G4TV

The only real question in an Olympic year – as it pertains to video games – is not if there will be a new, Track & Field-style game on the market before the opening ceremonies, but rather, which publisher will take a crack at it this year? 2K's done it. Konami's done it. Some might remember when U.S. Gold was doing it.

For the Beijing Games, Sega's taking a crack at the official title.

Citius

Old-school gamers may find themselves aquiver at the thought of Sega taking another crack at this genre. Those of us who played Decathlete or Winter Heat on the Saturn know the publisher's pedigree in this arena. And it feels good to report that Beijing 2008 doesn't disappoint... mostly.

The first thing you notice upon firing up the game is the sheer amount of events available. We're talking almost 40, here. There are a few different iterations of running and swimming competitions that bring the real number down a bit, but still, there's just a load of variety to be found here.

This game is not just the endless array of track & field events you'd expect, either. Along with the standards comes stuff like skeet shooting; judo; table tennis; cycling; and a whole host of gymnastics. Another fresh feature is the ability to actually develop your team's attributes as you attempt to work your way through The Games – upping your speed, endurance, accuracy, and so on as you work to bring down your fatigue levels after each day of competition.

Altius

By throwing in wildly different sports, Sega was pretty much required to throw in wildly different control schemes. This completely breaks the monotony of the "tap a button really fast to build power" game play that makes these games tiresome after the third or fourth play through. But it also introduces some new issues – namely, some of the controls just aren't very good.

The new tension meter at the start of most racing events is just the tip of the iceberg. In some sports you'll find yourself questioning whether the game is broken as you wonder why the heck your athlete simply doesn't seem to be responding to commands. Judo in particular can be a real pain in the ass up until the point that you master it.

And this wouldn't be so bad, except for the draconian daily qualification requirements you face during the Olympic Games mode. Each day a few specific sports will be available to you. If there are four, chances are you have to qualify in three of the events. If you haven't mastered them, it's the end of your medal run. It makes the single-player campaign frustrating and tedious, which is even more upsetting since the basic play mechanics in this game are generally so much fun.

Fortius

Of course, if you're more into having a bunch of people over for a casual-gaming good time, Beijing 2008 delivers. It doesn't do anything exceptionally well, but it does try to bring some much-needed originality to a genre that went stale back in Barcelona. Hopefully, Sega will return to refine and perfect the formula in another four years.

Review by: Greg Stewart