Video Games of the 2020s, Part 2 Codexery

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game

Sega's penultimate Olympic game with 80 nations and 18 events.

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game is a sports video game developed and published by Sega. It was originally released in Japan for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on July 24, 2019, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic delaying the start of the 2020 Summer Olympics, the game was not released outside of Japan and East Asia until June 2021, when it also released for Windows, Stadia, and Xbox One. The game features 80 national teams and 18 events, making it the Olympic video game with the most playable nations.

Quick Facts

Title
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game
Developer
SegaAdditional work by Yuke's.
Publisher
Sega
Producer
Nobuya Ohashi
Director
Hitoshi Furukubo
Designer
Shingo Kawakami · Katsuyuki Shigihara · Masashi Jinbo
Programmer
Motoyoshi Sato
Artist
Takayuki Iwasaki
Composer
Kenichi Tokoi · Jun Senoue · Tomonori Sawada
Released
Nintendo Switch, PS4JP/AS · July 24, 2019 · WW · June 22, 2021Windows, Xbox One, StadiaWW · June 22, 2021
Genre
Sports
Modes
Single-player, multiplayer

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game was developed and published by Sega, with Yuke's providing developmental assistance. The game was originally released in Japan for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on July 24, 2019. However, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, so the game was not released outside of Japan and East Asia until June 2021, when it also launched for Windows, Stadia, and Xbox One. It features 80 playable nations, the most of any Olympic video game, and 18 events, with four additional sports added as downloadable content updates. The game includes 20 licensed top athletes, one for each event, representing 17 national teams, who serve as the hardest difficulty in training mode; players are rewarded based on how many times they beat a top athlete. This title is the penultimate Olympic video game released by Sega, as Sega's license to produce Olympic Games games was discontinued after the release of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, due to the International Olympic Committee pivoting to mobile games produced by nWay for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Reader's Guide

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - The Official Video Game holds significance as Sega's penultimate Olympic video game, marking the end of a long-running licensing relationship after the International Olympic Committee shifted focus to mobile games for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The game's release was uniquely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: it launched in Japan in July 2019 but did not reach other regions until June 2021, after the actual Olympics were postponed. It features the largest roster of playable nations in any Olympic video game, with 80 national teams, and includes 18 events with four more added as downloadable content. The inclusion of 20 licensed top athletes—one per event, representing 17 national teams—provides a high-difficulty challenge in training mode, with the game tracking how many times each is beaten. The Nintendo Switch version received an 80% score from Digitally Downloaded, which praised the range of sports and their distinct gameplay, as well as the presentation and customization, though it noted the single-player mode felt lonely and limited. The game's legacy is tied to both its pandemic-delayed international release and its role as a transitional title before the Olympic video game franchise moved to mobile platforms.

Did You Know?

Frequently Asked Questions

Who developed and published Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game?

Sega handled both the development and publishing duties for this title. It stands as their penultimate entry in the long-running Olympic video game series.

What platforms can I play Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game on?

The game first appeared on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in Japan in July 2019, then expanded to Windows, Stadia, and Xbox One in June 2021.

How many countries and events are included in Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game?

Players can pick from 80 national teams competing across 18 different Olympic events. That nation count makes it the Olympic video game with the largest roster of playable countries.

Why wasn't Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game released outside Japan until 2021?

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed the actual 2020 Summer Olympics back to the summer of 2021, so Sega held the international launch until June 2021 to align with the rescheduled Games. The Japanese release had already shipped in July 2019.

What makes Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game stand out in Sega's Olympic series?

Its 80-nation roster and 18-event lineup gave it the broadest country selection of any Olympic game Sega had produced up to that point. It also served as the penultimate title in Sega's Olympic game franchise.

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