Summer Athletics Review

Some are tedious.

Version tested: Xbox 360

You might recall we thought SEGA's official Olympic 'Game of the Games' wasn't up to much. Too many counter-intuitive mechanics and far too much padding. A clear opportunity remains for someone to come along and snatch the torch, then. Perhaps dtp and 49 Games will do better?

Summer Athletics packs in most of the key events you expect (or care about) in a track and field-based title. All the usual suspects make an appearance, with every major running (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m), throwing (javelin, discus, hammer, shot put), and jumping (high, long, triple, pole vault) event present for a total of 26. Alongside the obvious candidates, the devs throw in swimming and diving events and even cycling and archery.

Sadly, first impressions are desperately poor. From the moment you glance at the horrendous box art, the whole package comes across as a cheap, soulless, sub-budget cash-in. On the cheapest, blandest front-end since Earth Defence Force, an irritating gymnastic monkey mascot giddily somersaults about the place, and there's no obvious entry point; you're just presented with a sea of menus and a choice of a series of preset competitions (such as Decathlon, Short Competition or 'Higher, Faster, Farther'). You can, if you like, create your own, or succumb to the lure of the god-awful career mode.

The so-called career is back-of-a-beermat stuff. The character-creation is laughably primitive - you can tweak a few sliders, but what you end up with looks bizarre. Once you've done that you leap into a championship and run through a series of events, but this is just a procession with a progression layer tacked between events, allowing you to distribute experience points across five areas of growth. Every time you play an event, you're rewarded with 100 of these training points, regardless of how well you performed, and you're hard-pressed to notice any effects after doling them out. Ultimately the process is mechanical and pointless, and you soon realise the game works better when it's divorced from the half-baked character development.

'Summer Athletics' Screenshot 1

Summer Athletics is the first game to make monkeys annoying. SHOOT HIM!

Far more enjoyable is to simply play the events you most enjoy, either via customisable competitions or by selecting single events. In that sense, Summer Athletics isn't as bad as it appears to be. As with the good/awful Beijing 2008, if you stick to the more enjoyable efforts it's engaging in small doses - especially if you have a few willing subjects on hand to compete against. And they have to be on hand, because criminally it's offline-only.

Basic track events such as the sprint races are handled more sensibly than some of the teeth-grindingly awful equivalents in SEGA's Beijing effort. Timing your burst off the blocks involves holding the left trigger to build up power, and releasing once the starter gun goes off. The difference is that Summer Athletics gives you more time to react, because it charges up the meter at a slower pace. It's a subtle difference, but a crucial one.

The jumping and throwing events, too, include neat refinements of the well-worn waggle-then-set-your-angle approach, and are all enjoyable. Usually based around a three-step process, you rotate the right stick or waggle it (or jiggle, as they insist on saying) to build up power, set the angle by pushing the left stick up, and then hit the left trigger at the crucial moment to complete the throw/jump. While initially a little odd, after a few goes it becomes second nature, and makes it pretty straightforward thereafter to power through a whole series of events.

The only criticism is that you might find yourself getting very good at it very quickly, taking some of the challenge away early on. Other events, like High Jump, take an entirely different approach, aping Beijing's tactic of matching the timing of your athlete's run-up to build power, setting the jump power with the left trigger, then furiously rotating the right stick to set 'posture'. Most are, admittedly, variations on a theme, but if you're into quirky sport mini-games, you'll appreciate the effort here.

Like Beijing though, just when you feel you're getting into the whole thing, a few absolutely terrible events come along to spoil it. The swimming, in particular, has pointlessly exacting mechanics that deserve to be drowned. In theory, rotating both sticks in time with your swimmer's actions is doable, but you feel like the game's failing to read your actions. As arrows spin around a circle, you're supposed to match them and keep up, but during most attempts this simply doesn't happen. Whether it's a case of a bad workman blaming his tools is open for discussion, but when repeat practice fails to make you better at it, you know something's amiss.

The quality's patchy elsewhere, too, with rather boring middle-distance running events that require you to conserve stamina while clip-clopping a steady rhythm on the left and right sticks. Similar in concept, the cycling events also pass by in a thrum of tiresome slipstreaming and energy conservation, with little more involved than varying your power by moving the right stick up and down and steering with the left.

'Summer Athletics' Screenshot 2

The throwing events are surprisingly good fun.

Matters improve with the rather enjoyable archery events, where a wobbly reticule and bow tension considerations make for an intuitive but challenging set of events. High diving, too, is handled better than Eurocom managed with its dreadful alternative in Beijing 2008. Uncannily similar in some respects, 49 Games remembers to make it playable and pretty, throwing in timing-based mechanics rather than potty dual-stick rotation nonsense.

On the whole Summer Athletics isn't as awful as it first appears to be. The quality and overall consistency is better than Beijing 2008, although it lacks visual flair and presentation, but once you factor in the crippling absence of online play, it becomes harder to make a call the better of the two. At times like this, we wish Konami would bring its excellent New Track & Field title to other consoles. Until then, Summer Athletics is about as good as it gets, which isn't saying an awful lot.

