International Track & Field

International Track & Field is a 3D update of Konami's Track & Field series, in which up to four players compete in eleven different Olympic events. The game was released for the PlayStation and arcades in 1996. The arcade version was released only in Japan as Hyper Athlete.[3] In 2008 the game was released on PlayStation Network. All six events from the first game, 1983's Track & Field, are included, but only three events (swimming, pole vault and triple jump) are taken from the sequel, Hyper Sports. International Track & Field uses the three-button control system of its predecessors (two run buttons and one action button per player) and the eleven disciplines can be attempted in any order.

International Track & Field
European PAL cover art
Developer(s)Konami
Director(s)Satoshi Kushibuchi
Artist(s)Keiichiro Toyama, Shigeru Kobayashi
Platform(s)PlayStation, arcade, PlayStation Network
ReleasePlayStation
  • JP: May 31, 1996
  • NA: June 28, 1996
  • PAL: June, 1996
Arcade
  • JP: June, 1996
PlayStation Network
Genre(s)Sports

Gameplay

Players compete in the real-life events 100m sprint, long jump, shot put, 100m free style, 110m hurdle, high jump, hammer, triple jump, javelin, pole vault, and discus.[4]

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed International Track & Field on their August 1, 1996 issue as being the fourth most-successful arcade game of the year.[10]

International Track & Field received generally positive reviews, with the four-player competitive mode drawing the most praise. The two sports reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly both gave the game a 7 out of 10. Dindo Perez said that the game is fun, especially with four player multiplayer, but loses its appeal after extensive play, while Todd Morwatt commented, "They don't have an official Olympics license, but the game has a good assortment of Olympic-style events and a strong graphic look that should satisfy die-hard track and field fanatics."[5] Writing in Maximum, Daniel Jevons remarked that as with most games in the genre, the gameplay is fairly simple, but that the fierce competitiveness of four-player sessions makes the game one of the best social experiences on the PlayStation.[8] Johnny Ballgame of GamePro summarized that "Revamped from its glory days in the arcades, International Track & Field triumphs with terrific traditional gameplay that's enhanced by gold-medal 32-bit graphics." He particularly noted the easy to learn but difficult to master gameplay, fiercely competitive multiplayer, and dramatic animations.[11] IGN praised the graphics as "awesome".[6] A reviewer for Next Generation commented, "With its large and detailed 3D competitors and 12-event roster, this major button-mashing fest is arguably the best track-and-field sports sim for a home console."[9]

References
  1. C, Alex (2008-08-21). "PSN Store Update: 21/08/08". TheSixthAxis. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  2. Sinclair, Brendan (2009-11-25). "PSN Store stuffed for Thanksgiving". Industry Gamers. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  3. "Hyper Athlete". Killer List of Videogames. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  4. "International Track and Field: Run the Guantlet with Konami's Sports Sim". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 7. Emap International Limited. June 1996. pp. 36–43.
  5. "Box Score: International Track and Field". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 84. Ziff Davis. July 1996. p. 115.
  6. PSX staff (1996-11-25). "International Track & Field". IGN. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  7. "International Track & Field". GameRankings. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  8. Jevons, Daniel (June 1996). "Maximum Reviews:International Track and Field". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 7. Emap International Limited. p. 120.
  9. "Every PlayStation Game Played, Reviewed, and Rated". Next Generation. No. 25. Imagine Media. January 1997. p. 58.
  10. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 523. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 August 1996. p. 25.
  11. "Konami's Off and Running with Killer Track Action". GamePro. No. 95. IDG. August 1996. p. 77.
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