Summer Games II is part of the overall "Games" series of Epyx Commodore titles that also famously included classic hits like Winter Games and California Games. Its name recognition, pedigree and intact nostalgic value will make it a hit here on the Virtual Console for a select group of players who remember enjoying the original release on the C64 back in the '80s -- it even came it at #3 in a recent Retro channel article on the Top 10 Olympics Videogames, on the strength of those warm memories. So if you're a member of that audience, download away.
But 500 Wii Points is too steep a price for a game with this steep a learning curve for every other Wii owner out there, and IGN would advise that most players stay away from this one. You'll have more fun sticking with sports games that make immediate sense and are easy to pick up and play, like the good old copy of Wii Sports that you're probably still going back to for more bowling to this day.
Presentation - 7.0
Graphics - 7.5
Sound - 5.0
Gameplay - 4.0
Lasting Appeal - 4.0
Overall -
I spent the two weeks of the Olympic games in Sochi posting articles on my site about the vaunted Games series from Epyx. To close things out I produced what I call the Epyx Fail Reel, a compilation of all my F-ups while recording footage for the various articles.
So, for your consideration, the Epyx Fail Reel: http://thedoteaters.com/?p=...
OMFG I died laughing. I played and failed at most of these in my younger days. What a blast from the past!
Many a keyboard on C64 took a beating from the 100m sprint. Summer games, Winter Games and Californian Games are some of my best gaming memories ever. I fell sorry for kids that grew up after Playstation era.
Same here. Got through waay too many of those flimsy joysticks with games like these on my c64. They should make a wiimote or move version where you just convulse violently until the sprint's finished...
These games bring back some of my most fond gaming moments. Playing these games with a group of friends was priceless. Thanks for the memories and for everybody who posted finally NOT making me feel old!!! LOL
Hacky Sacking and Surfing in California Games fueled my gaming addiction back in the day! It's amazing how you kinda forget those memories until your brain gets a kickstart by seeing something like this. Good times indeed.
An article looking over the achievments and influence of Epyx, Inc., creators of Impossible Mission, Jumpman, California Games, Summer Games, and the beloved Atari Lynx. Includes information on the digital resurgence of their games on the Wii, XBLA, and PSN.
Whoa, California Games was ill... I played it on NES when I was like 9yrs. old(20+yrs. ago!) Me & my babysitters son tried to do flips on the bmx course & hit seagulls with the hackysack LMAO. I didn't have the instruction manual so figuring out what the heck the buttons were doing was half the fun! Oh yea, watching the bmx guy eat dirt for no apparent reason sucked but was hilarious! I made that poor guy crash nasty about a million times! Good ol' days of summer...
Another gaming week kicks off with some new WiiWare and Virtual Console games from Nintendo. What better way to start it with some bits & beats? Here's the Wii-kly update of new games on the Wii Shop today from Nintendo (available beginning 9am PST):
WiiWare Release:
BIT.TRIP BEAT (Aksys Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points)
Virtual Console Release:
Summer Games II (Commodore 64, 1-8 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points)
Looks like the kind of game that you just have to replay over and over and memorize the patterns. There's no way I'd be able to succeed on the second level they show at the end of that video if it were the first time I was seeing it (things coming at you then stopping, then starting again... takes at least one attempt to see what the pattern is)
Trip Beat looks awesome. A brilliant looking game to welcome my first week as a Wii owner.
Wait, is this even due in the UK at the same time?
