Beijing 2008 game events

It's not perfect, but it's good, and given the history of the genre, that's certainly enough for us these days. As with any Olympics or track and field title, the two most important aspects of the game are its event roster and the control mechanics therein. For the most part, Beijing delivers in both of these respects. The nearly 40 events span everything from the m dash to the hammer throw and discus toss, to diving events, archery, balance beam, floor exercises, parallel bars and much, much more.

If there's a Summer Olympics event that you're hoping is in the game, chances are extremely high that it's in there. The control mechanics are also given a high level of variety. Basics, like running, can be done by either alternating between two face buttons or waggling one of the analog sticks left and right. Swimming events allow you to use the two analog sticks to mimic your arms, with you rotating one clockwise and the other counterclockwise.

These basics are spread across a number of different uses and mixed and matched depending upon the event. Weightlifting, for example, has you both build up power as furiously as you can, and then switch to subtle weight balancing to keep the barbell in the air.

There are some interesting twists thrown into what you might consider "classic" track and field game events. Straight-up race events, like the m dash, hurdles or swimming events, for example, have you start out with a launch mini-game. Rather than waiting for the gun to mash buttons, you need to use the triggers to manage a power meter and keep it as close to the red starting spot as possible. If you go too high, you'll jump the gun and be faulted or disqualified , but if you play it too safely and keep it low, you'll get a late start and may have a hard time catching up to the pack.

This starting mechanic is a good idea on paper, but it's not quite perfect. When the gun does go off, you need to pull and hold the trigger until your meter breaches the red starting section of said meter.

If you're not very close, this can take a second, and you're greatly penalized. It looks pretty bad when your sprinter is a good half-second or more late in getting off the line.

I would have preferred to have seen your athlete automatically start a little sooner, with the meter acting as a bonus rather than a penalty. Still, there are some standout and original uses and mixes of the control elements. The javelin throw, for example, has you run as per usual, but then press the left analog stick back like you're cocking back your arm, and then you press it up and forward to set the angle.

The diving controls have you follow one or two rotating dots that correspond to your form with the analog sticks. The rings has you use the analog sticks to dial in moves, sort of like a rhythm game, but then you need to mash on the triggers to maintain your pose. While most of the events are fun, there are a couple that are either lackluster or annoying to play. Judo offers little to no help as to how to perform moves. Much of the time here is spent pressing a corresponding directional cue with one of the analog sticks, but then when a takedown chance happens you need to input a button combination to either perform or block the takedown.

The game doesn't offer any help as to the button combinations, making it almost impossible to defend against anything. The manual just says to experiment and see what works best, which is not good.

You got seven different Track events, eight Field events, six Aquatic events, 10 Gymnastic events and 6 other events of various category. So, you are able to support your nation from across the world should you wish to, or switch it up and support an entirely different nation.

The visuals in games like this are of paramount importance as the gameplay itself. The gameplay is good, as we established, and the visuals are too. There is an interesting amount of detail where everyone in the background looks and acts exactly like they should. If you are after a game that does exactly what it says on the tin then this is for you. This May Cause controversy, but I have never considered tapping two buttons in rapid succession or endlessly waggling a joystick to be fun.

It wasn't fun when I was playing Daley Thompson's Olympic Challenge in , and it sure as hell isn't fun now. In fact, the only factor that remains fun about the experience is watching the pained expression on a fellow player's face as they trigger the early on-set of arthritis while systematically destroying their gamepad. The problem is, three-quarters of the events are carat bollocks - and in the remaining fields the Olympian skills of AI competitors far outweigh your own nandrolone-free digits.

The videogame rendition of the Beijing Olympics is a smooth and shiny one, and vaguely fun in two player, but its frantic, pointless, Sisyphean button mashing couldn't stand at greater odds to the human drama, elation and despair of the real thing.

There were many memorable champions, but it was Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt who stole the headlines. Phenomenal U. The 10km swimming marathon and BMX. In , in the m final, Rebecca Adlington improved on the previous time by more than two seconds, with a new time of In Beijing, almost 50 years separated the oldest from the youngest athlete: Japanese horse rider Hiroshi Hoketsu took part in his third Olympic Games at the age of 67, whilst Cameroon swimmer, Antoinette Joyce Guedia Mouafo participated in the Games for the first time at the tender age of Thirty-seven venues, six of which were outside Beijing, hosted the competitions: namely Hong Kong for the equestrian events and Qingdao for the sailing; and Tianjin, Shanghai, Qinhuangdao and Shenyang for the football matches.

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