Athens 2004 Playstation 2 Olympics Video Game Review

Reviewed by Kidzworld on Dec 27, 2006

Rating:

You dont need to fly to Greece to get in the Olympic spirit. Just pop a copy of Athens 2004 into your Playstation 2.

You don't need to fly to Greece to get in the Olympic spirit. Enjoy the excitement of Olympic gymnastics, swimmming, track and field and much more with Athens 2004 for the PS2. Read on for Gary's review...

Athens 2004 - Olympic Video Game Fun

Sony brings the excitement and competition of the 2004 Summer Olympics to your living room with Athens 2004 for the Playstation 2. The game features 25 different Olympic events including Track and Field, Swimming, Gymnastics, Archery, Weightlifting and Equestrian. You can choose to compete as one of 800 different athletes from 64 different countries. While the Track and Field, Skeet Shooting and Archery events are pretty entertaining, Gymnastics and Equestrian are events which don't translate well to the video game. You have to wonder why Athens 2004 didn't include events like Wrestling, Boxing, Rowing or Beach Volleyball which are much more suited for video game play than the floor exericise or horse jumping.

Athens 2004 - Thumb Blisters and Hand Cramps

The one big downfall of Athens 2004 is the repetitive nature of the controls. Many of the events from the 100 meter dash to freestyle swimming are basically a competition to see how hard and fast you can pound the crap out of the X and O buttons. Other events, like the Gymnastics and Weightlifting competitions require more control and accuracy, rather than repeatedly pushing two buttons. The real strength of Athens 2004 comes from using the Dance Mat, which means you can actually get in shape while trying to run faster, swim stronger and jump higher.

Athens 2004 - Does It Win A Gold Medal?

Athens 2004 for the PS2 is a great multi-player game. You'll get real satisfaction out of hearing the roar of the virtual crowd, after you've beaten your buddy in the 800 meters or the high jump. The graphics on Athens 2004 are also one of the game's upsides with the animations being truer-to-reality than any previous Olympic video game. While Athens 2004 is cool for a weekend of video game Olympics with your friends, it's also a game that you could soon become bored with, due to the limited events and repetitive controls. You're better off renting it, rather than making Athens 2004 a part of your permanent video game collection.

Athens 2004 Loaded Video Game Age Rating: Everyone.

Athens 2004 Video Game Thumbs Up:

Graphics - Great animations and use of motion-capture techniques.
Dance Mat - Get sweaty and stinky, while going for video game gold!

Athens 2004 Video Game Thumbs Down:

No online play - The Olympics are supposed to be an international event - this game could've been so much stronger if you could play online against players from around the world.
Event selection - Gymnastics and Equestrian aren't the greatest events to bring to a video game. What about Boxing, Wrestling or Beach Volleyball?
Endless button pushing - Be prepared for sore thumbs and cramped hands.
Athens 2004 Rating: