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Review: Having played Konami's Track & Field at the arcades many moons ago, it was nice to revisit the button bashing madness via the PS2. For the sprint and swimming events, the actions are virtually the same; to get RSI in double-quick time, keep playng the 400 metres! For the kids, this may be a bit too much for them and may get fed up pretty quickly. As a new user, I just can't get to grips yet with the discus and the men's gymastics, especially the rings and the floor exercise. The women's equivalent is a bit like the Pop Idol game where you press the arrow keys to match the display on screen. I'd like to have seen the hammer throw included as that was quite addictive on the Gameboy version of Track & Field. The foreground graphics are very good; try to ignore the spectators. The commentary does have a novelty value for about 5 minutes, but you'll soon tire of it. As yet I haven't tried the dance mat controls which is a novel take on the button bashing and is probably best played with a few mates and a few beers!! On the whole, I'd give the game a silver medal. Perhaps when I've won the discus and some gym elements, then I may reconsider! If you are a competitive person then trying to beat your personal bests and the world records is a good incentive to keep playing this and is a nice trip back in time for us 40-somethings who fed the slots with numerous 10 pence pieces along the seafront. You will need nimble fingers for a good proportion of the 25 events and, as with all games but especially this one, I would advise not playing it for hours as this can play havoc with your fingers after a while. | 
PC & Video Games
