ESPN International Track & Field PS2 COMPLETE

by Konami

Product Details

• ASIN: B00004U627
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches ; 4.8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,569 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Product Description

The classic video game series Track & Field finds its way to the PlayStation2! Get ready to compete against the world's greatest athletes--courtesy of Sony's Emotion Engine technology. The fluid motion and lifelike design of your competitors belie their computer origins. For example, the motion-capture animation of 100-meter-dash record breaker Maurice Greene ensures that his movements are realistic from the blocks to the tape. ESPN Track & Field, like others in its series, includes a wide range of events, including the long jump, skeet shooting, weight lifting, and gymnastics. Players can compete as total athletes in the championship mode or go straight for their favorites in the single-event mode.

GameSpot Review

After publishing an array of Track & Field titles for Sony's PlayStation console, Konami puts its best foot forward with ESPN International Track & Field on the PlayStation 2. Utilizing the raw power of the PlayStation 2 hardware, the game leaps out with smooth 60fps visuals and a distinctly ESPN look, while also packing solid button-mashing gameplay. Grab your controller, a Multitap, and some friends - ESPN International Track & Field seeks to bring the thrill of competition into your home.

Initially, the game offers ten events: the 100-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, long jump, pole vault, javelin throw, 100-meter freestyle swim, weight lifting, horizontal bar, trap shooting, and rhythmic gymnastics. However, success in these can unlock two additional events: the hammer throw and the high jump. There's a trial mode for practicing and a championship mode for competition, but additional mode selections and character options are nowhere to be found. If you desire a create-a-player mode or custom team options, you won't find them here. Oddly enough, while the PlayStation 2 version of the game adds the rhythmic gymnastics event, it also loses the women's vault from the Dreamcast version.

Despite minimal features, International Track & Field rocks in terms of gameplay. Adhering to the double-tap control mechanics that Konami pioneered in the 1980's, International Track & Field is easy to pick up, hard to master, and physically tiring. Every event, whether it involves running or strength building, uses repeated tapping of the X and circle buttons to increase onscreen speed or power meters. When the meters reach a certain level, the up and down digital pad buttons or the L1 button serve as action buttons, enacting the necessary array of jumps, throws, lifts, crouches, reloads, and swings required by the game's 12 events. Response is quick and precise, and the use of alternating button presses isn't frantic enough to lead to frustration. One thing is for sure - thanks to the game's more relaxed mashing mechanics, the PlayStation 2 version of International Track & Field is a bit less painful on the appendages than the Dreamcast edition.

Thanks to its intuitive control, International Track & Field's renditions of the 100-meter dash, long jump, freestyle swim, pole vault, and hammer throw are better and more realistic than those of any other modern track and field game. Of special mention are the horizontal bar and rhythmic gymnastic events, which require you to do Dance Dance Revolution-style timed button presses in order to perform gymnastics movements. Since there's no use of analog controls for timing, the javelin throw and triple jump events in the PlayStation 2 version are also much more enjoyable than those in the Dreamcast release. Other than a lack of things to do in single-player mode, ESPN International Track & Field excels at all of the events it aims to portray.

In terms of visuals, the PS2 release of ESPN International Track & Field improves upon the Dreamcast release in most areas. Utilizing the PlayStation 2's additional horsepower, the game's stadiums, fields, and arenas are teeming with a plethora of minute details, such as blowing flags, flowing clouds, and Diamond Vision screens. Actually witnessing singular spectators moving about is rather impressive. The on-field visuals are crisp, never distracting, and always put the athlete at the center of attention. Konami motion-captured real Olympic hopefuls for the game, and it shows. The way each athlete walks, warms up, and moves in flight exudes an amazing sense of realism. Through an increased number of camera angles, a slick interface, and vibrant status indicators, the PlayStation 2 release also better conveys the trademark feel of an ESPN broadcast, at times resembling something you'd stumble across on ESPN2 at three in the afternoon. On the downside, though, the texture diversity is sometimes less than that of the Dreamcast version, and there is some visible jaggedness during the javelin, hammer throw, and running events.

Although the game takes advantage of the PlayStation 2's horsepower visually, it errs on the side of utilitarianism when it comes to sound. Each event has the requisite grunts, groans, footsteps, and landing effects one expects from an athletic competition game, but nothing in the way of environmental noise. Some background music or in-event stadium noise would have been nice, although hearing grown men groan, grunt, and strain is nevertheless pleasing.

