Commodore User
1st November 1984
Summer Games
The idea is either to shake the joystick, or rapidly press the Fire button to make your athletes move - the faster you shake or fire, the faster your athlete moves.
The first game we tested was Daley Thompson's Decathlon from Ocean, which was the closest of the three games to the original Track And Field.
Two cartoon-style athletes compete in a series of track and field events - including Pole Vault, 100 metres dash, hurdles and discus.
One clever touch is that there are several advertising hoardings in the stadium with companies like WHSmiths, Boots and Menzies. That must've sold a few, eh, boys?
Next up was Activision's offering - Decathlon, an authentic ten-event challenge for up to four players.
This scored higher than Daley's game on graphics and it also benefitted from a larger screen presentation of the track and athletes.
The Activision game also had better sound effects and a more fluid animation of the running movement of the athletes.
Although Activision performed well, the gold medal has to be awarded to Quicksilva for the game licensed from Epyx - Summer Games.
This really is something special. Summer Games is also the most original of the Games games - as it involves more than simply yanking the living daylights out of your joystick.
The graphics really have to be seen to be believed. Eight brilliantly animated events plus an opening ceremony with white doves flying up into the sky and eighteen national flags for you to choose your favourite country.
The winning medals for the best Games game in the Commodore User Challenge are awarded as follows: Gold: Summer Games, Silver: Decathlon, and Bronze: Daley Thompson's Decathlon.
