10 Best Olympics Video Games Of All Time

Summary

• Olympic video games offer a fun party experience with friends, as well as engaging single-player options.
• Some games, like Athens 2004, may feel repetitive but paved the way for more exciting follow-up titles.
• Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympics is a blast with over 30 characters, carnival challenges, and motion control removal.

The Olympic Games have been represented in video games for years and while some of the official recreations miss the mark, we have gotten plenty of amazing games out of it. These games put you in the shoes of real athletes and let you prove your worth across a variety of sports.

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One of the most fun parts of these Olympic video games is that most of them are party games that you can play with your friends, although a few of them are also single-player titles that provide a more comprehensive experience. This article will rank all the best Olympic video games in history and let you know which ones you should be checking out.

10 Athens 2004

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 2

Athens 2004 may not be too amazing by today's standards, but it was the game that would lead the way for its successors to be so good. Although most of the events in the game are based on button mashing, especially the track and weight-lifting ones, they are still fun to compete with against friends in its offline mode.

This is a great Olympic game to play for a few hours, but it eventually gets too repetitive, which is something its follow-up games would massively improve on.

9 Olympics™ Go! Paris 2024

• Platforms: Android, iOS

Although it is only limited to mobile devices, Olympics Go Paris 2024 is a very well-made game that extends beyond just the action on the field. There is also a management aspect to this game, where you can manage Olympic stadiums, and create shops and cafés surrounding them to fill up your venues.

Many events such as skateboarding and golf are rare to find in other Olympic video games and can be really fun to play. All the other events such as rowing and fencing are also well-designed with intuitive and easy-to-use controls.

8 Olympic Gold

• Platforms: Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Sega Mark III

Based on the Olympic Games of Barcelona in 1992, this was one of the first officially licensed Olympic video games. There are seven events you can compete in, with most of them including button mashing as a big part of the gameplay.

Although the game may not be too impressive by today's standards, it was very well-received when it came out with its diving event still standing out today due to the amount of creativity it allows you to showcase.

7 Mario & Sonic At The Rio 2016 Olympic Games

• Platforms: Wii U, Nintendo 3DS

With a roster of more than 30 iconic characters from the Mario and Sonic games, this Olympics video game may not be the most realistic, but it is still extremely fun. There are 17 events you can participate in, and there is plenty of stuff to do outside the Olympic arena, such as the carnival challenges and the different minigames.

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The removal of motion controls for many of the events makes this game simple and easy to play just with the regular button inputs. The overall vibe and environment of this game and its beautiful setting in Brazil make this an Olympics game you should check out.

6 Nagano Winter Olympics '98

• Platforms: Nintendo 64, PlayStation 1

The Nagano Winter Olympics '98 is probably the most iconic game ever made that focuses on the Winter Olympics. From snowboarding to skiing, you can choose from a lot of events in this game, with each of them being well-made and not just focused on luck to win.

Performing tricks while ski jumping or pulling off cool combos makes this game very fun and ahead of its time. The sound effects of this game are also really cool and truly make you feel as if you are taking part in a real Olympic event.

5 Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The Official Video Game

• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, Xbox X|S

There were a lot of expectations from the video game version of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics but it, sadly, didn't impress players too much. Not only did it come with a few performance issues, but it also just wasn't as fun to play as previous versions.

Regardless, it did have a lot of great customization options, and some beautiful graphics that really made the amazing Japanese stadiums stand out. The addition of some new events such as boxing and basketball are also fun change-ups that make this game good.

4 Vancouver 2010™

• Platforms: PC, iOS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Vancouver 2010 is another Winter Olympics video game that brings out the best of its different events. All these events, ranging from ice hockey to figure skating, have different controls and mechanics, which gives the game a good learning curve and makes it so you can spend hours getting better and setting world records.

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There are also some cool features, such as the presence of a first-person mode that makes the experience even more realistic. The amount of depth put into each event along with the many cool features makes it the best Winter Olympics game ever made.

3 Beijing 2008

• Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Beijing 2008 is one of the largest Olympic video games in terms of event variety, with more than 40 different events. It also introduced many new types of events such as hammer throw and gymnastics, which weren't common in Olympic video games at that time.

The Olympics game mode in Beijing 2008 is very in-depth with its progression and stats system, and it only gets more challenging and fun as time goes on. Local multiplayer is also pretty fun and playing with friends makes this game very competitive.

2 Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Android,

Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is a great and fun game. There are more than 30 events you can take part in using your favorite characters from the iconic Mario and Sonic games.

This is the perfect Olympic video game to play with your friends due to how it mixes athletic events with classic gaming themes. There is also a story mode that you can try out, which sends you back to 1964 where you can take part in many old-school events.

1 London 2012

• Platforms: Android, iOS, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

London 2012's official game is exactly what you would want from an Olympics video game. The multiplayer modes in this game are absolutely incredible and playing it with friends or competing with random players online gives you the thrill you would expect from real-life athletic competitions.

The large variety of options, including more than 31 disciplines, makes the game even better. The regulars, such as swimming and track and field, are very well-made and a lot of fun to play. The AI of this game can also be really challenging and will force you to get better and set new records constantly.

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