Virtua Athlete 2K
Developer: Sega; Publisher: SegaSports
Preview by Matt (27 September 2000)
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THE OLYMPIC GAMES ARE still on everyone's lips, and although New Zealand has not been doing incredibly well thus far, you will soon be able to have your own moment in the sun when Sega releases Virtua Athlete 2K on the Dreamcast. Although this is not an endorsed Olympic game by any means, the events herein can be compared to those that feature in the Olympics.
On that note, there are seven such events included in the game, all of which are track-and-field. They are the 100 metre dash, long jump, high jump, shotput, 110 metre hurdles, javelin throw and the 1500 metre race. You can compete in these events in three different ways; first off is the "quick tournament" mode. This lets you compete in every event while being allocated points depending on where you place in each event, and the overall winner is the competitor who achieves the most points. Next up is "exhibition," which is the same as the quick tournament, except you can choose which events to compete in. The final way is the "practice" mode, which lets you perfect your skills before you compete in the real thing.
The control system is similar to many other athletics games on the market – you alternate the pressing of two buttons for power and press a third button to time jumps or throws. The faster the power buttons are pressed, the more power you'll generate in the respective event.
We can expect the same level of graphic quality that Sega Sports have been producing since the Dreamcast was released a year ago, with the typical "Virtua" character-models as the athletes. This promises a humorous experience, and one that will be shared best with a few mates.
Editor's Note: this preview was based on the Japanese version of the game. Changes may be made prior to the release of the European version.