Eidos Sydney OLYMPICS 2000

Description: The official video game of the 2000 Olympics, Sydney 2000 borrows heavily from the gameplay of the 1983 arcade classic Track and Field. Players "power" their virtual athletes by hammering on two buttons in an alternating sequence as fast as possible,.... Read More

Description: The official video game of the 2000 Olympics, Sydney 2000 borrows heavily from the gameplay of the 1983 arcade classic Track and Field. Players "power" their virtual athletes by hammering on two buttons in an alternating sequence as fast as possible, with the manipulation of a third button required at certain times to perform a particular action. Unfortunately, the novelty here wears off pretty darn quick, especially when using the Dreamcast's standard controller, which is just barely adequate for such frenzied button mashing; you really need an arcade stick for this one. While not all of Sydney 2000's 12 events use this tedious control system, the few that don't feature similarly shallow-as-a-puddle gameplay. What's worse, in order to make it to the Games in Olympic mode, players must "train" their team in a series of tiresome Virtual Gym exercises, which involve--you guessed it--lots and lots of button mashing. Thankfully, Sydney 2000's Arcade and Coaching modes allow players to jump right into any event. You won't get to experience the game's Olympic fanfare, but you'll probably save yourself from a repetitive-stress injury. --Joe Hon Pros: Makes for an easy-to-pick-up multiplayer game TV-style coverage includes replays shown from multiple camera angles Cons: Shallow gameplay involves little more than mindless button mashing Arcade stick more of a requirement than an option Not much fun as a single-player gaming experience Minimize