowser decide to compete, with Bowser aiming for gold medals. Mario and Sonic, not wanting to be left behind, also join the competition. In the 100m race, Sonic beats Dr. Eggman, and Eggman vows to train harder for the next event.
After Mario, Sonic, Toad, Bowser, and Dr. Eggman disappear, Luigi is left holding the Tokyo '64 console. He tells an Omochao what happened, and it suggests finding Tails, who knows about machines. Though Luigi doesn't know where Tails is, Amy shows up to compete in the 100m and tells them she knows Tails's location. But before she leads them to him, she challenges Luigi to a race, which Luigi wins. Amy reveals Tails went to watch Karate and joins Luigi to find him. At the Nippon Budokan, a red Toad says Tails left after watching the matches, possibly heading to the Gymnastics venue with Daisy. At the Ariake Gymnastics Centre, Luigi finds Daisy, who says she split up with Tails. Despite wanting to focus on finding Tails, Amy competes against Daisy and wins. Daisy asks why Luigi is searching for Tails, and after he explains, Daisy joins the search. They head to the Ariake Urban Sports Park, where Luigi finds Tails, who was about to compete in Skateboarding. Since Sonic isn't there, Tails asks Luigi to take his place. Luigi reluctantly agrees and beats Tails in the event. Daisy and Amy then explain the situation to Tails, and Luigi shows him the Tokyo '64 console.
Meanwhile, in the 1964 National Stadium, the Long Jump event takes place. Bowser, expecting to win, is beaten by Mario. Dr. Eggman pulls Bowser aside and reveals that the only way to escape the game is by collecting gold medals, contradicting his earlier claim. Toad overhears and informs Mario and Sonic, who rush to confront the villains but find they've escaped. A Pecky tells Toad that Dr. Eggman flew west, so Sonic chases him. Along the way, Sonic finds a Pocky who informs him that Eggman boarded a bullet train. After beating the train to Tokyo Station, Sonic looks for Eggman but misses him. Eggman, hiding behind a tree, grins, knowing his delay tactics worked.
Meanwhile, Mario and Toad chase Bowser, who escapes on a boat. Mario intercepts him, and the two corner Bowser at a dock. However, Toad distracts Bowser with random conversation, allowing him to flee. Eventually, Sonic catches up with Mario, and they realize their villains are likely meeting up elsewhere.
Tails investigates the Tokyo '64 and discovers that Mario and Sonic are competing against Bowser and Dr. Eggman inside the game, confusing Luigi and the group. Suddenly, Bowser Jr. appears, declares that only he can have fun, and takes the system from Luigi. Despite their explanations, Bowser Jr. remains unconvinced and leaves with the system. Amy suggests checking other venues, but Tails points out they need passes. He and Luigi head to Tokyo Tower, where they find Silver. Silver had passes for the Tokyo Aquatics Centre and Aomi Urban Sports Park but dropped them. Tails climbs the tower to retrieve the passes and Silver joins the team. At the Aomi Urban Sports Park, they confront Bowser Jr. and Rouge, who refuses to return the system unless Daisy competes in Sport Climbing. After Daisy wins, Bowser Jr. flees to another venue. They track him to the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, where Wendy protects him. Silver challenges Wendy to the 100m Freestyle and wins. Wendy fakes being a sore loser, allowing Bowser Jr. to escape and head to Nippon Budokan. At the Budokan, Bowser Jr. and Eggman Nega are examining the system. Luigi challenges Eggman Nega to a Karate match and wins. Eggman Nega agrees to return the system, but Bowser Jr. insists on analyzing it first. Eggman Nega realizes the system was created by Dr. Eggman and decides not to return it. He and Bowser Jr. leave to study the game and free the villains. Tails and Luigi vow to find them before they can escape with the heroes still trapped. An Omochao suggests they seek help from Vector, who is competing in the Discus Throw at the Olympic Stadium. After Luigi explains the situation, Vector agrees to help, but only if they either pay him or compete in the Discus event. Tails wins, and Vector joins the search. He recruits Toadette, who is unaware of the villains' location, and Silver, who agrees to compete against her in the 110m Hurdles and wins. Vector then splits the group up to search for Bowser Jr. and Eggman Nega. Luigi and Tails check with a purple Toad at Tokyo Tower and an Omochao at Tokyo Station. The Omochao suggests Eggman Nega might be at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, where they find Vector already there. However, they are too late, Eggman Nega has begun analyzing the system. Bowser Jr. warns them that interfering might erase the game and the characters trapped inside. Eggman Nega brings out Zazz to delay them, and Bowser Jr. demands a match. Vector challenges Zazz to Table Tennis and wins. Eggman Nega then reveals that after completing his analysis, he found no way to free the trapped characters, shocking everyone.
