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With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games captivating audiences all over the world, now is the best time to take a deep dive into the history of gaming in order to find some officially-licensed games that might have gone under many players’ radards. Olympics-focused titles tend to fall into two categories: fun party games, and more serious endeavors that aim for longer playtimes. While the vast majority of these games was mediocre at best, there were few that managed to capture the magic of the Olympics all the while providing a great gaming experience.
10 Olympic Gold (Barcelona ‘92)
Released on: Sega Game Gear, Sega Genesis, Sega Master System
Olympic Gold was the first sports game in history to receive an official license to use the Olympic branding and symbols, and as such, it was quite a big deal. Its gameplay mainly focused on button mashing (like the vast majority of Olympics-licensed titles), and it included seven events, suhc as the hundred-meter race, freestyle swimming, archery, and even springboard diving.
While six out of the seven game modes were nearly identical in terms of gameplay, the springboard diving event was a truly special experience, as it allowed players to improvize in creating their own dives instead of mashing buttons to get the best predetermined combination. It may not seem like much now, but back in 1992, people bought the game with the sole purpose of trying that feature out.
9 Daley Thompson’s Decathlon
Released on: Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, Android (remake), iOS (remake)
Developed and published in 1984 for cult-classic retro platforms like the ZX Spectrum or Commodore 64, Daley Thompson’s Decathlon was a true gaming phenomenon that is still difficult to understand by people who are too young to remember Daley Thompson’s gold medals from 1980 and 1984.
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Despite being a simple button-masher with less intricacy than the most basic of minigames, the game became a bestseller, with people bending over backwards to beat their friends high scores. Daley Thompson’s Decathlon was remade for mobile devices in 2012, giving younger players a chance to experience the hit game with modernized graphics.
8 Nagano Winter Olympics ‘98
Released on: Nintendo 64, Play Station
As the first 3D title inspired by and officially licensed by the Olympic Games, Nagano Winter Olympics ‘98 was the game that paved the way for all of the future multi-discipline Olympics video games. Featuring ten different disciplines, it covered the most popular winter sports, from snowboarding all the way to ski jumping.
Nagano Winter Olympics ‘98 also introduced much needed variety to the button-mashing gameplay that was the hallmark of Olympic-licensed sports games until then. The snowboarding competition allowed players to pull off impressive trick combos, whereas the alpine skiing events entailed players slaloming down a mountain at breakneck pace.
7 London 2012 - The Official Video Game Of The Olympic Games
Released on: PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Android, iOS
With 31 disciplines to try out, including team sports, such as beach volleyball, the video game celebrating the London 2012 Olympic Games was a breath of fresh air, as it focused a lot on competitive multiplayer, something that wasn’t always well-executed in similar games.
Not only were players able to climb up separate leaderboards dedicated to individual disciplines, but they could also contribue to the virtual Olympic successes of their countries as part of a “national pride” system, which turned out to be a great hit. The only gripe that fans had with this was the fact that it took itself a bit too seriously for what was ultimately a seasonal game.
6 Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games (2008)
Released on: Wii, Nintendo DS
The first entry in the Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games celebrated the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and it was released in 2007, a whole year ahead of the event. Players and critics alike praised the game for its light approach towards the Olympic Games, and the “arcadey” gameplay that drew inspiration from other Mario hits, such as Mario Kart.
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Making fantastic use of the Wii remote across twenty-four Olympic evetns taking place at official venues from the Beijing Olympics, Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games turned out to be a perfect party game. It was also probably the only Olympic-licensed game that required its players to actually move around and break a sweat when playing some of the disciplines.
5 Vancouver 2010 - The Official Video Game Of The Olympic Games
Released on: PC, PS3, Xbox 360, iOS
The official video game of the Vancouver Olympics took everything that Nagano Winter Olympics ‘98 did right, and improved upon it in almost every way possible. Graphical improvements and smoother gameplay aside, it also included various challenge modes that added even more variety to the traditional Olympic events.
Much like most of the Olympic-licensed video games, Vancouver 2010 suffered from a short playtime and low replay value. However, when it comes to the execution of the various disciplines from the Winter Olympics, it is does a much better job than the rest of its officially-licesnsed counterparts.
4 Mario & Sonic At The Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Released on: Wii U, Nintendo 3DS
The sixth entry in the Sega/Nintendo crossover series has answered the fans’ calls for adding more Olympic disciplines to the game. The addition of boxing was a particularly welcome one as it flawlessly made use of the motion control functionality of the Wii Remote and made for some extremely entertaining couch multiplayer sessions.
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Despite a rather limited roster of disciplines, the inclusion of fan favorite Nintendo and Sega characters, as well as the focus on polishing the gameplay ensured that Mario & Sonic At The Rio 2016 Olympics retained its playability long after the conclusion of the 2016 Olympic Games.
3 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The Official Video Game
Released on: PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia
The most recent officially licensed Olympics-inspired game got off to a rocky start. It was originally released in the summer of 2019 in Japan for the Switch and PS4, with the intent of releasing it worldwide just ahead of the Olympics. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had to be delayed until June 2021.
The Tokyo 2020 game went all-in on player customization options, as well as ensured that its 18 events are as diverse in terms of gameplay as possible. Although it may not be as fun to play solo as it is with friends, it is by far the most polished Olympics title yet.
2 Team USA Basketball
Released on: Sega Genesis
Inspired by the wildly popular 1992 American basketball team that travelled to the Barcelona Olympics nad won a gold medal, Team USA Basketball was one of EA’s earliest forages into sports titles. It was also one of the rare Olympics-licensed games that only included one discipline.
With graphics that were seriously impressive at the time and surprisingly smooth gameplay, Team USA Basketball was enjoyed by fans and critics alike back when it released. Although it faded into irrelevance after the frenzy surrounding the 1992 Olympic Games ended, Team USA remains one of the best-looking games ever released for the Sega Genesis console.
1 Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Released on: Switch
Mario and Sonic’s Olympic Games adventures have always outperformed the more “serious” licensed games inspired by the Olympics, and it doesn’t seem like this year is going to be any different. Sega and Nintendo doubled down on the graphical improvements and multiplayer competitiveness to deliver the best Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games title so far.
It is the ultimate party game. The seemingly neverending choice of events, disciplines, and challenges will keep players busy for hours. All in all, Mario and Sonic’s first Olympic adventure on the Nintendo Switch is worth recommending to sports fans of all ages.
NEXT: Great Unlicensed Sports Games
