It’s not often that you berate a game for being overly-lengthy but here’s the crux: the thing that made such games as Track & Field (NES) and International Track & Field (PSX) so enjoyable was being able to work your way through the games in the matter of an hour or so. Not an hour per game, the full thing. Sitting around hurting your fingers with a few pals was always the drawing point here, being able to fly through an event in a matter of minutes meant no-one was kept waiting, and your finger tips didn’t spout blood.
The multiplayer is a mixed bag. Stay clear of the full Olympic Games unless you’re willing to devote your entire life from here on in to finishing this off. And there’s not enough Beer’s in the world to see you through that. Go straight for the Competition mode and cherry pick from the best of the events. This is when the game starts to redeem itself.
Avoiding some of the more annoying events such as Kayaking and Weighlifting, and choosing events such as Diving and Skeet Shooting makes for a much more enjoyable experience. You’ll still be beaten by the AI if you’re anything but a freakish monster, but at least you can mark yourself against some human endurance here.
Playing with people, preferabley in the same room (Playing online is only marginally better than playing against the AI, unless you’re playing with friends) is a lot of fun. It is. Seriously. Ignore everything I’ve said previous to this. There are some events here that will frustrate, exhaust and confuse everyone, even those who’ve played the game previously. The games do come into their own with a bit of human competition.
Events such as Diving Platform are cleverly done; use one analogue stick to control your lowest point and one to control your highest point as you barrel roll through the air in slow motion. Following two sets of markers at the same time, with two analogue sticks is like solving a Sudoku while playing Tetris. Your brain will hurt as much as your pride until you get into the knack of things. And the laughter that channels round the room, that’s real good stuff, that’s a game laughter, a laughter you probably won’t have heard since Wario Ware came out.
