Game Review (written by Kwin) Added on: 11/11/2006
Decathalon is one of the few Commodore 64 games that still stick with me after 20 years. A predecessor of the Epix Winter, Summer and World games phenomenon, it has many of the same stellar aspects. Although the graphics are very basic, and the game-play a fairly standard joystick killing repetitive motion, it is addictive nonetheless. I spent many hours trying to master the pole-vault and the 10000 meter race, and developed muscles in my hands and wrists the way the athletes would in their legs and arms in the process.
The fun of the game is in the chance to compete with another player - turn based competition, but competition nonetheless. Trying to beat my brothers in the quest to be the ultimate decathlete was well worth the destruction of several joysticks and hours.
Although the graphics are poor, and the gameplay rather repetitive, it set the way for good games like Summer Games. The most difficult of the ten decathalon events must be the hurdles. Discovering the correct timing required to jump the blockades is still a difficult feat. If you have become used to the comfortable ergonomic joysticks of today, you've missed the carpal-tunnel educing repetitive motion of moving an actual stick back and forth as fast as your hands can move for ten minutes at a time. The calluses grow thick on that place between your thumb and index finger while your non-dominant thumb furiously presses the button to make the guy jump.
If you're harking back the good-old-days of painful play, then this is the game for you. I encourage you to download it, play it a few times, and then check out a truly good multiplayer sports game like one of the Epix generation. I'd suggest World games. I think it's still the best of the genre. World Games - Sumo Wrestling or Cliff Diving.
The ten games that are included in the decathalon are:
100 meters - not bad, but a little quick
Long Jump - difficult to figure out. Need to discover the proper time to press the button
Shot Put - never able to really figure this out
High Jump - I almost always hit the bar on this one
400 meters- identical to the 100, but longer
110 meter hurdles – timing, timing, timing
Discus throw - worth a try. I could throw, but usually faulted
Pole Vault - fun
Javelin - I love throwing the javelin. It's great when it launches far
1500 meters - talk about a marathon. It absolutely kills the hands!
Enjoy!
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