Original Release: Konami, 1988, Arcade
A branch of the Track and Field series, ’88 Games was designed to capitalize on that year’s summer games in Seoul.
’88 Games (Arcade, Konami, 1988)
Where to Buy: KLOV, eBay
How to Emulate: Arcade Emulation Page
Review by: C. M0use
’88 Games looks like Konami’s attempt to quickly “repurpose” Track and Field to capitalize on the 1988 Olympic games. The game consists of a very similar linear series of events beginning with the typical button-mashing 100-yard dash. Unlike its parent, however, most of the events consist of dashes or hurdle jumping, with only skeet shooting and archery being non track related (no swimming in this one.)
I was never big on either Track N’ Field or Hyper Sports due to the insane button pounding required to win most of the game, and I don’t much care for this one for the same reason. Actually, this one seems even worse about it as you have to be absolutely frenetic on the buttons to even win the first race with a qualifying time. If you lose, the game’s over and you insert another quarter for another go. If you win … wait, you insert another quarter anyway? Yeah, apparently each separate button-mashing game costs you a quarter in this one, making it at least like $1.50 or so to play all the way through.
The mass amounts of quarters it required alone killed it for me in the arcades, but this isn’t even really any good to play on MAME, because the insane button slamming required to win will make you fear for the health of your gamepad or keyboard.
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