Games_ The - Summer Edition
Platform: Commodore 64
Gametype: Undefined
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Description

The Games - Summer Edition is the follower of Summer Games II and the last game of the Epyx Games series. Epyx has newly created four events from the forerunners Summer Games I + II and integrated four new events. Together with the two Summer Games titles are The Games a nice collection of olympic events. In contrast to other sports games of this time there was no shaking discipline in this game. For the first time there is also a team mode.
The game is designed for up to 8 players. The players get points for the successful finishing of events. For each gold medal you get 5 points, for each silver medal 3 points and one point for each bronze medal. The player with the most points wins the game.
Epyx has secured a license from the Olympic Commitee of the United States for The Games - Summer Edition and The Games - Winter Edition.

Archery

In Archery you need to place an arrow as closely to the centre as possible. The athlete has altogether 90 seconds to fire 3 shots. This is aggravated by the fast change of the wind. You draw the bow and you focus on the target. You should of course not forget about the wind.
Controls
Fire button: start
Joystick left/right: draw/relax the bow
Fire button: confirm bow strain
Joystick movements: aim
Fire button: shoot
Evaluation
The white outer ring gets you one point. The points rise into the yellow area which gets you 9 points. If you hit the centre, you get 10 points. All 3 tries are added and make the total. The player with the highest score (maximum 30) wins.
Tips
always draw the bow to the maximum (Joystick left)
watch the windsock!

Pole Vault

Pole Vault is one of the events that were taken over from Summer Games. The course of the event was reworked. The pole jumper needs a high speed, then pushes himself off with the pole to jump over the bar.
Controls
Fire button: start
Joystick forwards/backwards : choose height (16'05/08/11", 17'02/05/08/11", 18'02/05/08/11", 19'02/05/08/11", 20'02/05/08")
Fire button : confirm height
Joystick left/right: speed up the jumper during approach
Joystick up : plant into box
Joystick left : swing up
Joystick right : cross the bar
Evaluation
The jumper with the highest jumped height wins.
Tips
When the left/right foot touches the ground, push the joystick left/right.
Start slowly and then speed up strongly to reach the maximum speed for the plant.
It is important to swing up the jumper after the planting (Joystick left). This is not mentioned in the manual!!!

Uneven Parallel Bars

Uneven Parallel Bars is one of the most exciting events. Epyx has taken lots of trouble to make this an exciting discipline. The animations are great. With the joystick you steer the woman over both bars and at the end you jump down. This looks very simple, but can easily lead to a fall.
Controls
...
Evaluation
The highest score wins
Tipps
At the upper left you see the score
Movement diagram

Velodrome Cycling

This event from Summer Games II was reworked. The sprint on the rink is simulated, which means that only the last round is stopped. In the single player mode, the player has the red shirt and the red energy bar in the upper half of the screen. The computer has correspondingly the purple shirt.
Controls:
Fire starts the race
Joystick up repeatedly: speed up
Joystick right/left: steer
Evaluation
the fastest runner wins
Tip:
in the first rounds invest as little strength as possible
Shortly before the last round (ring signal) get the sprinter to full speed.
You save power in the slipstream of the opponent. (This is signalled by a hissing.)

Rings

Rings falls optically and concerning the gamplay in line with Uneven Parallel Bars. Very smooth animations.
Controls start
Joystick left and right (fast) : start the exercise (front lever position)
forwards and backwards (fast) : start the exercise (straight arm hang position)
Controls figures
see solution
Evaluation
the highest vote wins
Tips
Quickly start the exercise or it will instantly be over.

Diving

This event was taken over from Summer Games. You need to do three high-quality jumps from the 1m board.
Controls - move wheel
Joystick left and press fire button Joystick right and press fire button : move wheel to the left/right
Controls - Forward dive start procedure
Joystick left : start
Joystick backwards : jump from the board (the longer, the higher)
Controls - reverse dive start procedure
Joystick right : Start
Joystick backwards : take up starting position
Controls - figures forwards/backwards
Joystick forwards : swan dive / back layout
Joystick left (short) : normal forward dive / outside dive
Joystick left (long) : forward somersault / back somersault
Joystick left and press fire button : front pike / oustside back pike
Joystick forwards and press fire button : forward twist / back twist
Joystick right (short) : normal reverse / inside dive
Joystick right (long) : reverse somersault / inward somersault
Joystick right and press fire button : reverse pike / inward back pike
Controls - diving in
Joystick backwards : take up the diving position
Evaluation 
Five judges evaluate the jumps and give 0,0 to 10,0 points. The added value (max. 50 points) is the highest score for a jump. As you do three jumps and the total is doubled at the end, the highest reachable score is 300 points. The judges evaluate:
the quality of the jump
the number of combinations
the height of the jump
the diving-in phase
Each of the single scoring judges pay their attention to one of the categories, jump from the board, height before the combination is started, execution of the combination, smooth dive. This way you can easily reconstruct in which area you have steered imprecisely and can improve this. Judge no. 5 gives the average score of the first four.
Tips
jump high from the board
a smooth dive-in phase (vertical) is half the battle
combination (back twist & back somersault) is possible

