Olympics Opens With Playlist Of Video Game Hits

The Tokyo Olympics officially got underway this morning with the traditional Opening Ceremony and lighting of the Olympic flame. The show was an expected spectacle, complete with drones art, kabuki theatre, a ripping jazz piano solo, and of course, the introductions of athletes from every country. Sharp-eared gamers, however, noticed something surprising about the introductions: the athletes entered to a massive playlist of video game music.

Full list of video game music playing for the Parade of Nations, including Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Monster Hunter, Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger, Ace Combat, Sonic the Hedgehog, NieR, Soul Caliber, and more
🎮🎶https://t.co/62vSPloH5t pic.twitter.com/94JMqaYN7b

— Nicolo (@Nymo) July 23, 2021

Tracks from Dragon Quest, Sonic, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Nier and others made for a memorable introduction ceremony, and gamers took notice.

I CANNOT BELIEVE WE LIVE IN A TIMELINE WHERE NIER MUSIC IS PLAYED AT THE OLYMPICS

God I love video games. pic.twitter.com/OpCrWsYGSv

— Maku (@TropicalMaku) July 23, 2021

DID THEY REALLY PLAY KINGDOM HEARTS AND FINAL FANTASY MUSIC AT THE OLYMPICS?!?

YES LOOK pic.twitter.com/x8tlnRhDKD

— Maku (@TropicalMaku) July 23, 2021

Turned on the opening ceremony of the #Olympics and I swear when India is introduced, the accompanying music is Frog’s theme from Chrono Trigger pic.twitter.com/mEs9ldVAVC

— Mike Sullivan (@MSul731) July 23, 2021

Final Fantasy Music at the Olympics haha pic.twitter.com/8MHwS49Rfv

— Sam (@SamMaverickMac) July 23, 2021

Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony is something else. All the background music are basically OSTs from legendary Japanese games like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Monster Hunter, Chrono Trigger, Kindgom Hearts and many more. What a time to be alive pic.twitter.com/6qy7WIYqDo

— Lordan (@Lorddan569) July 23, 2021

Multiple moments made various fandoms jump, but the Nier and Kingdom Hearts inclusions appear to have gotten the biggest pop on Twitter.

THEY PLAYED NIER MUSIC AT THE OLYMPICS AHHHHHHH pic.twitter.com/50Zb3sd0GC

— Maku (@TropicalMaku) July 23, 2021

THEY'RE PLAYING NIER MUSIC AT THE OLYMPICS YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM

— 🦀YORA🦀 (@yoracrab) July 23, 2021

KINGDOM HEARTS MADE IT TO OLYMPICS LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/mmTkUQ1LZ6

— Maku (@TropicalMaku) July 23, 2021

THE KINGDOM HEARTS OLYMPUS THEME
AT THE OLYMPICS
THIS IS SO MUCH pic.twitter.com/DfIezJGV47

— Lulu🌈🎏 (@luulubuu) July 23, 2021

The choice to use video game music was very fitting, considering much of the world's most popular video game music was composed by Japanese composers and the Olympics pair well with the themes of competition and triumph that are typical of video games. Still, while all the music played was particularly triumphant-sounding, there's no doubt that the games missed an opportunity to be extremely funny and play "One-winged Angel" during, say, Russia's entrance.