Google’s latest playable “Doodle” unsurprisingly celebrates the ongoing 2021 Tokyo Olympic games but surprisingly furthers that event’s prominent video game theme by paying tribute to some of the most notable RPGs of the 8 and 16-bit eras.

The “lore” behind this Doodle game is strangely compelling. It casts you as a cat tasked with exploring Champion Island: a “world filled with seven sports mini-games, legendary opponents, dozens of daring side quests, and a few new (and old) friends.” Your goal is to choose a faction, compete in various sports events, find seven sacred scrolls, and perhaps finish a few optional challenges found throughout Champion Island.

The bulk of the Doodle consists of several Olympics-inspired minigames that are all relatively simple from a mechanical standpoint, but greatly benefit from both their accessibility and how they contribute to the Doodle’s surprisingly engaging theme. They also theoretically serve as the basis for...