Music for the opening ceremony was taken from the video games

Does any of the music during the Parade of Nations remind you of a decisive battle you’ve already fought, or maybe a title screen you’ve clicked a hundred times?

You’re not wrong: Athletes march through the Tokyo stadium to video game songs, which organizers describe as “an essential part of Japanese culture that is loved around the world.” Songs from popular games like Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, Sonic the Hedgehog and the Final Fantasy series were featured. All of them were developed by video game studios in Japan.

Oddly enough, songs from Japan’s best-known video game studio, Nintendo, seem to have disappeared. No Zelda, no Mario, no Pokemon, despite the fact that five years ago in Brazil the then Japanese Prime Minister turned into Mario, red hat and all, as part of the closing ceremony of the symbolic handover of the Rio Summer Games. from Janeiro to Tokyo.

For those who need their dose of Mario and their friends, Nintendo released a game called Mario & Sonic at the 2019 Olympics. You can choose from 20 characters, including Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Wario, to play 30 sports. .