Who doesn't dream of being in the Olympics someday? Sure, there are those of you who prefer a career involving cash, a loving wife, a mistress that she hardly suspects, and an endorsement deal that'll have you set to put your brain in a jar through the 23rd century for survival.
But for others, it's all about the glory of having a gold medal wrapped around your neck, showing your country that it's all about the honor of being a part of the sport...and then going on to the above-said endorsement deal with McDonald's or whomever. Don't get me wrong, some of these Olympic events are a trip, like the US basketball team taking EVERYONE apart. But, really, not many companies can come close to capturing the Olympic spirit in a video game. Konami's mid-80's Olympic-styled arcade games, Track and Field and Hyper Sports, managed to do rather well, but since that time, they've been on a downhill decline, with such companies as Eidos, JVC, and Infogrames trying their hands at such games and failing. Only Konami has stood strong over the years, with International Track and Field set to conquest the PS2 early next year. Now, Hitmaker, the development house behind the previously released sports smash Virtua Tennis, is trying their hand at the Olympics with Virtua Athlete 2000, and, um, what happened?
Sega originally opted not to release the game in the US, and Agetec was quick to pick up the game for a US release, maybe for the sake of cashing in on the Olympic glory. But now, after playing the game for a while, I can kind of see why Sega chose to decline on its release- the entire game just lacks in every category, and they probably didn't want to associate it in any way with Virtua Tennis. Can't say I blame them.
Check the breakdown below while I take a sip of my Olympic-sponsored beer...ahhhh...
Visuals:: It's not like Hitmaker did a terrible job here. The in-game graphics are better than what was seen in Eidos' Sydney 2000, with very detailed animation on each of the athletes and plenty of cool little details, like signs of an athlete tiring out (slowing down, trying to catch their breath, etc). That sideline crowd in each of the events, however, are pretty damn ugly. What happened to the lively folks from Virtua Tennis? Perhaps they're still there? Heh. The game moves at a pretty even pace with each event, and the loading time is thankfully improved over the Japanese version. Not bad.
Audio:: Um, not really much here. The music moves along at a pretty sluggish pace, even outran by the minimal tunes found in Decathlete back on the Sega Saturn. The sound effects are pretty muted as well, with hardly any emotion being verbally displayed by the athletes. Throw in an average crowd effect, and, well, you've got the sound equivalent of a sleeping pigeon. Someone wake it up.
Gameplay/Control:: Like with any Olympic video game, this is where the game becomes terribly repetitive. You basically take part in seven different events...yes, only seven...and tap your way to victory with the action buttons. That's it. There's hardly any real control over your athlete or their attributes, making them all play about the same. Sad, ain't it? The gameplay reacts kinda nicely, but there was far more interaction back on Decathlete, I'd hate to say it. More events, too. Trying to beat your own scores doesn't exactly offer a thrilling challenge either. Sigh...
Extras:: he game does have a multiplayer mode, but with such a lacking number of activities within the game itself, why bother? You're through with seven events in a matter of an hour and then back to Virtua Tennis. Creating your own athlete is a cool new option (you can create the DCD Couch Potato and actually watch him break records! HAHA!) and the network-based scoreboard is kinda fun to try once, but, past that, it's back to the tap-tap of the buttons and the same seven activities, including a "fun" 1500-meter dash (that's four laps, basically) that'll leave your fingers aching.
Overall:: This game's basically a letdown on all fronts, even with the create-an-athlete mode and the great graphic design. If Hitmaker had somehow incorporated less monotonous game mechanics and more events to participate in, they could've shown Eidos what for. As is, it's just another Olympic hopeful that doesn't even score a bronze. Go get a Sega Saturn, a multi-tap, and a copy of Decathlete instead if you really need to send your Olympic fever scorching. Otherwise, Virtua Tennis, anyone?
Score:: 5.0/10
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