Commodore User


Daley Thompson's Olympic Challenge

Author: Mike Pattenden
Publisher: Ocean
Machine: Amiga 500

 
Published in Commodore User #62

Daley Thompson's Olympic Challenge

Poor old Daley, broken but unbowed, he missed out on another Olympic medal by a measly 22 points. Ain't life a bitch?

Ocean must be more gutted about Daley's demise than most: had he succeeded, Daley Thompson's Olympic Challenge would probably have fared much better chartwise than it has. The 16-bit version appears, rather in the mould of Epyx games, after the main event, so it really needs a little more than topicality to give it appeal.

To their credit, Ocean have tired to make use of the Amiga with a different approach to the game in using digitised pictures of the great man to accompany the action. However, these only serve to highlight what was the game's main weakness on 8-bit: it's still a very stilted joystick waggler. In each of the ten events virtually all you're asked to do is thrash the stick violently from side-to-side, a technique which really has as much place in sports sims these days as synchronised swimming.

Daley Thompson's Olympic Challenge

The 16-bit version also falls down on the C64 with the graphics, believe it or not. Yes, I know they're digitised which is fine, but for most of the events Daley's digitised pictures merely accompany the action - the real sporting prowess takes place in the world of sprites and pixels, and really these leave a bit to be desired. They're small and not really that detailed.

Sound too is poor, and although there's a jolly tune, the effects are weak and limited to the odd grunt and what sounds like an express train rattling over the points in the distance. It's supposed to be the crowd's reaction.

A shame really, because had Ocean found a way of utilising the digitised pictures more usefully and avoided the joystick pumping them I'm sure Daley Thompson's Olympic Challenge would have been a hit.

Mike Pattenden

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