My Thoughts On Mario and Sonic’s Upcoming 2020 Olympic Games

Minasan, Kon’nichiwa! If you’re looking forward to watching the next summer Olympic games that will occur in Tokyo in 2020, then a game based off each event will be right up your ally [2] [19]. Aside from how there will be an official Switch game based on the next summer 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo, a blue hedgehog and a red-hatted plumber shall also compete in the games too, thus reviving their beloved sporty crossover series [9] [16]. The special announcement of the adaptions of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics occurred about a month ago, so I suppose now is time for me to express my own thoughts. After all, I enjoyed playing the Wii version of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games back when I was in high school [7]. In all honesty, I thought the series was to fully stop at the Rio 2016 games installment, but I suppose that it would be a neat idea to bring one of the most recognised crossovers in gaming history to the Switch era. 

Pity our beloved competitors missed out on the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic games. [15] [20]

Most notably, Mario and Sonic’s next big competitions will be available for the Switch, which give me the feeling that plenty of Switch players would be interested in trying it out soon [9] [16]. Firstly, the Switch version will be released in December 2019, then the arcade and mobile adaptions will be set for 2020. Aww, it is too bad that only the Sonic crew will be in the mobile version…again because Nintendo now has a few approachable third-party fads for iOS and Android devices [4] [5] [10] [11]. How I still miss Miitomo. At least there will plenty of mobile sporting from the Mario crew once Mario Kart Tour parks in the marketing of Summer 2019 [17]. With Nintendo’s dedication to maintaining their latest console’s spotlight combined the possibility of staying hip within the arcade crowd, the plumber’s next competition against the blue blur ought to shine on both platforms, as well as the blue blur keeping his legacy strong on smart devices. 

The cute and speedy Sonic in an event in the Switch version. [18] [19]

Sonic and Knuckles at an event for the Sonic-only mobile adaption. [10] [19]

There must be a fashionista in the concept art department. Mario’s attire for running looks basic but appropriate for the occasion [2] [9] [16] [18] [19]. Too bad he does not seem to have that tribal tattoo he had back in 2004 [3]. I always adored the sports and winter attire for Peach and Daisy, so I am quite impressed with how Peach seems to be wearing white shorts in revealed footage, compared to how she wore pink shorts in the first Olympic games, thus introducing new attire [2] [9] [16] [18]. Well, what do you know! It looks like Sonic is wearing a pair of shoes that highly resemble his Sonic Riders shoes, along with a light blue shirt for the badminton event [2] [9] [16] [18]. I always thought he looked cute in a life jacket, so I suspect that he will wear one for the swimming event once again. Even Luigi, Tails and Eggman are wearing appropriate attire for giving the upcoming installment a sprinkle of individuality [2] [9] [16] [18]. As someone who adores seeing fictional characters in different outfits, I like how many of the characters are wearing sporty attire for specific events, which makes the upcoming title seem refreshing so far.

The competitors in their new attire. [2] [16] [18]

Yes. Mario’s tattoo was a thing towards the end of the Game Boy Advance era. [3]

Aside from the snazzy outfits and the return of the running and badminton events, many of us shall once again experience both teams in the events of:

•   100m Dash [2] [9] [16] [18] [19]
•   Javelin Throw [9] [16] [19]
•   Badminton [2] [9] [16] [18]
•   Skateboarding, a brand new event [9] [16] [19]

Due to how the next installment is meant to be a successor to Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, it is highly likely that the characters will also participate in:

•   Rhythmic Gymnastics or Rhythmic Ribbon [14] [15]
•   Synchronized swimming [14]
•   Boxing [15]
•   Archery [15]
•   Equestrian [14] [15]

I see that the skateboarding event is quite a rehash of the snowboarding event from the winter games [19]. I suppose there ought to be a brand new basketball event too as it seems to take the techniques of the hockey and football events from the previous installments. After all, a basketball game was revealed in the adaption of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics without Mario and Sonic [19]. Additionally, there can be another beach volleyball event as there was also a volleyball game in the adaption without Nintendo and SEGA’s main stars [19]. Hopefully, each event will once again be fully playable and rather challenging.

Mario and Sonic as a team in a Badminton event. [2] [9] [16] [18]

BY THE POWER OF A MYSTERIOUS AURA!!! [18]

The controls for every event ought to be responsive and reliable. I remember the controls of the first Mario and Sonic Olympic games installment for the Wii deviously hindering me when I was younger [6]. I thought that I was not good at playing many of the events until a college ally of mine pointed out how bad he found the controls. It is a good thing that the controls gradually improved for the Wii version of the first winter games, which was the game that made me a Sonic fan back in late 2009 and early 2010 [7]. The child in the trailer for the pack of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is shown rapidly moving the joy-cons run and down with a thrilled smile, which is a sign that the event would give the player the feeling of running on the tracks as an athlete [2] [19]. Aside from good motion controls, there should be a lot of well-done control methods for when the joy-cons are attached to the screen too. Could every control method to dependable enough to comfortably and outstandingly bring the feel of competing in the Olympics with any of the iconic characters to the Switch generation?

Welcome to the Switch age! [19]

I believe I can spin! I believe that I might as well win! [19]

Finally, a new logo for Mario and Sonic at the Tokyo 2020 Games has arrived [8]. But it seems to have leaked. Some of you might have believed that the development logo would be suitable for the final outcome [9] [16]. Even though the earlier logo matches the Japanese flag with its big red circle, I think the updated logo looks more vibrant with a bit of creativity, along with a summer vibe [8] [9] [16]. The flowers really do look summery and the events would indeed be set in the summer as the official Tokyo 2020 Olympics logo would settle above it. Well, since I live in England, I can say that we at least do not have to deal with the controversial London 2012 Olympics logo anymore [1] [21]. With a logo consisting of something that makes it quite unique like the logos of the first two installments of the Mario and Sonic Olympic Games series, the 2020 Olympics games logo for the upcoming installment ought to.

When the logo was under development. [9] [16]

I honestly hope this will be the final logo, despite how it is likely to just have been leaked and how the design is more complicated from the logos from the previous installments. [8]

So in a conclusion dedicated to another crossover within epic events, plenty of us Mario and Sonic fans who endorsed the previous installments are looking forward to:

•       The Switch version of the game for late 2019 [2] [9] [16] [19]
•       The arcade port for 2020 that will enhance their arcade cred [2] [9] [16]
•       The mobile version with Sonic characters only for 2020 [2] [10] [19]

For the ports, perhaps there could be some new competitors, either playable or simply guests? How about the other Koopalings and the rest of the deadly six from Sonic Lost World for the Switch and next arcade cabinet [12] [13]? But then again, sometimes less is more. We may not be in the good old Wii days anymore, but we can still feel the joy and ambition of the Switch’s legacy now that its library is steadily increasing with newer installments. I guess I need to wear appropriate attire for the events too. Sayonara for now, plumbers and hedgehogs!

Whose side will YOU be on? [2] [16] [18]

References

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3. Know Your Meme. (2016). Super Mario - Mario's Tribal Tattoo. Available: https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1211199-super-mario. Last accessed 23rd Apr 2019.
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