As the world gathers to watch athletes compete for Olympic medals for their respective countries, who can forget the most storied rivalry in sports? I’m not talking about Tonya Harding vs. Nancy Kerrigan or Usain Bolt vs. Justin Gatlin. I’m talking about Mario and Sonic.
A Crossover of a Lifetime
Lee Cocker, a former developer who worked on the crossover sports title, tweeted that the Olympic sports game was “finished.” He went on to explain that Mario and Sonic Tokyo 2020 was the final game in the series.
For the people that are asking there will be no @MarioSonicGames for @Paris2024 the franchise finished with #MarioAndSonic at the #OlympicGames @Tokyo2020 I know because I worked on all the games in the franchise. #Olympics #PARIS2024 #videogames #gaming #esports #Nintendo #Sega pic.twitter.com/o5OPEksF5G
— Lee Cocker (@leecocker) July 25, 2024
Since 2007, the ‘Blue Blur’ and the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom have competed to see who was the best in their sports. With their storied rivalry going back to the 90s, it seems we will never get a fitting end as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has pulled away from the two in favor of potentially pursuing an eSports venture.
Sega and Nintendo struck a deal with the IOC to have their franchise mascots and friends compete in the Olympic games. For 13 years, Nintendo has published six games corresponding to the events. The summer games include Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo. The Winter Games include Vancouver and Sochi.
The Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games series was an ambitious and delightful crossover of two of the biggest gaming mascots. The games were a blast to play with friends and ignited a competitive fire for fans alike. Players could play a myriad of events to show who was the best at them.
Despite the abrupt end to the crossover, the fond memories will remain.
Olympic eSports
How the IOC will implement eSports in an Olympic capacity is unclear. They briefly experimented with Fortnite. Gamers have speculated that fighting games like Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 could be ready. However, that is a small selection.
Let us know how you’re feeling below. Will you miss Mario vs Sonic at the Olympic Games? What eSports event would you like to see in the next Olympics?
Want to talk sports and/or games with the fastest-growing community in gaming? Join the conversation by joining us on Discord, and check out our Twitter and Facebook pages as well as our growing YouTube Channel!