Bowser and Dr. Eggman are discussing the purpose of the gold medals when Sonic overhears them. Dr. Eggman lies, claiming they're strategizing for the next event, and they leave. Sonic, skeptical, follows them with Mario. They track them to Nippon Budokan, where Bowser is preparing for the Judo event. Despite Dr. Eggman's belief that Bowser will win, Sonic beats him. Afterward, Eggman and Bowser decide to split up and regroup later, with Bowser teasing that gold medals won't help the heroes escape. Sonic becomes suspicious and tries to learn where they're meeting. At Tokyo Roads, Toad tells them he saw someone who looked like Dr. Eggman leave in a red taxi. Sonic chases the taxi, only to discover it was a Picky impersonating Eggman. The Picky mentions a big flame, and the heroes deduce the real Eggman's location at the National Stadium. They decide to eavesdrop to learn more. Meanwhile, Eggman Nega reveals there's no way to free the trapped characters, but recalls Dr. Eggman mentioning that gold medals would have a special effect inside the game. Bowser Jr. decides to collect as many as possible, while Tails and Luigi aim for the same goal. Eggman Nega stays behind to continue his analysis. Luigi and Tails meet Espio, who is skeptical at first but agrees to help after they explain. Amy wins a Triple Jump competition against Espio, and he gives them a gold medal before leaving to train.
Needing access to more venues, Luigi and Tails go to Shibuya Scramble Crossing, where they meet Yoshi. Yoshi offers them passes to different events in exchange for their help finding his lost friends. After helping him, Yoshi gives them the passes for the Yumenoshima Park Archery Field, Sea Forest Waterway, and Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and joins them in their mission. At the Sea Forest Waterway, Luigi and Tails race Wario and Waluigi in Canoeing, winning a gold medal. Waluigi proposes a plan to steal the medals later, but the heroes remain wary of them. Next, they visit the Yumenoshima Park Archery Field, where they run into Bowser Jr., who attempts to steal their medals. He's stopped by Vector, and they hear a voice nearby wondering what's going on.
Meanwhile, Sonic, Mario, and Toad continue to eavesdrop on Bowser and Dr. Eggman. Eggman reveals a secret compartment beneath the Olympic Cauldron containing fourteen "keyholes" that can be activated with gold medals, allowing the user to return to the real world. The heroes' eavesdropping shocks the villains, and they vow to collect more gold medals. The heroes track them to the National Gymnasium, where Dr. Eggman challenges Sonic to the 10m Platform. Sonic wins, adding another gold medal to their count. Bowser tries to reassure Eggman, but suddenly, a screen overhead flickers, displaying "POWER-UP ITEMS on their way. NEGA." Everyone realizes something unusual is happening.
At the Archery Field, a voice interrupts the argument between Vector and Bowser Jr., it's Peach, who scolds Bowser Jr. for distracting the competitors. Bowser Jr. demands to see her medals, but Tails stops her, explaining the situation. Peach agrees to compete in Archery to save Mario and Sonic, using the gold medals they've collected. Daisy volunteers to face Peach, and after Daisy wins, Bowser Jr. tries to steal her medal, but Peach convinces him to return all the medals to Luigi before leaving. Tails, now without any passes, is given one by Peach for the Olympic Boxing Centre. The group heads there to continue their mission. At the Boxing Centre, Bowser Jr. is negotiating with Zavok to win a gold medal. Zavok, eager for a fight, agrees to let Bowser Jr. take the medal if he wins. Luigi steps up to face Zavok, and despite Zavok's strength, Luigi wins. Afterward, Tails suggests they return to Eggman Nega to check if his analysis has yielded any new results. At the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Eggman Nega admits that while collecting gold medals could help them escape, they must come from within the game, not the real world. Frustrated, Bowser Jr. is further angered when Eggman Nega reveals his disappointment in Dr. Eggman's repeated failures. To boost their chances, Eggman Nega prepares to send special power-ups to Bowser and Dr. Eggman, but Bowser Jr. impatiently pushes buttons, scattering the power-ups across Tokyo.
Meanwhile, Dr. Eggman realizes that Eggman Nega's interference has allowed power-ups to fall into the game. He laughs, knowing he can use these items to collect more gold medals and escape. Sonic and Mario set off to prevent the villains from getting them. At the Tokorozawa Shooting Range, they find Dr. Eggman with a power-up: a tasteless sushi roll he calls the Miracle Roll. Though it amplifies his power, Sonic easily beats him in a Shooting contest, and Dr. Eggman flees to find more Miracle Rolls. The heroes track a Miracle Roll to the Tokyo Tower, where Toad warns them that Dr. Eggman's robots guard it. Mario uses an airplane to clear the way, allowing them to retrieve the Miracle Roll. Toad warns that Dr. Eggman and his robots are searching for more, so the heroes head to the Museum, only to find it under Bowser's control. Mario sneaks past his guards to retrieve a Miracle Roll from the fourth floor, but when Sonic tries it, they realize it has no effect on them.
