A consumer’s guide to the best and worst of sports media and merchandise. Ground rules: If it can be read, played, heard, observed, worn, viewed, dialed or downloaded, it’s in play here.
What: “Nagano Winter Olympics ‘98” developed by Konami for the Nintendo 64 game system
Price: $64.99
Think you can do better than Picabo Street, but don’t want to go up any mountains and deal with that nasty cold weather? This is the game for you. Compete in your own Olympics in the comfort of your living room. With 12 events, two modes of play and a ranking screen that displays records in each event and medals won, this entertaining game is one of the best ever developed for the Nintendo 64 system.
Up to four people can compete against each other in downhill skiing, giant slalom, ski jumping (90-meter hill and 120-meter hill), aerial freestyle skiing, snowboard/halfpipe, snowboard/giant slalom, four-man bobsled, 500-meter and 1,500-meter speedskating, luge and curling.
The crowd noises and sound effects are spectacular. Not only do you hear cheers and whistles, the crowd reacts to whatever you do. If you stumble during downhill skiing, a murmur washes over the crowd. The bobsled and skiing noises are especially crisp.
The different tracks and locations are authentic reproductions of the courses and locales of the real Nagano Olympics. You’ll speed down the same slopes Alberto Tomba will speed down. The video effects leave you breathless, and you’ll sense the speed in all the events. In fact, one person who played the game got a slight case of motion sickness. But I’m much better now.
As far as game play: all buttons on the Nintendo 64 control pad are used, and it takes practice to learn some of the events (there’s nothing like crashing head first after jumping only five meters off the 120-kilometer hill), but controls for each event are quickly mastered.
And when your video representation stands on the gold-medal platform as the national anthem is played, try to keep a dry eye. Why watch AJ Kitt win a gold medal, when you can win your own medal while washing down some Cheetos with a lovely beverage?
