The Activision Decathlon
The Activision Decathlon | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Activision |
Publisher(s) | Activision |
Designer(s) | David Crane |
Platform(s) |
Atari 2600 (original) Atari 8-bit family, Atari 5200, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, MSX |
Release date(s) | March 18, 1983 |
Genre(s) | Sports |
Mode(s) | Single player, up to four players on the Atari 8-bit |
The Activision Decathlon is a sports game written by David Crane for the Atari 2600 and published by Activision in 1983. It was ported to the Atari 8-bit family, Atari 5200, Commodore 64, ColecoVision and MSX platforms. Up to four players compete in the ten different events of a real-life decathlon, either in sequence or individually.
The game became somewhat notorious for the amount of wear or damage inflicted upon console controllers, namely the Atari 2600 version where rapid back-and-forth movement of the joystick propels the athlete down the track.
The game was later reissued simply as Decathlon by the UK budget label Firebird.[1] It was subsequently featured on the PlayStation 2 compilation Activision Anthology.
Gameplay
Events
- 100-Meter Dash
- Long Jump
- Shot Put
- High Jump
- 400-Meter Race
- 110-Meter Hurdles
- Discus Throw
- Pole Vault
- Javelin Throw
- 1500-Meter Race
Reception
The Atari 2600 version of Decathlon was reviewed by Video magazine in its "Arcade Alley" column where it was described as "an absolute triumph of imaginative programming" and as "a masterwork".[2]:28
See also
- Olympic Decathlon — 1980 computer game with similar concept and controls.
- Track & Field — arcde game from Konami released the same year as The Activision Decathlon.
References
- ↑ http://www.atarimania.com/detail_soft.php?VERSION_ID=6177&MENU=8
- ↑ Kunkel, Bill; Katz, Arnie (December 1983). "Arcade Alley: Super Gifts for Gamers". Video. Reese Communications. 7 (9): 28–29. ISSN 0147-8907.
External links
- Manual for the Atari 2600
- The Atari 2600 version of The Activision Decathlon can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive
- Decathlon video capture
- The Activision Decathlon video capture