Meanwhile, Bowser Jr. refuses to give up the Tokyo '64 system until he's beaten at the Olympic Stadium. Vector steps up, defeats Bowser Jr. in the Javelin Throw, and after a tantrum, Bowser Jr. reluctantly returns the system to Tails and Luigi. However, the system's battery is running low, threatening the trapped characters inside. Eggman Nega reveals he has created an Excitement Battery, powered by Magikoopa magic, to keep the system running. The Magikoopa is at the Tokyo Skytree, so Luigi and Tails head there while Vector and Eggman Nega stay behind. At the Skytree, they find Larry with the Excitement Battery. He refuses to hand it over until they defeat him in a challenge. Peach takes on Larry in an Equestrian event, wins, and Larry gives up the battery. However, he reveals it needs to be charged before it can be used. The group realizes that the battery fills with excitement from the audience, so they must compete in events to charge it. With that in mind, they set off to gather more cheers and fill the battery.
Mario and Sonic find Bowser at Lake Sagami, where he's about to eat another Miracle Roll. Before he can, a bird snatches it away, but Bowser claims it won't matter since he's already eaten two. Sonic disagrees, saying two rolls just make things even, and he beats Bowser in a Kayak race. Frustrated, Bowser leaves to check on Dr. Eggman's progress, and Mario and Sonic follow, concerned about how powerful Eggman might be. They find the villains at the National Stadium, and Dr. Eggman challenges Mario to a 400m Hurdles race. As usual, Dr. Eggman loses, but he plans to ask Eggman Nega for stronger items. Suddenly, everything starts flashing as the game system's battery runs low, surprising everyone.
Meanwhile, Luigi and Tails are charging the Excitement Battery by gathering cheers at different venues. At Tokyo Stadium, they help Diddy Kong, who is playing Rugby Sevens against Wario's team. With the crowd's excitement, the battery charges a little more. Diddy Kong suggests they head to the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, where Knuckles and Shadow agree to help by playing a Badminton doubles match. Peach and Yoshi win, charging the battery further. Knuckles joins their team, and Shadow warns them to stay focused. Knuckles remembers that Jet, one of Sonic's rivals, is looking for Sonic at the Olympic Stadium. Tails decides to check on him while Shadow stays behind. At the Olympic Stadium, Jet suddenly appears and challenges the group to stay away from the football match. He also demands a penalty shootout with Sonic. When Tails explains the situation, Jet doesn't believe him, so Knuckles steps in to take Sonic's place in the shootout. Knuckles wins, and the battery charges more. However, Tails realizes they're out of passes again and wonders what to do next.
Back at the stadium, Dr. Eggman realizes the battery is almost drained. Bowser thinks they'll be stuck inside forever, but Dr. Eggman reveals that if the battery dies, they'll vanish from existence. In a panic, Bowser challenges Mario and Sonic to a Volleyball match, hoping to win more gold medals. Sonic and Mario agree to the challenge at the Komazawa Olympic Park. Dr. Eggman brings his team of Eggrobos, but Sonic's team of Pockies defeats them. Bowser reassures Dr. Eggman, saying they can still win in the final event: the Marathon. The villains head to the National Stadium to prepare, and Mario and Sonic follow, determined to stop them.
After Jet wishes Luigi and Tails luck, the two set out to find more passes. They visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, where Donkey Kong is blocked by Metal Sonic and Egg Pawns. Donkey Kong offers his pass for Makuhari Messe Hall B in exchange for their help. Luigi uses his rugby skills to take down the robots, and Donkey Kong hands over the pass, agreeing to join them for the fun. At Makuhari Messe Hall B, Ludwig, upset over the stolen battery, challenges them to a competition for it. Waluigi steps up, and after losing in fencing, Ludwig and Wendy decide to let Luigi keep the battery. Next, Luigi and Tails find Blaze at the Kabukiza Theatre, where she offers her pass to Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach in exchange for clearing the Egg Pawns guarding the entrance. Tails shoots them down, and Blaze joins them. At the Surfing Beach, Rosalina organizes a surfing contest to charge the battery. Donkey Kong wins, fully charging the Excitement Battery.
Meanwhile, Mario and Sonic face off in the Marathon against Bowser and Dr. Eggman. Mario wins, but Bowser and Eggman try to steal the gold medals. Toad, who had been holding the medals, returns them to the heroes. As the battery nears depletion, Mario and Sonic propose a truce with Bowser and Eggman to escape the game together. They place the medals into the Olympic Cauldron, but as the light shines down, the battery runs out, and everything flickers.
