C&VG


Winter Games

Publisher: Epyx
Machine: Amstrad CPC464

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #57

Winter Games

When Winter Games came into the C&VG offices I grabbed it quick, I love the C64 version of the game, and if my information was right, I was in for a treat!

Winter Games is one of the best sports simulations because everything is timed movement. There's no smashing the joystick to pieces.

Various controls are needed in different events, which makes a change, and each one requires skill and not just brute strength. When the game had loaded, I thought great, I'll be an American athlete, but oh no!!, you couldn't pick your country!

Winter Games

Having got over this, I found out that you needed to redefine the keys in order to use the joystick. That seems a bit daft. Then I read the other options, the first one said "Compete in both events", what do you mean both events? Quickly reading the instructions, I found the explanation.

It would appear that you have to load in two events at a time - what a pain for tape users.

The graphics for each event are excellent, well the backdrops anyway. The man (or character) seems to appear as blocky as blocky can be; except for the graphics of the woman who does the ice skating.

Overall, if you've seen the C64 version and are going to buy the Amstrad one because you think it's the same, don't. Even the little ditties don't match up to those on the good old Speccy.

Come on Epyx, pull your Amstrad programming finger out.