Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 puts Sonic on a course of events built for speed. The game asks players to race through a set of Olympic disciplines, each one tied to a familiar sport, while holding onto the core feel of the series. That mix of ideas sounds simple enough on paper. In practice, it shows some rough edges alongside a few bright moments.
Trailer, via Nintendo of America.
The Format
The game splits its content into a main mode and a free-play setup. The main mode sends Sonic through a series of events, each one tied to a real Olympic discipline. Players pick a character, choose a weight class, and then race against the clock to finish first. The free-play mode lets players return to any event once they’ve opened it up through play.
The weight class system adds a layer of choice. Lighter characters can move faster, but heavier ones hit harder. The idea is that players can build a roster over time by earning new characters and classes through play. That system gives the game a reason to keep playing, even after the main mode has ended.
What Works
The best moments in Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 come when the game leans fully into the racing feel that defined the series. Events that borrow directly from Sonic’s past, like running and flying, carry the strongest sense of pace and control. The game runs smoothly across FireTV, Android and iOS, and those moments land with real force.
The presentation carries a light touch. Characters speak in short, cheerful lines, and the look of the game stays bright and easy to read. It’s a simple package, but it fits the tone of the game. Nothing here feels forced or out of place.
Where It Falls Short
Not every event holds up as well as the racing ones. Some disciplines lean heavily on chance, asking players to rely on luck rather than skill. The weight class system, meant to add depth, sometimes feels like a thin layer placed over an otherwise plain structure.
The game also doesn’t offer much beyond its main mode and free-play setup. There’s no extra content waiting in the wings, and the game ends once players have finished everything it offers. That’s a small package by today’s standards, especially given how many games now stretch across years of support. Players who want to keep coming back will find little to hold their attention beyond the initial run.
The Event Lineup
Here’s how the game’s main mode breaks down:
- Running and flying events, closest to Sonic’s usual style, sit at the front of the lineup.
- Swimming and other water-based events follow, mixing pace with quick turns.
- Weight-lifting and other strength events round out the back half of the mode.
- Free-play mode opens up after finishing the main mode.
The order matters. Players who start with the strength events might find themselves frustrated before the pace picks up later on. The game’s design puts its best material at the beginning and leaves the weaker stuff for the end, which means the payoff arrives early rather than late.
Performance Across Platforms
Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 runs on three platforms: FireTV, Android and iOS. Performance holds steady across all three, though the mobile versions naturally feel smaller than the TV version. None of the versions suffer from serious drops in pace or sudden stops in the action.
The controls stay tight across every platform. Players who know Sonic’s usual feel will find the same timing and reaction here, even on a phone screen. That consistency matters more than most reviews bother to note, since a racing game depends on quick responses above all else.
Final Word
Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 isn’t a bad game. It’s just a narrow one, one that leans too far on chance and too little on skill outside its racing events. The best moments, found in the running and flying events, show what the game could have been with a stronger focus.
Players looking for a quick fix will find plenty to enjoy in the main mode and the free-play setup. Anyone expecting a deep, lasting experience will come away disappointed by the lack of extra content and the uneven quality of some events.
The game succeeds when it sticks to what Sonic does best: fast, controlled motion through a bright world. It falls short when it reaches for something bigger and loses its sense of pace. Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 scores 6.5 out of 10.
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