Back at the Olympic Stadium, Tails and Luigi switch the old battery with a new one just in time. Inside the game, the characters begin to fade away into pixels, but as Tails and Luigi succeed in the real world, the characters are restored. The environment becomes colorful again, and the heroes are returned to reality, much to the celebration of Tails, Luigi, Eggman Nega, and Bowser Jr.
Tails and Luigi greet Mario and Sonic as they return to the real world, while Bowser Jr. and Eggman Nega reunite with their fathers. Bowser praises his son for rescuing him, and Dr. Eggman thanks Eggman Nega for creating the Excitement Battery. Sonic, still adjusting to the real world, notes how "blocky" he feels, especially Toad, whose speech and movement are also stiff, though Toad believes he'll return to normal soon. Mario laughs, but Sonic finds it odd. Bowser and Dr. Eggman remind everyone of their promise to settle things in reality, and the final event: the 100m sprint begins. Mario, Sonic, Bowser, and Dr. Eggman compete, with Sonic inviting Shadow to join. Luigi and Tails decide to race too, and Yoshi joins as the eighth sprinter. The race is intense, with either Mario or Sonic emerging victorious. After the race, everyone celebrates: Mario and Sonic high-five, Peach and Amy wave to the crowd, Bowser Jr. throws a tantrum but is comforted by Knuckles, Yoshi cheers while Shadow walks off, Daisy and Blaze pose for the camera, and Bowser and Dr. Eggman quickly get over their loss. Vector and Donkey Kong show off their strength, and Luigi and Tails share a high-five before one last shot of Mario and Sonic seeing the cheering crowd is shown.
An 8-bit Mario hits a ? Block, triggering a highlight reel during the credits. After the credits, a 16-bit Sonic runs past a Goal Plate from the original Sonic games, closing the adventure.
Gameplay[]
Like the previous entries in the Mario & Sonic series, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is designed to be a sports/party game whose cast consists of a crossover of characters from Nintendo's Super Mario franchise and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series.[8] By taking control of one of these characters, the player participates in various events based on sports games from the Olympic Games. The game includes a number of events, including returning ones from previous Mario & Sonic titles, such as boxing, soccer, swimming, and gymnastics, and new ones, such as karate, skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing.[9] The game has two modes of events; the first mode, dubbed the Tokyo 2020 Events, allowing players to compete in events from the 2020 Summer Olympics, and are all rendered with 3D graphics. These events feature twenty playable characters, with an additional character for each specific event. The game also features a mode with 2D events called the Tokyo 1964 Events, where players can compete in classic 2D versions of events from the 1964 Summer Olympics. Based on older sports games, these events are played using button controls only and only feature eight playable characters.[10] These 2D Events' animations reflect the 8-bit (Mario) and 16-bit (Sonic) game art style. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 also features a story mode.[2] The game features compatibility with the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Con controllers and Pro Controller.[9][11] For the first time in the series, the game offers the choice between using motion controls or button controls for all of the Tokyo 2020 Events. Depending on the event, the game allows either using one or two Joy-Con controllers for motion controls.
Not counting the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is the first installment in the Mario & Sonic series that feature no unique character stats. However, each character has specific advantages that correlate to their character type (All-Around, Power, Speed, Skill) from the first four games. One will notice though that All-Around characters are listed as "All-Around" in all events. The event-specific advantages are as follows:
| Event(s) | Power | Speed | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100m 110m Hurdles 4 x 100m Relay |
Good at Super Moves | Runs Fast | Super Starts are Fast |
| Javelin Throw | Charges Power Quickly | Gauge Extends Faster | Easier Best Angle |
| Triple Jump | Good at Super Moves | Perfects are Easier | Approach is Fast |
| Discus Throw | Easier Best Power | Easier Best Angle | Good at Adjusting Tilt |
| Skateboarding | Jumps are High | Fast at Moving | Turns are Tight |
| Boxing | Punches are Heavy | Good at Counters | Good at Super Moves |
| Karate - Kumite | Good at Charging | Fast at Moving | Good at Defense |
| Football | Shots are Powerful | Runs Fast | Good at Stealing Balls |
