A Mario and Sonic Game Has Been Delisted from the Switch eShop

by

The game Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is no longer available to purchase digitally on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Now, the only way to get it is by buying a physical copy. This is frustrating news for fans, especially since Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was the last game ever made in the series.

I remember when the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games games were a big deal on Nintendo consoles! It all started with the Wii back in 2007, and there were six games total. A couple of them focused on the Winter Olympics, but most were based on the Summer Games. Sadly, the series wrapped up in 2019 with the game based on the 2020 Olympics.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Disappears from Nintendo eShop

The game Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is no longer available for purchase on the Nintendo eShop. Sega Japan confirmed the digital version has been removed quietly. While sales were likely low due to the game being several years old and focused on the 2020 Olympics, fans are still disappointed. Luckily, players who already bought the game can still download it, and online features should remain active for current owners.

Many fans were eager for a new Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games game to coincide with the Olympics between 2022 and 2026, but it never materialized. While some new merchandise gave fans hope, it was already known that the International Olympic Committee had ended its collaboration with Sega and Nintendo, meaning they no longer had the rights to make another game. Now, with Sega’s fiscal year ending on March 31st, the rights to sell the existing Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 game have likely expired, leading to its removal from stores.

The Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series ended on a disappointing note. The 2020 game received mixed reviews, with critics only recommending it 51% of the time, according to OpenCritic. To make matters worse, one of the game’s developers, AlphaDream, closed down soon after its release. It turns out the game had ambitious plans that never materialized – the developers wanted to include characters from other popular franchises like Metal Gear Solid, Dragon Ball Z, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokemon. Unfortunately, licensing issues prevented these additions. Even if those characters had been included, it’s unlikely the game would have been successful enough to change its fate.

The game Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was a rare team-up between characters from Nintendo and Sega. While the Super Smash Bros. series also allowed Mario and Sonic to battle, these two companies have generally been considered rivals, and their characters rarely appear together in one game. Although another crossover isn’t impossible, it’s unlikely the International Olympic Committee will allow Sega and Nintendo to make another Olympic-themed game together, meaning this game’s removal from stores likely marks the end of the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series for the time being.

Read More

2026-04-01 06:34