For many fans of Japanese video games, the best part of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics opening ceremony was the Parade of Nations. It’s spectacular enough to behold 11,260 athletes from around the world marching together for a common cause, but the soundtrack for the event included beautiful music tracks from such fabled franchises as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Sonic the Hedgehog, Monster Hunter, and even Chrono Trigger (I’m glad Japan hasn’t forgotten that last one).
Of course, there was a glaring omission, for what video game publisher can possibly hope to match the ultra-wide array of songs that Nintendo’s many stalwart series have on tap? There’s Mario, Metroid, Donkey Kong, Pokémon, and even a little thing called The Legend of Zelda. Almost immediately, some wondered why the Big N skipped such a huge venue.
As it happens, we were very close to hearing all sorts of hits from the legendary Koji Kondo and his splendid cohorts. Thanks to a new report by VGC, we now know Nintendo had extensive plans for the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony but pulled out at the last minute.
This shocking withdrawal was likely triggered, at least in part, by extensive script revisions and top personnel replacements, all of which occurred courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to be postponed for a full year, and many around the world feel strongly that it’s still too soon for such massive gatherings. Plenty of folks right there in Japan have questioned the move to push forward as well, considering the potentially terrible ramifications involved, so it’s also possible that Nintendo opted not to take part on moral and medical grounds.
Still, it’s undeniable that a rather grievous wound was inflicted upon the House of Mario when a delightful-sounding segment called “the 8-bit world of video games” was axed in its entirety. Shigeru Miyamoto is said to have worked hard to make this segment happen, and it would have featured characters like Mario and even the creatures from Space Invaders. Most bizarrely, Lada Gaga was allegedly slated to appear with Mario’s hat on her head before disappearing into a Warp Pipe and being replaced by famed Japanese comedian Naomi Watanabe.
I suppose these things happen.
While it’s certainly unfortunate that Nintendo’s lush sounds didn’t make it to the opening ceremony, gaming enthusiasts were still treated to plenty of celebratory music themes from other great Japanese franchises. Regardless, I hope that everyone in attendance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics remains safe and COVID-free during these trying times. If Nintendo elected to stay out of things even just slightly because of the pandemic, I have to say, I get it.