| Rugby Sevens | Good at Tackles | Runs Fast | Gauge Builds Fast |
| Canoe Double (C-2) 1000m | Good on the Last Leg | Good at Paddling | Super Starts are Fast |
| Swimming - 100m Freestyle | Good at Super Moves | Swims Fast | Good at Turning |
| Equestrian - Jumping | Good at Super Moves | Gallops Fast | Turns are Tight |
| Gymnastics - Floor Exercise | Good at Takeoff | Good at Super Moves | Good at Landings |
| Badminton | Good at Smashes | Fast at Moving | Controls with Precision |
| Table Tennis | Returns are Powerful | Fast at Moving | Good at Spins |
| Fencing | Good at Parrying | Fast at Moving | Good at Stepping |
| Surfing | Boost Time is Long | Good Acceleration on Landing | Good at Tube Riding |
| Archery | Controls with Precision | Good at Bow Drawing | Good at Aiming |
| Sport Climbing | Long Grip Gauge | Good at Power Climbs | Fast Grip Gauge Recovery |
| Dream Racing | Jumps are High | Good at Grinds | Turns are Tight |
| Dream Shooting | Good at Dizzying Opponents | Fast at Moving | Good at Aiming |
| Dream Karate | High Attack Power | Fast at Moving | Good at Power Strikes |
The game also features split-screen local multiplayer and online play.[9]
Objects[]
Items[]
Gimmicks and obstacles[]
Characters[]
Playable[]
Team Sonic[]
| Character | Type | Bio |
|---|---|---|
 [note 1][note 2] |
Speed | The world's fastest hedgehog. He can be impulsive and impatient, but he is driven by kindness and a strong sense of justice.[12] |
 [note 1][note 2] |
Technique | A kind, twin-tailed fox kit. He can spin his tails to fly through the air, and his engineering talent helps Sonic on his adventures.[12] |
 [note 1][note 2] |
Power | A powerful echidna who lives on Angel Island as the lone guardian of the Master Emerald.[12] |
 [note 1] |
All-Around | A hedgehog who is a real go-getter and lights up the room when she's around. She's quite strong-minded, and won't hesitate at taking on evil with her trusty hammer.[12] |
 [note 1][note 2] |
Technique | A self-proclaimed evil scientist and mechanical genius with an IQ of 300. He never gives up on his plans to take over the world.[12] |
 [note 1] |
Speed | A black hedgehog known as the ultimate life form. Created with an immortal body, he wields Chaos Emeralds to warp space and time.[12] |
 [note 1] |
Technique | A hedgehog from a devastated future. He is always positive and has a strong sense of justice. His powerful psychokinesis can move big objects as well as allow him to levitate.[12] |
 |
Speed | A high-performance robot built by Dr. Eggman to mimic Sonic. He has Sonic's speed and power, and serves as Eggman's obedient henchman.[12] |
 [note 1] |
All-Around | A princess from another world who uses the Sol Emeralds she protects. Cool-headed and hard on herself, she's still a little shy.[12] |
 [note 1] |
Power | The head of the Chaotix Detective Agency. He has a sharp mind and a sharp tongue, but is also an optimist with a compassionate heart.[12] |
Guests[]
| Character | Playable events | Type |
|---|---|---|
 [note 1] |
Karate - Kumite | Technique |
 [note 1] |
Triple Jump | |
 [note 1] |
Football | Speed |
 [note 1] |
Sport Climbing | Technique |
 |
Boxing | Power |
 |
Table Tennis | Speed |
Supporting[]
- Egg Pawns (Rugby Sevens teammates and Football goalie)
- Eggrobos (Dr. Eggman's Volleyball teammates)
- Pockies (Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles' Volleyball teammates)
Team Mario[]
| Character | Type | Bio |
|---|---|---|
 [note 1][note 2] |
All-Around | A cheerful plumber and everyone's favorite superstar. He stands up to Bowser with his jumping skills and all-around athletic ability.[12] |
 [note 1][note 2] |
Mario's younger twin brother. He's a little timid (especially around ghosts), but is kind and just as capable as his brother.[12] | |
 [note 1][note 2] |
Technique | Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. She has a close bond with Mario and is unfailingly kind. She loves baking and cooking.[12] |
 [note 1] |
Speed | The Princess of Sarasaland. She is cheerful, active, and always full of energy.[12] |
 [note 2] |
Power | The Koopa King's strength, fire breath, and large army of Goombas, Koopa Troopas, and more make him a constant threat to world peace.[12] |
 [note 1] |
Never a dull moment with Wario, a loud, brash fellow who says he is Mario's greatest rival. He loves garlic and money.[12] | |
 [note 1] |
Technique | Wario's pal who thinks he's Luigi's rival. His gangly arms and legs make him a fierce competitor in all manner of sports.[12] |
 |
Speed | Mario's kind, chill ally from Yoshi's Island. His long tongue lets him gobble up fruit and foe alike and turn them into eggs.[12] |
 |
Power | King of the jungle and superstar of the Kong Family. He's so strong, it isn't funny. He'd do anything for a banana or ten.[12] |
 |
