Video Olympics
Pong is the name of the game
By Brendan OnfrichukMay 9, 2006
Yes, Video Olympics is a collection
of Pong games that you would normally see on a Pong
dedicated console. Anybody who is anybody has played Pong before
and for most people, Video Olympics is awesome. You don't need to
huddle around those old Pong units that have the paddle
controllers attached to the deck without any wires, just sit back and
get ready for the experience that is Pong.
Gameplay:
The best part about the Video Olympics cartridge is the variety of
Pong games. You can play classic Pong, Super Pong, Hockey,
Basketball, Soccer and so on. All of the games on here are worth
playing and they are all sure to bring back memories for the older
gamers that actually owned a Pong console like my father. The
regular Pong variation is like any other, you deflect the ball
back and forth with your paddles until somebody misses it and the other
player gets a point. As the ball bounces back and forth it will pick up
speed and become increasingly difficult to hit the ball. The player to
get to 21 points first is the winner. Games like Basketball and
Soccer still use paddles but you need to get the ball in the
other players net and defend your own. All of these variations are very
clever and there are even some that allow 4 players. This gameplay is
solid and will never be to old, ever.
Graphics:
It is very hard to be critical about the graphics. You don't need very
much to play Pong. Regardless the colors do look nice and bright.
Games like hockey have a blue rink and white nets and that works
surprisingly well considering how simple it is. The paddles are simply
rectangular and don't have round edges disappointingly and the same
thing goes for the ball. The middle line from Classic Pong is
missing and that is annoying since the "Fuji" symbol stands for the 3
lines in Pong (middle line and two paddles). But overall the
graphics do a fine job of displaying Pong on your screen.
Sound/Music:
Once again it is very hard to criticize something when it doesn't really
need it. There is only one sound in Video Olympics and that is
the bonk of the paddles. This sound is also used for serving the ball
and when you score. I wouldn't have it any other way but it does seem
like a waste not to have separate sounds for these actions. But this
minor setback does not create a problem.
Control:
Perfect. You cannot complain about the paddle controllers because they
are 100% accurate. The paddles on the screen move perfectly with the
controller allowing for a fast response time. The button on the
controller is used to serve the ball and nothing else. The paddle
controllers make a perfect match with this game, you can't complain
because of how well suited it is.
Overall:
If you own a 2600 it is a crime not to own this awesome cartridge. The
collection of games on it is wonderful and will provide hours of
multi-player mayhem. And with how common the cartridge is you should
have no problem getting it. Video Olympics is a no brainer
because everybody enjoys Pong. This ladies and gentlemen is the
reason to own a set of paddle controllers.
Game Data |
Scores
|
| Title |
Video Olympics |
Graphics |
75% |
| Publisher |
Atari |
Sound/Music |
60% |
| Genre |
Action |
Gameplay |
100% |
| System |
2600 |
Control |
100% |
|
|
Overall |
100% |
)
