Mario Helps Bring Rio Olympics 2016 To A Close

It was then the world got a clue that, for Tokyo2020, the next Olympic hosts would take full and shameless advantage of Japan’s pop culture icons.

But one plumber stole the show.

A short trailer for the Tokyo games ran towards the end of the ceremony, in which Abe – anxious that he might not make it to Rio in time – morphed into Mario, drilled a green warp pipe through the core of the earth, and emerged in the centre of the Maracanã.

A high-quality version of the above video can be viewed on the CBC Olympics Twitter account, for Canadian viewers wanting to see the Super Mario Bros aspect of the closing ceremony.

With everyone collectively impressed, the rest of the showcase went off without a hitch.

If it’s any indication, Tokyo 2020 could have one of the geekiest opening ceremonies we’ll witness.

Performers pose during the closing ceremony.

Also present at the closing ceremony was Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, who received the Olympic flag from International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach and Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes.

All that aside, everyone was still freaking out over Mario.

Of course, there were hopes Japan would make Mario Kart at the Olympics a reality.

Tokyo’s no stranger to Olympic Games. Yes, Super Mario will be at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and fans are seriously pumped. It last hosted the event 52 years ago.