All-Around | The Koopa King's little boy. He might be small, but he's got all of Papa's strength and selfishness. Wears a mask with a big mouth on it.[12] |
Guests[]
| Character | Playable events | Type |
|---|---|---|
 |
Rugby Sevens | Technique |
 |
Equestrian | |
 |
Fencing | |
 [note 1] |
Surfing - Shortboard | |
 [note 1] |
110m Hurdles | Speed |
 |
Swimming - 100m Freestyle | Power |
Supporting[]
- Birdos (Football goalies)
- Boom Booms (Rugby Sevens teammates)
- Hammer Bros (Bowser's Volleyball teammates)
- Toads (Mario, Luigi, and Peach's Volleyball teammates)
Non-playable[]
Audience[]
Referees, judges, and camera operators[]
 |
 |
 |
- Chao (2020 events only)
- Charmy Bee (2020 events only)
- Cream the Rabbit (2020 events only)
- Cubot (2020 events only)
- Lakitu
- Orbot (2020 events only)
- Toads
- Rocky (1964 events only)
Others[]
- Balkiry
- Blooper
- Buzz Bomber
- Chain Chomp (cameo)
- Cheep Cheep
- Clucker
- Egg Pawn
- Goomba
- Koopa Troopa
- Mecha Sonic
- Miraitowa (cameo)
- Nebula
- Rexon
- Shy Guy
- Toads
Events[]
2020 Events[]
- 100m Dash
- 100m Freestyle
- 110m Hurdles
- 4 x 100m Relay
- Archery (Individual or Team)
- Badminton - Doubles
- Boxing
- Canoeing
- Discus Throw
- Equestrian
- Fencing
- Floor Gymnastics
- Gymnastics - Floor Exercise
- Football
- Javelin Throw
- Karate - Kumite (first appearance)
- Rugby Sevens
- Skateboarding - Park (first appearance)
- Sport Climbing (first appearance)
- Surfing - Shortboard (first appearance)
- Table Tennis
- Triple Jump
- Dream Events
- Dream Karate (first appearance)
- Dream Racing
- Dream Shooting
1964 Events[]
- 10m Platform
- 100m
- 400m Hurdles
- Canoe
- Judo
- Long Jump
- Marathon
- Shooting
- Vault
- Volleyball
Game Room Minigames[]
- Bullet Train Blast
- Highway Chase
- Kabikiza Clash
- Metropolitan Goal Kick
- Museum Sneak
- Shibuya Scramble Smash
- Sumida River Boat Ride
- Tokyo Sky Flight
- Tower Climb
- Treeside Rumble
Development[]
History[]
In October 2016, it was announced by Sega that it had secured the licensing rights from the International Olympic Committee to publish video games based on the 2020 Summer Olympics. Their plans were for these games to be released on various devices.[13] On 29 March 2019, at the Sega Fes stage show in Japan, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was announced alongside Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game.[11][14] This game is the first entry in the Mario & Sonic series since Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, which was released for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in 2016,[11][15] and was scheduled to be released for the Nintendo Switch in late 2019, with an arcade version sometime in 2020.[11] A companion game for Android and iOS, Sonic at the Olympic Games, was also released on 7 May 2020.[8][14]
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was the final game that AlphaDream worked on before it filed for bankruptcy in 2019. Developers 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.[16]
Promotional[]
The game was featured at E3 2019.[17] The official lanyard that guests of the event received featured new artwork of both Mario and Sonic in promotion of the game. A new trailer premiered and a demo of the game was playable at Sega's booth.
The game was later playable at Sega's booth at Tokyo Game Show 2019, and players were able to receive a limited lanyard and ticket holder.[18] Due to the lanyard featuring flags of characters in the game, it revealed some new characters early.
A demo of the game was released on the Japanese Nintendo eShop on 10 October.[19] Two weeks later, on 24 October, a demo was released for the European Nintendo eShop.[20]
Cast and Voice Direction[]
Announcers[]
This game would mark the only time Billy Kametz provided his voice for a Sonic-related game before his death on June 9th, 2022.
| Role | Voice actor | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Japanese | French | Italian | German | Spanish | Dutch | Brazilian | Russian | |
| Tokyo '64 Announcer | Wally Wingert | Gentoku | Philippe Barrier | Matteo Zanotti | Oliver Brod | Ramón Rocabayera | Reinder van der Naalt | Hélio Vaccari | Vladislav Kopp |
| Male Announcer | Olivier Deslandes | Angelo Cola | Steffan Boje | Fabio Tassone | Lars Oostven | Rodrigo Araújo | Vladimir Golitsyn | ||
| Female Announcer | Caroline Klaus | Tiziana Martello | Tabea Börner | Lourdes Fabrés | Adinda Bruijning | Camila Castelani | Alena Andronova | ||
Sonic characters[]
In the English dub, the only Sonic characters who received newly recorded voice clips are Knuckles, Silver, Blaze, Espio, Zavok, and Omochao, all of whom besides Espio received new voice actors in Team Sonic Racing. All other characters use recycled lines from previous Mario & Sonic games, along with some lines sourced from Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric.
