Many are already excited for the 2020 Olympics, which will happen in Tokyo, Japan. However, gaming fans may be disappointed to learn that long-time favorites Super Mario and Pikachu have been excluded from the list of the event's official spokescharacters.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appeared at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, dressed as Super Mario. The reveal teased that Nintendo, particularly its iconic character, Mario, will be heavily involved in the 2020 Olympic preparations. Being a major stakeholder of Pokemon, Nintendo was also expected to include Pikachu in the list of official characters that would promote both the event and Japan, writes RocketNews24.

Tokyo Olympics organizers were allegedly planning to make and sell a line of merchandise featuring various popular fictional Japanese characters. Many immediately thought that Super Mario and Pikachu would be included in the lineup. However, when the Tokyo Olympics 2020 Official Online Shop started taking orders from the new Character Design Series, not a single character from Nintendo was involved. Instead, buyers found Naruto, Sailor Moon, Astro Boy, Luffy of "One Piece," Goku of "Dragon Ball," Jibanyan of "Yo-kai," Crayon Shin-chan and a couple of magical girls.

There are some potential reasons why Super Mario and Pikachu has so far been excluded from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Official Online Shop. The initial list of characters are all part of famous anime franchises, while Mario is not. The absence of any character from "Pokemon," which is also a huge anime series, may only be temporary. Promotions for the Tokyo Olympics will continue in the next three years and it is very likely that Pikachu, as well as Mario, will soon be featured on various merchandise.

Apparently, the Character Design Series of Tokyo Olympics is focusing on Japanese shoppers at present. Super Mario and Pokemon characters may soon appear when the Tokyo Olympics continue its promotional activities overseas.

CNBC reveals that, in the meantime, Nintendo is busy preparing for the Tokyo Olympics with the development of Super Nintendo World, a theme park that will open in Universal Studios Japan in time for the 2020 Games. More updates and details are expected soon.