As the PlayStation 2's only current track and field game, International Track & Field is an excellent first attempt. Future releases will hopefully improve upon the situation with more events and diverse character creation features, but this release is remarkably sufficient. Despite a few rough edges, Konami has nailed it when it comes to gameplay and fun.
--Frank Provo--Copyright © 2000 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Real Deal on ESPN Track and Field..., January 7, 2001

By 

"jjberb" (Albany, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ESPN International Track & Field PS2 COMPLETE (Video Game)

I'm going to start this off with a bang: I LOVE THIS GAME. Why do I love this odd game where you cause bodily harm to yourself in order to "go faster"? Easy, because it's fun. There are some that have critisized the graphics of this game. I do not see where they could possibly be bashing the games graphics. I feel that the graphics of both the characters and the things going on around them were done superbly. From the people warming up on the track behind you in the Long Jump, to the look up at the display in the 100m to find out youve broken the world record, all the graphical elements in the game are great. This also gives the game a very high rating in the presentation area, as menus are fairly easy to navigate. As for sound, the games sound effects are definitely on par, although the actual music does become somewhat bland and repetitive. Control is right on. Formulating better methods for alternating X and O , or hitting any of the other power buttons are a key element. Also right now I would like to take a cheap shot... anyone that has been complaining in the reviews about how hard it is to figure out what you are doing, or how hard this game is to play, you obviously are pretty dumb and maybe you should go back and play Seasame Street ABC. Enough of that bashing though. Now your all wondering why exactly it is I love this game. Sure single player is fun, you go after your own records and whatnot... but the true fun of this game is Multiplayer. Get yourself another controller, or better yet, pick up a multitap and jam 4 controllers in for a great time with your friends. Smacktalk your way through every event and actually feel heated competition. I guarentee you have not been as nervous as you will be when you know you have to win an event to whip your friend and back up your trashtalking. Just last night, me and about 7 other friends took turns at the PS2 with only one thought in our heads for at least 6 hours straight... I feel the need to woop my friends. And its Fun. Very Fun. Guarenteed there aren't many multiplayer games out there that can top that (perhaps Goldeneye 007, one of the greatest games ever). Now also this would not be a fair review if I did not post the lower points of the game. One obvious point is.... the 1 player game is short. Very short. You'll find in no time that you have recieved gold in every event. Another lower point of this game tends to be the music, although this is tolerable. 3rdly this is not a real problem, but rather a technical one. Only 5 of the events are Track and Field Events while the other 5 are Olympic type events. This was not a real problem for me, but alas is may raise some eyebrows when people look at the title of the game and then actually play it. I hope this editorial is benificial for the "real" gamers out there. I hope Ive made it clear exactly what your getting into when you buy this game.... The bottom line is... Fun.... and a blast Multiplayer, with only very few minor letdowns overall. Go buy it!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just like the "Old School" Konami arcade Track & Field game., March 15, 2001

By 

Che (San Jose, CA.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ESPN International Track & Field PS2 COMPLETE (Video Game)

Growing up, I was a huge fan of Konami's coin-op Track and Field game at the arcades. I remember tapping those buttons as fast as I can, having to press and hold down the jump button, then releasing it at the right moment to get the correct angle. (Sometimes I cheated though, using an electric toothbrush to get the fastest speed possible!). This game is VERY similar to that original version made over 13+ years ago. Of course the graphics are far more superior. I was hesitant to purchase this game at first, since it is an ESPN game. Then I figured it might be like the original, and how could I pass it up for $24.99!!

The game has 10 events- 100 meter dash, 110 hurdles, long jump, javalin, swimming, trap shooting, rhythmic gymnastics, horizontal bar, weight lifting and high jump. Each of them are very challenging. Some are easy to learn, while others took a little more time. More then half of the events require multiple tapping of buttons while using another button during the course of the event. Just like the original Track and Field. The rest of the events require speed and coordination to mimic the buttons on the screen. One of my favorite events is Rhythmic Gymnastics. It brings the style of Dance Dance Revolution to the game (Konami game also), where it shows the direction arrows on top, and the arrows come from below and move upward, and you have to coordinate it by pressing the buttons the same time it meets each other. There's 4 different types of music/speed to choose from. It's pretty cool. All the other events are pretty fun also. The hardest is probably swimming, where you have to press L1 and R1 simultaniously. That event can make you sweat!!

This game is extremely fun when utilizing a multi tape. We used 2 PSX2 controlers and YES 2 original Playstation controllers (with no analog). Don't buy into it when these retailers tell you that you can't use Playstation controllers on PSX2. They have the slightest idea what they're talking about! This is one of my favorite games on PSX2, and I'm very glad I purchased it! You need speed and coordination for this game.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Maybe I'm too old or something, November 13, 2000

By 

"bawhale" (Vancouver, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ESPN International Track & Field PS2 COMPLETE (Video Game)

I personally liked the game. I echo some of the other reviewers when they say that it is like the old games. Maybe that's why I like it. It's good fun for us older gammers who aren't into killing other beings. The graphics are great. Much better than the old comador 64 which was my first track and field experience. If you're having friends over it's great to sit back and see who still has the eye hand thing down. We enjoy it but also get frustrated with the difficulty of the floor excersize :(

I'm not sure when that became a track and field event. So if you're looking for something that doesn't take a lot of game experience this is for you. Maybe if nothing else it's a good way to get mom and dad playing with you. More ammunition with the grandparents :)