Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has been delisted from the Switch eShop, making it unobtainable for newcomers, unless they buy a physical copy. This is the latest disappointing news for fans of the series, with Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 being the last game produced.
For a time, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games titles were a staple of Nintendo consoles, beginning with the Nintendo Wii back in 2007. Six games were released in total, with two dedicated to Winter Olympics competitions, while the remaining were all based off of the summer games. However, the series ended in 2019 with the release of the 2020 Olympics game.
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Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Disappears from Nintendo eShop
Fans have noticed that Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has disappeared from the Nintendo eShop, and Sega Japan has officially announced that the download version is no longer available to purchase. The removal was made without any significant fanfare otherwise. While it’s likely that the title hasn’t seen many sales in recent times, given the game’s focus on the Olympics from six years ago and the overall age of the game, fans are nonetheless sad to see it go. On the plus, those who own the game should still be able to redownload it from the eShop, and for the time being, its online modes should still be accessible to those who own the game.
Some fans were hoping to see a new Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games title for any of the Olympics events between 2022 and 2026, but that unfortunately didn’t happen. Some new merchandise based upon the games briefly reignited hope, but it was previously confirmed that the International Olympic Committee had ended its partnership with Sega and Nintendo, and thus the two game developers lost the rights to produce another game. With March 31 marking the end of the fiscal year for Sega, it’s likely that the rights to distribute the existing games has now ended, hence the removal of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Unfortunately, the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series went out with a whimper rather than a bang. The 2020 game didn’t review particularly well, with Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 seeing only a 51% recommendation from critics, according to OpenCritic. One of the developers behind the game, AlphaDream, also shut down shortly after working on the title. Sadly, the game had big ideas that never came to fruition, as it was later revealed that the 2020 Olympic game had been interested in incorporating characters from other franchises, like Metal Gear Solid, Dragon Ball Z, and on the Nintendo side, The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon. However, the idea was ultimately scrapped due to licensing rules. In any case, unless those inclusions had led to significant sales for the game, it’s likely that it still would have faced the same fate.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was one of the few instances of the characters from the Nintendo and Sega franchises crossing over. The Super Smash Bros. series also gave players an opportunity to let the Blue Blur and the legendary plumber face off, but for the most part, the two properties have been treated as rivals over the years and don’t typically meet up in a single game. While it’s entirely possible that another crossover game could eventually see the two meet again, it’s unlikely that the IOC will give the license back to Sega and Nintendo, marking this delisting as the final closure of the franchise for the foreseeable future.
- Released
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November 1, 2019
- ESRB
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E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
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Sega, Sega Sports R&D
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo, Sega
