Mario and Sonic games have been removed from the Switch eShop

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 The Switch has been delisted from the eShop, making it unavailable to new visitors, unless they purchase a physical copy. This is the latest disappointing news for fans of the series Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is the last game produced.

for a while, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Beginning with the Nintendo Wii in 2007, Nintendo's main console titles were A total of six games were released, with two dedicated to the Winter Olympic events, while the rest were all based on the Summer Games. However, this streak ended in 2019 with the release of the 2020 Olympic Games.

Mario Kart World Press Image Wario Donkey Kong Waluigi Racing

related to

Mario Kart World update adds brand-new game modes and more

Mario Kart World has just received its 1.6.0 update, adding a brand-new game mode and a plethora of fixes to the racing game.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 disappeared from the Nintendo eShop

Mario and other characters running in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

Fans have noticed this Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Nintendo has disappeared from the eShop, and Sega Japan has officially announced that the download version is no longer available for purchase. The removal was done without any significant fanfare otherwise. Given the game's focus on the Olympics six years ago and the game's overall age, the title may not have seen much sales in recent times, but fans are sad to see it go. On the plus side, those who own the game should still be able to re-download it from the eShop, and for the time being, its online modes should still be accessible to those who still own the game.

Some fans were hoping to see a new one Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games title for any Olympic events between 2022 and 2026, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Some new merchandise based on the games briefly raised hopes, but it was first confirmed that the International Olympic Committee had ended its partnership with Sega and Nintendo, and thus the two game developers lost the rights to produce another game. As March 31 is the end of the fiscal year for Sega, it is likely that the rights to distribute existing games have now expired, hence its removal. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Unfortunately, the Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games The series went out with a whimper rather than a bang. The 2020 game didn't review particularly well Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 According to OpenCritic, seeing only 51% recommendation from critics. One of the developers behind the game, AlphaDream, also shut down shortly after working on the title. Unfortunately, the game had big ideas that never came to fruition, as it was later revealed that the 2020 Olympic Games were interested in including characters from other franchises, e.g. Metal Gear Solid, Dragon Ball ZAnd on the Nintendo side, The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon. However, the idea was eventually scrapped due to licensing regulations. Regardless, unless those inclusions led to significant sales for the game, it's likely that it would still have suffered the same fate.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games was one of the few examples of characters crossing over from Nintendo and Sega franchises. The Super Smash Bros The series also gave players the chance to face off against the Blue Blur and the legendary Plumber, but for the most part, the two properties have been treated as rivals over the years and don't usually meet in the same game. While it's entirely possible that another crossover game could eventually meet the two again, it's unlikely that the IOC will hand the license back to Sega and Nintendo, marking this delisting as the final closure of the franchise for the foreseeable future.