When it comes to sports games, no one outscores Epyx in the field of Olympic-style competition. But Epyx surpassed itself when it decided to give players a taste of the Summer Olympics held last year in South Korea. In fact, the team from Epyx does more than simply enter the competition with The Games: Summer Edition—it captures the gold medal.
Programmers, musicians, and artists at Epyx went all out to capture the thrill and excitement of Olympic competition. If you were unable to attend the Olympics in Seoul, The Games is the next best thing.
From the opening ceremony, with its outstanding musical score and snapshots of Korean life, you realize this game is a cut above the rest.
Up to eight players may represent any of 18 countries in any or all of eight events: Diving, Uneven Parallel Bars, Rings, Hammer Throw, Velodrome Cycling, Hurdles, Pole Vault, and Archery.
Participation in the events ranges from simple to complex, giving players several depths of play. To sprint around the velodrome, simply move the joystick forward and backward rapidly. Mastering the 23 different moves on the uneven parallel bars or the 40 possible combinations in the diving event, however, requires concentration and a higher degree of joystick dexterity.
Animation is smooth and flawless, and the participants are well drawn. Sound, often treated as an afterthought in many games, hasn’t been neglected, either. Birds chirp at the archery range as arrows whoosh to the target, and you can hear water dripping from the diving board at the Olympic pool.
A panel of animated judges award points in some events, but the computer keeps track of the scoring and awards medals after each event.
For a program that takes top marks in all categories, check out The Games: Summer Edition. It’s a gold-medal winner.
Animation 5
Graphics 5
Sound 5
Playability 5
Realism 5
Ratings: 5-excellent, 4-good, 3-average. 2-befew average, 1-very poor
Top Contender
World Games - Epyx
Winter Challenge - Thunder Mountain (Mindscape)
COMPUTE!'s Gazette June 1989
