Games: Summer Edition, The Download (1988 Sports Game)

You start as a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team to compete at the Olympic Summer Games.

You can play eight events, including Velodrome Sprint Cycling, Hurdles, Pole Vault, Hammer-throw, Uneven Parallel Bars, Rings, Archery, and Springboard Diving. You can practice each event separately or play the whole competition.

The game also features a multiple player option, this makes it a nice party game. If you are alone, you can compete against the computer.

If you're stuck in an event, or want to get better, just take the coaching book (= the manual) and read how you can make more tricks. It also features many real facts of the history of the Olympic summer games.

Epyx was known for their excellent sport games (mostly Olympic Games). Here's yet another of their sport games. This time we're taking you to beautiful Seoul, the host of the 1988 Summer Olympics!

The opening sequence is more then promising. The graphics are great, the drawn pictures excellently done and even the tune isn't half bad (even though it's from the PC speaker). Unfortunately the gameplay is somewhat worse then with most of their sport games. It's lacking something. On the other hand, they have added some humor and some great events.

So here goes with the events:

Archery is definitely a great plus to this game. Unfortunately once you choose the strength you can't adjust it (this is a real nuisance). After that you get to aim. Accordingly to the strength and the wind condition you have to aim over or under the bull's eye. IF you aim straight into it (and you're not 100% sure about the strength) you will probably miss the whole target.

Pole Vault is one of those events that have been done before. Still they added a few twists. First you need to get enough speed. Next you need to set your vault down. If you press it down too much and don't jump at the right moment it will snap. On the other hand, if you set it down to late, you'll just keep on running, and running... And even if you get successfully off the ground, you still need to clear the bar (some mid air action). Upon landing you'll get to see a replay on the big screen in the background.

Parallel Bars gymnastics is an event that I've never seen before. You need to perform some acrobatics on both bars and then successfully land. To start with you should randomly press buttons and something is bound to happen. After you do the same thing a few times, you'll get the feel of it and only then can you really start performing the figures you want.

Cycling is one of the two events where you get to compete head to head. Quickly pressing forward will make you go faster, but will wear your cyclist down (you'll see his face in different stages in the little window). On turns you need to take the right curve, not too loose too much speed.

Rings have probably got the best background (the dragon). You're a gymnast once again and this time you need to prove your skills and strength on the rings. Just don't do any completely illogical movements.

Diving was the most fun on the old C64. The PC version lost some of that fun, but it's still a nice event. You should perform the most daring stunt while in air and land with as little splashing as possible.

400m Hurdles are the second event where you compete head to head. The real drag with this one (apart from repeatedly pressing the keys) is the long waiting time before start (press enter or space while waiting - I dare you).

And last, but by no means least Hammer Toss. You should get enough momentum to throw it really far. There are three stages of the throw. First you simply swing the hammer; next you're circling it over your head and at last you're spinning around with it (hold space in the last phase). When you release it, you better make sure you're not turned towards the camera. I warned you, there goes your brand new flat screen LCD.

All in all this is a very fun game, but could have been done better. It gets some bonus point for the humor and great graphics, but it still doesn't get the perfect score.

The official game for the 1988 Olympic Games at Soeul, The Games: Summer Edition brings to life 9 exciting Olympic events with the same great gameplay and variety that Epyx's 1986 Summer Games is known for, now with great graphics and even more fluid animations. As with Epyx' other games, you can practice in any event for as long as you want before choosing which country to represent in the Olympics tournament. Highly recommended!

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

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