5 / 10

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Comments (40) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mingster #1 4 years ago

    Its no EPYX summer games then
  • kangarootoo #2 4 years ago

    Ahhh, Epyx summer games. Could anyone out there beat 26m pole vault? It seemed an awesome amount to me at the time, but it was probably shite. I spent hours playing that one event for several Saturday mornings in a row. Childhood was ace.
  • spammage #3 4 years ago

    It seems like forever since Konami did there mandatory, once a generation console iteration of track and field. What I wouldn't give! :D

    I didn't even need to read the review to know this would be shit. Oh well.
  • superzero #4 4 years ago

    Dont you think a picture of a black guy with the caption 'Summer Athletics is the first game to make monkeys annoying. SHOOT HIM!' Is a tad racist?
  • jonsaan #5 4 years ago

    Surely online leaderboards puts the other one miles in front of this?
  • Darren #6 4 years ago

    I loved the Track & Field game and Epyx's C64 Games series but don't see where the fun lies in these games now. To me they're as dull as the events they're based on. Sonic & Mario at the Olympics was passable fun with other players on the Wii (I rather liked the table tennis event) and it was cute but then I never bought the game, it belonged to my parents!!! LOL
  • jonsaan #7 4 years ago

    Track and field on the Konami DS collection is all you'll ever need people.
  • urban #8 4 years ago

    bring back track and field!
  • muscleblade #9 4 years ago

    I probably buy Track & Field on Xbla if i feel the need to play something like this.
    Edited by 1 at 14/08/08 @ 14:07
  • HolyJebus #10 4 years ago

    "Dont you think a picture of a black guy with the caption 'Summer Athletics is the first game to make monkeys annoying. SHOOT HIM!' Is a tad racist?"

    I was just about to say the same thing, maybe Ellie was doing the captions ;)
  • miiiguel #11 4 years ago

    @ Krudster, after waiting for your review for what seemed "so long", and after reading it twice, I still don't have the answer for "is it worth it (time-consumption-wise, let's disregard the money issue), for a guy who absolutly loves the Olimpics ?"
  • Aretak #12 4 years ago

    Yeah, an extremely unfortunate cock-up with the picture for the first caption. 'Nazigamer' will be all over blogs by 5pm.
  • miiiguel #13 4 years ago

    oh... I didn't associate those things with that proto-racism you are talking about. Naive me...
  • the_sas_man #14 4 years ago

    I'm sure I'm missing something here, but was Eurogamer being racist on the first comment relating to the picture?
  • benstarkie #15 4 years ago

    Spanish levels of race-sensitivity!

    Someone mentioned Athlete Kings for the Saturn on the Beijing 2008 comment thread- now that was amazing. I think there might have been a winter one (cannae be bothered to wiki) as well.... equally magnificent.

    Its a shame both button bashers have been panned... I really really wanted one too but may wait if they are really 5/10 games.
  • mingster #16 4 years ago

    i think there is a monkey in the picture on the far right.
  • TheBoyChris #17 4 years ago

    First image lol. There's a monkey mascot at the side of the track on the right of the image, let's assume he's talking about that instead of acting like a tabloid reporter ;)

    (Bet it gets changed though...)
  • stepneg #18 4 years ago

    "Dont you think a picture of a black guy with the caption 'Summer Athletics is the first game to make monkeys annoying. SHOOT HIM!' Is a tad racist?"

    It was the first thing I thought as well, plus the fact an athletics game game can't have that much of a problem with annoying Monkeys and they are not mentioned anywhere else in the review.
  • sneetch #19 4 years ago

    @TheBoyChris

    Yeah, but that mascot isn't obviously a monkey, I've squinted at it and assume it is one but either way it's a bit of a screw-up there Eurogamer, you racist bastards. :)
  • the_sas_man #20 4 years ago

    I suspect it was inteneded for the tiny mascot in the corner - but surely the person who did this caption knew what was going on?

    This fact alone makes the caption racist, and if there was 100% genuinely no idea that the caption could be interpreted as racist, then that perso should be fired, not for negligence, just for being pig shit thick!

    I mean seriosuly guys, they did that caption, with a picture of what looks like a reticle on a black guy very deliberately. I just hope the black readership see the funny side.
  • TheBoyChris #21 4 years ago

    Fair enough. You win.

    Racist bastards.

    ;)
  • miiiguel #22 4 years ago

    I, for one, didn't associate, but I must admit, as beeing portuguese, I associate the lexic "monkey" plainly with those hairy animals - nothing more, nothing less.

    Then again, racism (behavior and culture) is so non-existant in my life that I probably wouldn't "get it" if that was the intention.

    I sure would like a (as possible) pragmatic answer to my "game doubts"...
  • the_sas_man #23 4 years ago

    but the monkey is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO tiny when viewed with the caption that Eurogamer surely did not expect us to relate it to that - especially as it looks like a reticle is on the althlete?

    This is quite possibly the stupidest thing I've seen since the Spanish Basketball advert!
  • benstarkie #24 4 years ago

    @ miiguel

    Did you just say hairy animals? GASP
    Edited by 1 at 14/08/08 @ 15:22
  • miiiguel #25 4 years ago

  • sneetch #26 4 years ago

    Ah... it's fixed. The screen shot now clearly shows the monkey mascot that should be shot. I fully agree with Eurogamers pro-shooting, anti-mascot policies.

