.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT REVIEW
.TITLE Crazy Olympics 1.5
.AUTHOR James Booth
.SUMMARY Contributing Editor James Booth is back with another game review. Crazy Olympics is a Palm version of the old arcade Olympics game from the 80s. It has five different events, each with an easy and a hard setting, and a sixth Crazy Olympics event, in which you compete in all five events in a series. Could this thing possibly be any fun? Read James’ review to find out.
.OTHER
Nostalgia. A longing for something past. That’s what comes to mind with Crazy Olympics for Palm from CrazySoft (at http://www.crazysoft.gr/olympics.htm). Visions of sweaty, greasy-haired teenage boys huddled around an arcade machine, cramped fingers flying over buttons, and quarters lined up across the bottom of the screen float through my mind.
Crazy Olympics is a Palm version of the old arcade Olympics game from the 80s. It has five different events, each with an easy and a hard setting, and a sixth Crazy Olympics event, in which you compete in all five events in a series. The five events you will be competing in are 100M Running, Long Jump, Javelin, 100M Hurdles, and the Hammer Throw. In the Running and Hurdle events you will race against a computer opponent.
.H1 100M Running
The goal of the 100M Running event, shown in Figure A, is of course to run 100M in as fast a time as possible.
.FIGPAIR A Run for the Gold in 100M Running.
.H1 Long Jump
In the Long Jump, shown in Figure B, you sprint down the runway, and then launch your player into the air before he crosses the fault line.
.FIGPAIR B How far can you go in the Long Jump?
He sails through the air to land in the sandpit, where an official rolls out the tape to measure the distance. You have to time your launch and angle of jump in order to get the most distance possible from the speed you’ve accumulated.
.BREAK_EMAIL If you want to see some nearly naked tiny men, tap your mouse here. Oh, and you can also tap your mouse here to read the rest of the article.
.H1 Javelin
The Javelin toss, thrown out there in Figure C, has you dash down the runway, hurling your spear at the last moment.
.FIGPAIR C Bring out your inner Olympian with the Javelin.
The javelin then sails down the field, past the distance markers until it sticks in the ground. Like the Long Jump, you have to time the release of the javelin and its angle of ascent to get as much of an advantage from your speed as possible.
.H1 100M Hurdles
The 100M Hurdles, shown in Figure D, combines the mad dash of 100M Running, interspersed with the challenge of leaping hurdles.
.FIGPAIR D Don’t fall on your face while leaping the hurdles in the 100M Hurdles.
The Hurdles are a difficult event as you have to time your leap just right so as not to lose too much of your speed. Jump too early or too late and you won’t clear the hurdle, as well as lose your momentum.
.H1 Hammer Throw
The Hammer Throw, shown in Figure E, is the final event of Crazy Olympics. This has your player spinning in circles to gain momentum while holding a tethered weight.
.FIGPAIR E Can you nail the record in the Hammer Throw?
At just the right moment, you release the hammer, hurling it down the field to crash to Earth. With the Hammer Throw the challenge is to start your release so that not only do you not cross the fault line, but are also facing downfield.
.H1 Crazy Olympics
The Crazy Olympics mode, Figure F, has you competing in all five events with Opening Ceremonies and Award Ceremonies. Can you take the Gold?
.FIGPAIR F Here are some very sketchy-looking scantily clad men posing for their trophies. Don’t ever say Computing Unplugged doesn’t give you any skin!
.H1 Conclusion
Crazy Olympics from CrazySoft is exactly like the 80s version I recall from my youth. Some of the events, namely the Hurdles and Hammer Throw, are just as challenging as I remember them too. You really have to time the release just right to get the hammer downfield.
I really enjoyed playing Crazy Olympics. For a time, it took me back to days gone by. The demo version has limited play and doesn’t give you access to the Olympics mode, but $12.95 will get you unlimited play and access to the Olympics. For great graphics, repeat playability and outright fun, I give Crazy Olympics 4 out of 5.
I do have one problem with Crazy Olympics, but I really don’t know what, if anything, can be done about it. You see, on the Easy setting the ToDo and Memo buttons are used as controls. On the Hard setting, you tap controls buttons on the screen. In either case, rapid and repeated taps are required for player action, just like in the arcade version. Now, this isn’t any kind of detriment to the game itself, in fact it’s keeping true to the original.
But I can’t help thinking that all this repetitious button or screen tapping is going to be bad for the Palm device you’re playing it on. As I said though, I don’t know what the solution is. Perhaps if there were a game controller or thumb board that duplicated those buttons there wouldn’t be as much risk to the device itself. There’s no doubt about it though, Crazy Olympics is crazy good fun.
.RATING 4
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.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information about Crazy Olympics, visit http://www.crazysoft.gr/olympics.htm.
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.BIO James Booth is a self-taught PC and Palm device user that dabbles in graphics and photography. He can be reached at lizardworks@mchsi.com.
