The world's eyes turn toward jolly ol' England
on July 27th for the start of the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The
honored and respected quadrennial international contest has a rich
history of memorable moments and human drama that has made the event a
must-see for sports fans and nationalists alike.
The Olympics have made an impact on home computers and video game
consoles, too. Although
Olympic video games lack wondrous people moments
such as Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing
Olympics or 1980's "Miracle on Ice," they gives armchair athletes the
ability to make their own marks against smack-talking friends.
The video game industry has released numerous Olympic-themed games in
its roughly 40-year existence (both officially licensed and
non-licensed) games that let gamers participate in the hurdles, 100-yard
dash, swimming, gymnastics, and other sports. Unfortunately, like other
video games based on real-world properties, the quality of Olympic
video games has been hit or miss—mostly miss. That said, there are a few
golden gems in the muck that are worth a play.
The Olympic and Olympic-themed games in this roundup cover the computer
and home video game console titles that are true representatives of the
multi-sport event—no stinkers here. Their play styles, however, are
radically different. Older games crafted with the arcade and 8-bit
computers in mind are button-mashing and joystick-jiggling affairs that
wrecked controllers; the most-recently released Olympic title utilizes
Microsoft's revolutionary Kinect motion-controller for hands-free
gaming.
As always, check out our slideshow below for commentary on the best
Olympic games, and feel free to leave your own picks in the comment
section.
The Activision Decathlon (1983)
The Activision Decathlon's programmers (which
included the legendary David Crane) must have been sitting on
significant joystick stock. That's what immediately comes to mind when
reflecting on this early '80s title which brought the high jump,
400-meter race, discus throw, and other contests to the ColecoVision,
Commodore 64, and MSX platforms. The Atari 2600 version was a bastard of
game that destroyed joysticks (and wrists) as gamers had to rapidly
move their sticks left and right to run. Still, The Activision Decathlon
is a title (somewhat) fondly remembered by the Gen-X set.
Summer Games (1984)
Summer Games was the first of Epyx'
multi-sport competitive titles that were released in the mid to late
'80s. Although Summer Games lacked an official Olympic license, the game
packed several Olympic sports including pole vaulting, sprinting, skeet
shooting, and more. The Commodore 64 version let gamers compete in even
more events than the other versions as it let players link it to Summer
Games II (released in 1985) to create a single huge event.
Winter Games (1985)
Epyx did more than replicate the summer
Olympic Games. Winter Games, the developer's take on the Winter
Olympics, also lacked an official Olympic license, but it was another
excellent sports title for the Amiga, Apple II, Commodore 64, and home
video game systems. Winter Games featured eight events, including the
ski jump, luge, bobsled, biathlon, and other snow-and-ice competitions.
Track & Field (1987) 
This is the game that gave an entire
generation of kids hand blisters, sore fingers, and other nerd-specific
injuries. Track & Field, Konami's first foray into Olympic-themed
video games, was originally released in arcades in 1984, but ported to
the Atari 2600, Commodore 64, NES, and other home computer and video
game consoles. Players' race for glory saw them compete in the long
jump, hurdles, javelin throw, and more. The NES version used a
chip-tuned "Chariots of Fire" as its splash screen composition, a track
used in the arcade version's closing credits.
Capcom's Gold Medal Challenge '92 (1992) 
Released the same year as the Barcelona
Summer Olympics, Capcom's Gold Medal Challenge '92 features over a dozen
events including the long jump, 100 meter backstroke, weightlifting,
and marathon. Capcom's Gold Medal Challenge '92's gameplay relies on
heavy button-mashing, but unlike many other 8-bit Olympic-themed video
games, it requires players to press the "B" and "A" buttons with a
particular rhythm. The game's also well-remembered for its 8-player
competition that inspired much smack talk.
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (2012) 
There was quite a drought when it came to
memorable Olympic Games games, but the wait for a couple worth playing
has ended just in time for the London 2012 Olympics with the inevitable
video game tie-ins. This time, as in 2008, former rivals Nintendo and
SEGA have collaborated on an arcade-style take on the ceremonies with
the lengthily-named Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
This Nintendo 3DS cartridge boasts over 50 competitive events starring
the plumber, the hedgehog, and several of their friends, rivals, and
enemies. There's lots of competitive fun in the single or multiplayer
modes, but the overly simplistic versions of some events dulls the
experience a bit.
London 2012 (2012) 
London 2012, the official tie-in game for the
upcoming summer Olympics, is Sega's second take on the international
contest (the other being Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic
Games). The sports title features numerous competitions (archery,
aquatics, gymnastics, table tennis, and more), and countries (including
Australia, Brazil, Greece, Jamaica, Kenya, Ukraine, United States) to
select. London 2012 also features motion control support (Microsoft
Kinect for Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation Move), an online multiplayer
mode to compete with online community's best, and very solid commentary.
London 2012's biggest positive is its modern game design; rapid-fire
button-mashing is discouraged in favor of more precise, well-paced
inputs.
