Veggie Jackson writes:
''The Summer Olympics are right around the corner, and that means it's the season for Olympic video game. This year, Sega and developer Eurocom have the license for the official game of the Beijing Olympics. How does it shape up? Well, not that it's saying that much, but it might just be the best Olympic title ever.
With 38 different Olympic events, there's no shortage of variety in Beijing 08. Unlike many previous track & field-type games, Beijing 08 does a great job of mixing up the play mechanics. There are the obligatory button mashing events, like swimming and sprinting, where your only real concern is mashing A and B (or wiggling the right analog stick) as fast as possible, but there are also plenty of events that require skill, timing and quick thinking to excel. For example, the balance beam event requires you to tap the face button that corresponds to colored areas as your gymnast steps on them, and the diving events require you to match the speed of spinning circles with an analog-controlled cursor. The level of variation in game types is matched only by the level of variation in the computer's AI difficulty. Some games, like the shotput and discus throw, are very easy to medal in every time, while the 110 meter hurdles are nearly impossible to even compete in. Despite this, the controls are generally fun, reflecting some or all of the motions an actual athlete would utilize in the event.''
Amazon have released their video game deal of the day for Thursday.
Nominations for Develop Industry Excellence Awards are unveiled, and two developers are likely to walk away with most of them.
Rockstar and Media Molecule will be contesting for the most category nominations. Rockstar snags six of them with GTA: Chinatown Wars and GTA IV: The Lost and the Damned from Rockstar while Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet alone is nominated for another five.
Wouldn't be surprised if Rockstar takes all their 6 nominations and brings home several prizes =)
Do you still suffer from Olympic fever? Are you constantly checking NBC looking for any glimpse of a balance beam, pool, or waving country flags? Fear not, Summer Athletics is here with your cure. Sure, you would think that an Olympic-styled game would just add fuel to the fire, but Summer Athletics is all but guaranteed to drown it, like Michael Phelps treats other Olympians' dreams.
If you remember the ancient Commodore 64 title, Summer Games, you know what to expect. The title is surprisingly similar, given the twenty-plus years between the two games. You have the option to play a single event, compete in a set of events (including a traditional decathlon), or build an athlete from scratch with career mode. The game gives you twenty-six events to play, in seven different categories. Save the lame career mode and a handful of additional events, it feels strikingly similar to the classic Commodore 64 title, except the older title actually plays better.
