The Tokyo Olympics 2020 haven't exactly been what people expected – they're taking place in 2021 for a start. But there have at least been some pleasant surprises. Google has created its biggest and most detailed Google Doodle in celebration of the Games, and many people have become absolutely addicted to it, us included.
The Doodle Champion Island games is a series of interactive Google Doodle games that mixes a 16-bit vibe with some serious anime cuteness – no surprise there, as the series was created in partnership with Japanese animation studio, Studio 4°C. We love the style of the whole thing, and think it might already be up there with some of our favourite Olympic designs, including these Tokyo 2020 pictograms.
There are seven games to play as Lucky the calico, taking in Olympic games such as table tennis, skateboarding, archery, climbing, rugby, artistic swimming and marathon. Players can choose to join teams represented by different animal mascots, such as Kappa the yokai or Ushi the cow, and can even record their scores in a real-time global leaderboard.
Naturally, the Redditers of the world have got involved, and there's a Reddit community of speedrunners (people trying to complete games in the fastest time possible) who are battling it out for the top scores, and sharing their progress.
google_doodle_champion_island_climbing_game_in_11 from r/speedrun
As for the games themselves, we can't get enough of them. We love all the little details, the beautiful intro videos, the charming text that gives you instructions, the fun and eclectic mix of characters, plus the gameplay itself.
To learn more about the Google Doodle, including more about how and why they were created, go to the dedicated Google Doodle page. You can also explore the work of Studio 4°C for more gorgeous design, or our favourite Google Doodles for more Doodle fun.
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