To suggest there's a certain amount of hypocrisy surrounding the Olympic Games is perhaps not the most insightful of political comments. But there's plenty of low level two-facedness going on amongst those watching – as well as by the countries participating.
If athletics is so great then why is it that it's only once every four years that anyone can manage to feign interest in such exciting spectator sports as running in a straight line and Frisbee throwing?
There's a bonus level of insincerity to the above rant though, and it's the admission that actually the video game versions of these sports often turn out to be a lot of fun. They've all the depth of the average Page 3 model but jabbing away at a single button to earn your little virtual self a gold medal is often far more entertaining than passively watching the real thing.
Since this doesn't have an official licence and Playman Summer Games 3 already has set its world record score it's not unfair to wonder what else this could bring to the table. Certainly there are no bold new ideas here but there are spittoons full of spit and polish to make up for it – and sometimes that's enough.
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As you might gather the game is set in Ancient Greece, thus neatly avoiding the IOC having to get militant with its lawyers. The cartoon art style being used may not look all that great in the screenshots, but the animation is excellent and adds real character to the various square jawed knuckleheads. There's also a laudable attention to detail as referees blow raspberries at you if you commit too many faults and winners show off outrageously.
The neatest touch though is the ability to flip the screen 90 degrees so you play it by holding the mobile phone horizontally. Since the controls are so simple this works beautifully and shows off the graphics to even greater effect.
There are seven different events in the game, although only really one basic tournament mode and the chance to practise each of them separately. The 100m dash works largely as you'd expect, as you stab away at the '5' button in order to get your athlete's legs pounding at the appropriate tempo. Rather than simply button bashing as fast as you can, though, you have to time your presses to coincide with your feet hitting the ground. Every time you get it right you get a speed boost.
This same basic template is reused for most of the rest of the events, including 50m Freestyle Swimming and 110m Hurdles. Other event such as Long Jump, Triple Jump and Javelin Throw simply introduce a second or third button to press whenever you want to leap a hurdle, jump or throw.
The only one that works completely differently is Shooting (or rather throwing rocks), where you have to press an indicated keypad number to smash flying pottery.
As promised then, nothing revolutionary but the game does do all that it sets out to – and more in terms of presentation. The horizontal screen option is one we'd like to see in a lot more games, as is the simple earnestness to make the most of even a seemingly well-worn idea.
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