Series guide
All Mario & Sonic games in order
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games ran for twelve years, one game per Olympics, and almost every one came out twice: a Wii or Wii U game and a separate DS or 3DS game with its own events. That is what makes the list confusing — and why a used copy needs a second look at the console. Below are all six titles and ten releases in order, with the platforms linked — the Wii, DS and 3DS copies are the ones we stock and test — and buying notes for the second-hand copies.
The short answer
Beijing 2008 (Wii 2007, DS 2008) → Olympic Winter Games / Vancouver 2010 (Wii and DS, 2009) → London 2012 (Wii 2011, 3DS 2012) → Sochi 2014 (Wii U, 2013) → Rio 2016 (3DS and Wii U) → Tokyo 2020 (Switch, 2019). Start with London 2012 on Wii or Tokyo 2020 on Switch.
Every Mario & Sonic game in order
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games · 2007 · Wii; Nintendo DS 2008 — Beijing 2008 — the first time Mario and Sonic shared a game; the DS version is its own game with different events
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games · 2009 · Wii & Nintendo DS — Vancouver 2010, without the city in the title; the DS version adds an adventure mode
- Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games · 2011 · Wii; Nintendo 3DS 2012 — the fan favourite on Wii; the 3DS game has a story mode and over fifty events
- Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games · 2013 · Wii U — the only one on a single console — Wii U, no handheld version
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games · 2016 · Nintendo 3DS & Wii U — the 3DS game came first, with its Road to Rio mode; an arcade version ran in Japan
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 · 2019 · Nintendo Switch — the last game in the series before the Olympic licence ended; 2D retro events included
Do you have to play them in order?
No. Every game is a fresh set of events for a fresh Olympics, with the same cast of Mario and Sonic characters and no story that carries over. What changes from game to game is the event list, the controls — Wii Remote waggle at first, buttons and touch on the handhelds, Joy-Con motion on Switch — and the extras: the DS Winter Games has an adventure mode, the 3DS London 2012 game a story, and Tokyo 2020 a set of 2D events drawn like the 1964 games.
Which Mario & Sonic should you buy now?
- Four players on the couch: London 2012 on Wii — the largest event list of the home-console games, and it plays on a Wii U too.
- On a current console: Tokyo 2020 on Switch, region-free, also on Switch 2.
- On a handheld: London 2012 or Rio 2016 on 3DS; Beijing or the Winter Games on DS for the cheapest way in.
- To complete the set: Sochi 2014 — Wii U only, and the one that takes the longest to find.
Buying Mario & Sonic second-hand
The Wii and DS versions are different games
Every summer and winter edition up to Rio came out twice: a home-console game (Wii, later Wii U) and a handheld game (DS, later 3DS) with its own events, modes and menus. Beijing on DS is not the Wii game shrunk down — so check which one a listing offers, and which console you own.
Wii discs play on a Wii U, DS cartridges on a 3DS or 2DS
Beijing, the Winter Games and London 2012 on Wii run on any Wii U in Wii mode; the DS versions of Beijing and the Winter Games fit every DS, DSi, 3DS and 2DS. The 3DS games (London 2012, Rio 2016) are region-locked: a European cartridge needs a European 3DS or 2DS.
Sochi 2014 is Wii U only
The Sochi Winter Games never had a handheld version and never came to another console, which makes it the scarcest of the six. The Wii U reads it from the disc, and the game supports up to four players with Wii Remotes.
Tokyo 2020 on Switch is region-free and plays on Switch 2
The Switch cartridge runs on every Switch, Switch Lite and Switch 2 regardless of region. It is the only Mario & Sonic still on a current console, and with the licence ended it will stay the newest one.
Every copy tested before it is listed
Booting, gameplay, saving, disc and label condition — checked on real hardware. We have been doing this since 2019, with 1400+ verified reviews at 5.0★, and we ship tracked to all 27 EU countries. Originals only; if something ever turns out not to be genuine, you get your money back.
Browse tested gamesQuestions we get asked
Do I need to play the Mario & Sonic games in order?
No. Each game is a standalone collection of Olympic events with no story between them. The only order that matters is the console: pick the game that matches the hardware you have.
How many Mario & Sonic games are there?
Six titles across ten releases: Beijing 2008 (Wii and DS), the Winter Games for Vancouver 2010 (Wii and DS), London 2012 (Wii and 3DS), Sochi 2014 (Wii U), Rio 2016 (3DS and Wii U) and Tokyo 2020 (Switch). Rio and Tokyo also ran as arcade machines in Japan.
Will there be a Mario & Sonic Paris 2024 game?
No. Tokyo 2020 (released in 2019) was the last game: the Olympic licence moved on, and no Mario & Sonic was made for Paris 2024. Sega has confirmed the series ended with Tokyo.
Which Mario & Sonic game is the best?
London 2012 on Wii for four-player couch play — it has the largest event list on a home console — and Tokyo 2020 on Switch for the newest one with the retro 2D events. On a handheld, the 3DS London 2012 game is the deepest.
Who made the Mario & Sonic games?
Sega developed and published them in the West under licence from the IOC, with Nintendo publishing in Japan. Marvelous co-developed Sochi 2014; the series was Sega’s idea, after both mascots ended their nineties rivalry.
Do you ship outside the Netherlands?
We ship to all 27 EU countries with track & trace. Parcels leave from the Netherlands, there are no customs charges within the EU, and your country’s exact rate appears at checkout before you pay.
Years given are the first release of each title; the second console follows in the entry. Mario & Sonic in het Nederlands.