Hurdles

In Hurdles you need to cover a distance of 200 meters and jump over hurdles. It is important to jump at the right moment. If you run into a hurdle, the runner will tumble and the race is prematurely over.
Controls:
Keep fire button pressed until the signal.
Joystick left/right: pick up speed during running
Fire button: jump
Evaluation
the fastes runner wins.
Tips:
Do not sleep through the start!
For the jump, precise timing is necessary.
If you jump to early, keep the fire button pressed for a longer time.

Hammer Throw

In Hammer Throw the athlete needs to throw the hammer as far as possible without crossing the line.
Controls
Fire button: start
Joystick circle movements: swing hammer
Fire button: changeover
Joystick circle movements: turning
Fire button: throw
Controls
the farthest throw wins
Tips
the faster the turning movement, the further will the hammer fly
the time window for making a valid throw is very small.

Design

Intro
Epyx has made a great effort concerning the graphics to offer a pleasing game. The disciplines that were alreay available in Summer Games or Summer Games II, were completely created anew. The animations of the characters are realised appealingly and very detailled. This game shows the graphical top form of Epyx. At the beginning you are introduced into the game with a nice image show, that also serves as Opening Ceremony. After that you see, as a special delicacy, a rendered sequence. At that time this surely looked very great and especially effective, but from today's point of view of course this is not spectacular any more. 

Hints

Where is the Easter Egg?
If you press RESTORE  during an event, you get back to the main menu.
Easter Egg[edit]
The Epyx programs have immortalized themselves in this game. You need to do the following steps to get the menu item:
Choose eight players with the same name and same nation.
Choose "return to village" in the main menu.
Then do not choose an event, but klick on the torch.
Now the option "Easter Egg" is available in the main menu. (see Links/Videos)
Versions[edit]
Version: Stadium 64 (original)[edit]
This version (see Links - Stadium 64) is the first choice when playing with the emulator. 
Setting for VICE: (True Drive Emulation = on; Virtual device traps = off; Video standard = NTSC-M)
pro stable
pro saving the highscore list works
pro empty highscore list
contra copy protected

Version: OUG
This PAL version is the first choice when playing at the C64
pro no copy protection
neutral highscore list entries already exist
neutral saving the highscore lists works, but the program crashes at the end.
neutral almost stable (crash at menu item "Easter Egg")

Solution

Rings - moving sequences 
Diagramme of movements
hang
front lever
straight arm hang
iron cross
pike
left hold
shoulder stand
hand stand
planche
inverted hang
rear hang
Rings - Difficulty grades 
The maximum score of 3.4 for the difficulty is possible if you have at least 2*A, 3*B and 3*C in the exercise.
A (easy) - handstand to planche
A (easy) - planche to straight arm hang
B (middle) - hang to front lever
B (middle) - straight arm hang to iron cross
C (hard) - lever to rear hang
C (hard) - hang to iron cross

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Critics

FXXS: "I have to admit that this is graphically more elaborate that the old Sumer Games and also the controls are partially more thought-through, but this has its price: 3 disk sides that need to be changed and the end sequence cannot be switched off. Concerning the sound, not much has happenend and the Korean atmosphere does absolutely not suit my taste... 7 points from a single player's view."
Werner: "Here my impressions about the single events:
Archery: very well realised
Pole Vault: I also like that very much

Uneven parallel bars: almost too complicated, but also playable with random joystick movements.
Velodrome Cycling: is really great fun in twos.
Rings: great sprite animations, but here it is similar as with the Unevel Parallel Bars
Diving: many variations are possible. The score from the judges is not really fully developed.
Hurdles: firm realisation
Hammer Throw: greatly animated. The constant failure attempts, however, get a bit on my nerves.
Altogether I like the game a but better than The Games - Winter Edition. 8,5 points!


https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/The_Games_-_Summer_Edition