In several dubs, some characters use archived voice lines from their previous voice actors, despite having new ones at the time of the game's release. These include:
- Eggman Nega in Japanese, who uses Chikao Ōtsuka's voice, as was the case in the previous game, despite Kotaro Nakamura being the current voice of Dr. Eggman following Otsuka's death in 2015.
- Dr. Eggman and Eggman Nega in German, who use Hartmut Neugebauer's voice, despite Johannes Oliver Hamm being the current German voice of Eggman in the mainline games following Neugebauer's death in 2017.
- Silver in Spanish, who uses Ángel de Gracia's (who also voices Sonic) voice, despite Masumi Mutsuda being the current voice actor for Silver, after de Gracia replaced Jonatán López as the voice of Sonic.
This is the last Sonic-related game to feature Jasmine Laurenti as the Italian voice of Rouge, Diego Sabre as the Italian voice of Vector and Zazz before his retirement in 2022, Klaus Lochthove as the German voice of Shadow and Zavok before his death in August 2023, and Benoît Allemane as the French voice of Zavok before his death in January 2025.
Mario characters[]
This is the final Mario & Sonic game to feature Charles Martinet as the voices of Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi before it was announced in August 2023 that he would be stepping down from voicing characters in the franchise, and will be taking on the role of Mario Ambassador.[21] It is also the final Mario & Sonic game to feature Deanna Mustard as the voice of Daisy.
| Role | Voice actor |
|---|---|
| Mario | Charles Martinet |
| Luigi | |
| Wario | |
| Waluigi | |
| Princess Peach | Samantha Kelly |
| Toad | |
| Toadette | |
| Princess Daisy | Deanna Mustard |
| Rosalina | Laura Faye Smith |
| Yoshi | Kazumi Totaka |
| Birdo | |
| Donkey Kong | Takashi Nagasako |
| Diddy Kong | Katsumi Suzuki |
| Bowser | Kenny James |
| Bowser Jr. | Caety Sagoian |
| Larry Koopa | Michelle Hippe |
| Wendy O. Koopa | Ashley Flannegan |
| Ludwig von Koopa | David J. Goldfarb |
| Shy Guy | Nate Bihldorff |
| Boom Boom | Sho Murata |
Trivia[]
- This was both the last Sonic the Hedgehog game & Mario game to be released in the 2010's. It is also the only Sonic the Hedgehog game to be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch.
- As the real life Summer 2020 Olympic Games were delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this marks the first time a Mario & Sonic game about Olympic Games has been released with its real-life version not taking place the following year or the exact year.
- The game's title places the location and year after "Olympic Games" rather than before.
- The game's Japanese title mentions the year rather than before.
- Donkey Kong's bio references the DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64 with the line: "He's so strong, it isn't funny".
- For the first time ever in the Mario & Sonic series, most characters wear sports clothing appropriate for the event that has been chosen.
- This is the first game in the series where male characters have unique outfits. However, they revert to their standard looks during Dream Events.
- Even characters who had sports outfits (i.e. Peach and Daisy) in previous installments gained new ones here.
- The shoes Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Wario, and Waluigi wear in athletic events are identical to the ones they wear in Mario Tennis Aces.
- Sonic and Vector wear shoes similar to the ones they wear in the Sonic Riders series.
- Rouge wears an outfit identical to the one she wears in the Sonic Riders series.
- Dr. Eggman wears gear similar to a piece of artwork of him posted on Sonic Channel.
- Toadette is the only non human Mario character to receive a new outfit.
- Yoshi, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Donkey Kong, Metal Sonic, Zavok, Diddy Kong, Larry Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, Ludwig Von Koopa and Zazz do not receive new outfits.
- Because Yoshi is the only one of these characters that wears shoes, this makes him the only character that does not receive different footwear. Additionally, like most of the Sonic series characters, he retains his footwear during the Surfing, Gymnastics, 100m Freestyle and Karate events
- All Sonic series characters (aside from Dr. Eggman, Metal Sonic, Eggman Nega and Zavok) retain their footwear during the Surfing, Gymnastics, 100m Freestyle and Karate events unlike the Mario human characters. According to Takashi Iizuka, this is because "Sonic doesn't take off his shoes (in canon)."[22]
- In 1964 events, the sprites of the Mario characters all originate from Super Mario Bros. while several of the differently colored Toads are based on the original red sprite and the Shy Guys are given new 8-bit sprites. The Sonic and Eggman sprites originate from the original Sonic the Hedgehog, though the Picky, Cucky, Pocky, Ricky, Rocky and Flicky sprites are only based on their original sprites and are portrayed in 8-bit. Several differently colored versions of the Pocky can be seen in the game. Tails' sprites originate from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Knuckles' sprites originate from Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
- This is the first game in the Mario & Sonic series that does not feature the Miis.