    However you haven't fooled us, Eurogamer, we've seen past the façade into your twisted, hate-filled hearts and seen the racist monsters that lurk inside you all (guilt by association rocks, it removes the need for a lot of that pesky 'thinking' stuff).
  • TheBoyChris #27 4 years ago

    Will someone please think of the monkeys! Simian abuse should not be tolerated!
    Edited by 1 at 14/08/08 @ 16:26
  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #28 4 years ago

    "However you haven't fooled us, Eurogamer, we've seen past the façade into your twisted, hate-filled hearts and seen the racist monsters that lurk inside you all (guilt by association rocks, it removes the need for a lot of that pesky 'thinking' stuff)."

    Perhaps it was a distraction to stop you slagging off Kristan for the umpteenth thread running, in which case victory! :-)

    Or perhaps it was an amazingly bizarre but innocent cock-up and I'm obviously going to fire everybody responsible starting with myself. And possibly ending with myself.
  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #29 4 years ago

    Since it will be difficult to fire people once I've fired myself.
  • Danoxth #30 4 years ago

    California Games - ah memories
  • bad09 #31 4 years ago

  • miiiguel #32 4 years ago

    @ Mugwum:
    It wasn´t a rethorical question (I can´t do cinical), so... fire the dude!
  • benstarkie #33 4 years ago

    @bad09

    It would be a happier world if we all ran like that eh? Completely devoid of upper body movement and legs akimbo
  • muscleblade #34 4 years ago

    @miiiguel

    Its a quick 1000 gamerpoints so to you its probably worth it. I think you should buy some of the latest fantastic xbla games instead though.
  • miiiguel #35 4 years ago

    muscle, thx, but can I ask you to chill a bit with that implied judging/mocking ? We´ve talked about that issue, leave it mate. I told you before the Achievements are a part of a whole that makes me decide to buy a game or not, not the "factor", ok? And fr sure not the fact of being "easy" (just don´t like impossible/stupid ones, like Quake... oh god, I told you this 100000 times...)

    I know you still don´t believe that I didn´t even buy Avatar (I didn't even know the game, when she bought it) for the Achievements like you did, it was becauase my gf was in the US and there are few unlocked region games (oh man, how pathetic is for a 30 years old guy to be justifing himself on the internet ?).

    You still disregard all the (muscleblade lexic here) "hard" games I did 100%... . (I strongly believe you have a problem for the fact I have more GS than you, and that is silly! I told you I´m not competing with you - and that was what led you to remove me from your friends list wasn't it).

    p.s.: doing laundry in public foruns sucks..., sorry, but I'm kinda bored with that, muscle. (no hard feelings)
    btw: I kick you arse at UT3 any day, come get it! ;)
    Edited by 4 at 15/08/08 @ 13:25
  • m0thr4 #36 4 years ago

    "Dont you think a picture of a black guy with the caption 'Summer Athletics is the first game to make monkeys annoying. SHOOT HIM!' Is a tad racist?"

    It was the first thing I thought as well, plus the fact an athletics game game can't have that much of a problem with annoying Monkeys and they are not mentioned anywhere else in the review.


    Of course, if you actually read the review...

    "On the cheapest, blandest front-end since Earth Defence Force, an irritating gymnastic monkey mascot giddily somersaults about the place," - 3rd paragraph of the review

    ... it was clear to me they were referring to the monkey in the (original) picture. But then, I'm not a racist bastard, and I can actually read a review beyond looking at the pictures and their captions.
  • muscleblade #37 4 years ago

    @miiiguel

    Hey Miguel i was joking alright. And now everybody can see why i made that joke. LOL. You are one funny dude i give you that.

    No hard feelings - as you said we are grownups. The reason i deleted you was your last minute decision not to play NG2 for reasons i dont understand. Oh well. You have higher gamerscore than me but you play a lot more easy games and almost every easy game out there is on your profile. I have unlocked alot more achieves than you (2400) not that it matters.

    I still love you though.


    Edited by 1 at 15/08/08 @ 14:04
  • rodge020679 #38 4 years ago

    people who interpreted the monkey comment as racist, are in fact the racists themselves.
    until we can forget about this stereotyped 'name calling' then the world will forever be black and white.
  • sneetch #39 4 years ago

    @Mugwum
    "Perhaps it was a distraction to stop you slagging off Kristan for the umpteenth thread running, in which case victory! :-)"

    Gasp! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me consistently and... erm... you're a jerk! ;)

    "Or perhaps it was an amazingly bizarre but innocent cock-up and I'm obviously going to fire everybody responsible starting with myself. And possibly ending with myself."

    Well, I had absolutely no doubt that that was what happened but I applaud your "firing everyone" solution. It's the reasonable course of action. May I also suggest some floggings?

  • Razz #40 2 years ago

    Wow, I really enjoyed this game. Everything is subjective. I guess it the mates I play it with that make it fun for me.