Royce Wilson reviews the official Tokyo 2020 Olympics video game
The official Tokyo 2020 Olympics video game offers fun filled adventures in an arcade game format with crowds cheering on.
Don’t worry, you didn’t miss the Olympics – both they, and their licensed video game, got delayed from last year due to COVID-19 and are now happening this year instead.
Developed and published by Sega for Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Game, the game has released now ahead of the official Olympics opening ceremony next month.
Rather than going for a serious simulation of the Olympic sports, the developers have opted for an arcade-style approach in both gameplay and graphical style that I thought worked very well.
There are 18 events in the video game, ranging from traditional Olympic stalwarts such as 100m sprint, long jump, and hammer throw to some of the more recent entries to the Olympic family including speed climbing, beach volleyball and BMX. Even Rugby Sevens gets a look in.
Players can customise their own avatars, including selecting from more than 80 countries – including Australia – to represent themselves.
What I really liked was that the game had a two player couch mode, so two players can compete either together or against each other in events, complete with their own avatars. There’s also an option to compete online against players too.
In the couch multiplayer mode, for some events, such as boxing or judo, both players are onscreen at the same time, while for others such as long jump and baseball, players take turns.
The arcade-style nature of the games means the whole family can play, and I had a lot of fun with my children seeing who could make the longest jump, throw the hammer furthest, swim the 100m freestyle fastest, or win the beach volleyball match.
It’s worth stressing the tone of the game is a fun, party-style piece rather than an actual sports simulation in the vein of something like the NBA2K or FIFA series.
This is further backed up by how you can unlock a range of fun costumes including, but not limited to pirates, astronauts and even Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as the ability to unleash power moves (such as a devastating tennis serve or decisively strong Judo throw) after building up a power level in the match.
It all works really well though, and I think the choice to go with fun and accessible rather than serious was the right choice for the developers, especially because it means the game works in its own right and not just because of the Olympics licence.
I have to say I was surprised by some of the omissions from the sports line-up. While getting the several dozen Olympic sports from the 2020 Olympics into the game might cause the game to get a bit unwieldy, it seems odd that events such as fencing, clay shooting, and gymnastics didn’t merit inclusion, yet speed climbing and table tennis did.
The controls in the games aren’t especially complex – typically button-mashing with some timing elements, or using the controller sticks to control elements such as swings in table tennis, direction in speed climbing or punches in boxing – which makes the game accessible for both younger gamers and people who aren’t regular games alike, although seasoned gamers may find them a bit simplistic.
The in-between action elements are well handled too, with TV-style instant replays shots of characters stretching between events, looking sad when they foul an attempt, and making victory gestures when they pull off an amazing result.
Ultimately, is this the greatest sports game ever made? No. Is it a perfectly serviceable, fun, family-friendly sports-arcade game? Absolutely.
While Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Game isn’t going to set any records for most impressive gameplay or visuals, it is accessible, playable, and fun – and with school holidays approaching, a very suitable family game with something for everyone to enjoy is just what many people may need, too.
It’s your very own robo butler
Billed as the world’s first multi-tasking household robot, the SwitchBot K20+ Pro will clean up, and carry things, and bring you a cold beer ... hands up who wants one already.
When it comes to TVs, is bigger always better?
As technology evolves, the majority of things have gotten smaller or at least more compact. But TVs have grown in the opposite direction, now as big as the walls in your home.