Product Info

Platform

Switch

Publisher

Sega

Developer

Sega

Series

Mario & Sonic Olympics

Genre

Action, Multiplayer, Party, Sports

Players

1-8

File Size (Minimum)

6.4 GB

Release Date (NA)

Nov 5, 2019

Purchase From

Amazon

Best Buy

Target

GameStop

eShop

Since the 1990s, Mario and Sonic have always competed against each other for sales. Now, they are competing once again for the gold medal in the latest Olympics game, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. This Nintendo Switch exclusive party game, published by Sega, includes, for the first time in the series, a 2D mode and a story mode.

For Bragging Rights

The Nintendo Switch has a few party games available but Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is a good one to have for competitions. With over 30 mini games and 20 characters (10 from each franchise) to choose from, there’s something and someone for everyone. Plus, all the games are unlocked and ready to play right from the start. When multiple players are participating, they’ll either take turns playing or play all at the same time, depending on what sport mini game is selected.

Some mini games require very little control scheme memorization. For example, the 100m dash only uses two buttons, while football (soccer) requires multiple buttons and the analog stick. Other mini games, such as archery, require more precise actions and can easily become annoying. Fortunately, to help, each character in the roster has their own individual statistics that can give you an advantage. In boxing, Donkey Kong is better at heavy punches, whereas Yoshi is better suited to countermoves. That said, this doesn’t necessarily mean Donkey Kong is going to win automatically. Any character you choose can win based on how well you play and use your character’s skills. Of course, it won’t matter much playing on easy mode, since the computer opponent can easily be taken down. However, you may want to pay attention as the competition gets tougher in the more difficult modes.

Players can also choose how to play. From motion controls to just buttons, there’s something for everyone. With the Joy-Cons, players can choose between one or two controllers, depending on the mini game. The easiest way to play is just with buttons. If you are looking to try something different, though, the Joy-Cons definitely feel more enjoyable when throwing an opponent down.

Some mini games will have familiar controls from previous Mario sports-like games. For example, table tennis and badminton both have the Mario Tennis vibe. It’s too bad bowling isn’t available. Who wouldn’t want to see Mario and Sonic characters make a strike?

For those who want to take on a greater challenge, the game offers online matches. If you are looking for bragging rights, there are rank matches. If that’s too competitive, you can also have matches where ranking doesn’t matter. A Nintendo Online membership is required to play if you want to compete against the world. For offline multiplayer action, players can connect with other Switch consoles locally over wifi.

2D or Not 2D is the Question

The Olympics 1964 mode, in which the mini games are in 2D, is new to the Mario & Sonic series. It also has fewer options available. To start with, there’s a dramatic reduction to the roster and the number of mini games (although some of the games such as the 10m platform are only available in this mode), which is disappointing. Don’t get the wrong idea, though. The option of a 2D version of the Olympics games is entertaining and filled with gaming nostalgia. However, while the audio and visuals are put together well enough to make it feel retro; it’s literally 1984 retro, not 1964. Moreover, the mixture of 8-bit backgrounds and 16-bit characters does look a bit weird. Some graphical consistency would have been nice. Still, it passes for what Sega was going for.

Fortunately, you don’t need to play the story mode to unlock the 2D Olympic mini games. As noted earlier, Sega gives you that option right off the bat. In some mini games, the controls feel much like their 3D counterparts. Unlike the 3D versions, however, there aren’t any character attributes such as speed and precision available. It’s as simple as it gets.

Retro Story

Another first in the series is the story mode. The game’s story starts off interesting, but over time, it feels like a repetitive chore. Mario, Sonic and a few others are sucked into a video game called the 1964 Olympics, thanks to an evil scheme by Bowser and Dr. Eggman (Robotnik). In this game-within-a-game, the characters and their world are transformed into 8-bit (and 16-bit) versions of themselves. Meanwhile, outside the game, Luigi and the others try to find a way to bring everyone back. You’ll go through missions and story dialogue. Players will visit historic areas of Tokyo and compete in the Olympic games against other characters in both the 3D and 2D worlds.

When competing, you’re required to complete the mission. If you fail, you have three more tries before you are given the option to continue. With some of the mini games being a challenge such as the bullet train race with Sonic, where you race against Tokyo’s bullet train while avoiding obstacles, the option is good to have. Playing the story mode will unlock the mini games unrelated to the Olympics sporting games. These special mini games are available in the Game Room, located within the game’s main menu.

Not all mini games are enjoyable, though. Climbing the Tokyo Tower can be especially aggravating. You’ll be dodging objects and racing against time. The game tries to help you direct the angle of your jumps, but at times, the precision feels off when you make that leap. Hitting objects or falling will subtract time. Expect to try a few times before you get the hang of it.

The story has some comical relief going for itself, a majority of it coming from the evil duo of Bowser and Eggman. After a few missions, though, things do feel like they are dragging on a bit too long to get from one point to another. At the end of it all, you’ll learn how to play the mini game, as well as learn some history about the Olympics. Did you know that the 1964 Olympics was the first place to be held in an Asia region? Who says video games aren’t educational?

Final Results

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is a great game for a party, and the 2D mode adds a fair amount of replay value. While the story has its ups and downs, this is easily one of the best entries of the series.

You can also grab our Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 wallpaper for your desktop and mobile device.

A review code was provided by Sega for this review.