Hyper Sports

Hyper Sports[lower-alpha 1] is an arcade game published in 1984 by Konami. It is the sequel to 1983's Track & Field and features seven new Olympic events. Like its predecessor, Hyper Sports has two run buttons and one action button per player. The Japanese release of the game sported an official license for the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Hyper Sports
Japanese arcade flyer
Developer(s)Konami
Publisher(s)Konami
NA: Centuri
Platform(s)Arcade, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, MSX, ZX Spectrum, SG-1000
Release1984
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

The gameplay is much the same as Track & Field in that the player competes in an event and tries to score the most points based on performance criteria, and also by beating the computer entrants in that event. Also, the player tries to exceed a qualification time, distance, or score to advance to the next event. In Hyper Sports, if all of the events are passed successfully, the player advances to the next round of the same events which are faster and harder to qualify for.

The events changed to include these new sports:

  1. Swimming - Swimming speed is controlled by two run buttons, and breathing is controlled by the action button when prompted by swimmer on screen. There is one re-do if a player fouls due to launching before the gun, but only one "run" at the qualifying time.
  2. Skeet shooting - Selecting left or right shot via the two run buttons while a clay-bird is in the sight. There are three rounds to attempt to pass the qualifying score. If a perfect score is attained then a different pattern follows allowing for a higher score.
  3. Long horse - Speed to run at horse is computer controlled, player jumps and pushes off horse via the action button, and rotates as many times as possible via run buttons (and tries to land straight up on feet). There are three attempts at the qualifying score.
  4. Archery - Firing of the arrow controlled by action button; the elevation angle is controlled by depressing the action button and releasing at the proper time. There are three attempts at passing the qualifying score.
  5. Triple jump - Speed is controlled by the run buttons, jump and angle are controlled by action button. There are three attempts at the qualifying distance, and player fouls if first jump is after the white line.
  6. Weight lifting - Power used to lift weights is controlled by run buttons, while shift of weight from lifting up to pushing above the head is controlled by action button. There are two attempts at the qualifying weight.
  7. Pole vault - Speed to run is preset by computer, while release of pole and body movement is controlled by the action button. Players continue attempting the increasing heights until they foul out (by missing base at the bottom or by knocking off horizontal bar with body at the top). The third foul disqualifies the player. (This event was not included in the ZX Spectrum version.)

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Hyper Sports on their August 1, 1984 issue as being the sixth most-successful table arcade unit of the year.[1]

The Commodore 64 version was reviewed by Zzap!64 who said that it was "a first rate conversion" and praised graphics, sound and presentation and received a 90% rating overall.[2] The ZX Spectrum version was the biggest selling Spectrum game of the month in the Gallup charts[3] and was voted number 59 in the Your Sinclair "Top 100 Games of All Time".[4]

David M. Wilson and Johnny L. Wilson reviewed the game for Computer Gaming World, and stated that "the game is a fast-paced joystick buster which will delight arcade fanatics."[5]

Legacy

Two events from the game-skeet shooting and vault-featured on the BBC television programme First Class.[6][7]

In June 2018, Konami announced a reimagining of the game, Hyper Sports R, for Nintendo Switch.[8] The game was cancelled in June 2020.[9]

Notes
  1. known in Japan as Hyper Olympic '84 (ハイパーオリンピック'84)

References
  1. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 241. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 August 1984. p. 27.
  2. http://www.zzap64.co.uk/cgi-bin/displaypage.pl?issue=005&page=014&thumbstart=0&magazine=zzap&check=1
  3. https://wos.meulie.net/pub/sinclair/magazines/C+VG/Issue047/Pages/CVG04700011.jpg
  4. "Top 100 Games of All Time". Your Sinclair. September 1993.
  5. Wilson, David M.; Wilson, Johnny L. (April 1988). "The Boys of Spring: A Computer Sports Survey". Computer Gaming World. 1 (46): 13.
  6. "First Class". TV Cream. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  7. Weaver, Iain. "Weaver's Week 2012-08-12: First Class". UK Gameshows.com. Labyrinth Games. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  8. Clark, Peter (2018-06-14). "Konami's 'Hyper Sports R' is a Bizarre Throwback to Outdated Gameplay". Variety. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  9. "Konami's Hyper Sports R has been cancelled". Vooks. 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
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