- This is the first Mario & Sonic game to cut playable characters from a previous installment, as Wave, Sticks, Toad, Dry Bowser and Nabbit do not return as playable characters.
- In an unused audio clip in the game files is the announcer calling for Zeena, suggesting she was going to be in the game.[23] Curiously, there is no corresponding voice clip of an unused Mario character.
- In the credits of the game, Patrick Seitz's name is misspelt as "Patrcik Seitz".
- Some of the characters' Table Tennis victory animations come from Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and were also used for Badminton and Table Tennis.
- The poses of the characters in the character select screen were taken from Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
- Sonic's pose on the character selection screen is similar to a piece of artwork from Sonic Art Assets DVD.
- The victory poses of the characters in the award ceremony were taken from Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
- One of Silver's dialogues in the Spanish version of Story Mode says: "¡Basta ya! Creo que va siendo ora de que nos devolvaís ese juego." instead of saying: "¡Basta ya! Creo que va siendo hora de que nos devolvaís ese juego." (Enough already! I think it's about time you gave us that game back.)
Videos[]
Notes[]
References[]
- ↑ Radfordhound (@Radfordhound) on Twitter (13 October 2019). Retrieved on 24 November 2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sega (21 August 2019). Sega on Twitter (Japanese). Twitter. Retrieved on 21 August 2019.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sega (20 August 2019). Sega on Twitter. Twitter. Retrieved on 20 August 2019.
- ↑ Zwiezen, Zack (30 March 2019). SEGA Announces Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 For Switch & Arcades. Kotaku. Retrieved on 9 April 2019.
- ↑ Official Olympic Video Games site (Traditional Chinese). Sega. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019.
- ↑ Sega (30 March 2019). Sega on Twitter. Twitter. Retrieved on 12 June 2019.
- ↑ Brian (29 March 2019). Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games announced for Switch. Nintendo Everything. Retrieved on 29 March 2019.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Romano, Sal (29 March 2019). Sega announces four Tokyo 2020 Olympics games. Gematsu.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Sarkar, Samit (11 June 2019). See Yoshi and Knuckles skateboarding in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Polygon.
- ↑ Mario and Sonic Tokyo. Events. Sega. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved on 20 August 209.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Doolan, Liam (29 March 2019). Sega Announces Mario & Sonic At The Tokyo 2020 Olympics For Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Life.
- ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 12.13 12.14 12.15 12.16 12.17 12.18 12.19 Mario and Sonic Tokyo. Main page. Sega. Retrieved on 21 August 2019.
- ↑ Makuch, Eddie (27 October 2016). Sega Making Video Games for 2020 Summer Olympics. GameSpot.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Wong, Alistar (30 March 2019). Sega Celebrates Tokyo Olympics With Four Different Games, Including Sonic Smartphone Game. Siliconera.
- ↑ Theriault, Donald (29 March 2019). Sega Announces Pair Of 2020 Olympic Games. Nintendo World Report.
- ↑ Doolan, Liam (2 November 2019). It Looks Like AlphaDream's Last Project Was Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games. Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 3 November 2020.
- ↑ Craddock, Ryan (7 June 2019). Sega will feature Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games 2020, Mega Drive Mini and more at E3. Nintendo Life. Retrieved on 7 June 2019.
- ↑ Sega (12 September 2019). セガ公式アカウント on Twitter. Archived from the original on 17 September 2019. Retrieved on 17 September 2019.
- ↑ Brian (10 October 2019). Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 demo out now on the Japanese Switch eShop. Nintendo Everything. Retrieved on 27 October 2019.
- ↑ Matt (24 October 2019). Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 demo now available on the European Switch eShop. Nintendo Everything. Retrieved on 27 October 2019.
- ↑ America, Nintendo of. "We Have a Message for Fans of the Mushroom Kingdom. Please Take a Look." Twitter, Nintendo, 21 Aug 2023.
- ↑ Sarkar, Samit (11 June 2019). If Mario can surf barefoot, why can’t Sonic?. Polygon. Archived from the original on 12 June 2019. Retrieved on 12 June 2019.
- ↑ Mysticus . Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Announcer (English). The Sounds Resource.
External links[]
- Official website (Chinese (Traditional))
- Official website (Chinese (Simplified))
- Official website (Dutch)
- Official website (English)
- Official website (French)
- Official website (German)
- Official website (Italian)
- Official website (Japanese)
- Official website (Korean)
- Official website (Russian)
- Official website (Spanish)
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 at Mario Wiki, a wiki about Mario.
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 at Super Mario Wiki, the Super Mario wiki.