The Games - Winter Challenge review - Sega Megadrive

Snow and ice evoke different reactions from people. While some people tend to shiver, wheeze and slip over a lot in these unfavourable conditions, others strap on special equipment or climb aboard sled-like contrivances and participate in snow-based sporting activities.

Not surprisingly, The Games concentrates on the sporting aspects of cold weather and casts the player and his pals if they want to participate in multi-player excitement as athletic hopefuls hoping to scoop the gold medals in the eight-event Winter Challenge. The overall aim is to win enough medals in each event to be declared the overall winner of the challenge, and thus bask in glory ever-lasting (or something).

But no-one expects your first outings on the Winter Challenge course to be completely glorious. That's why the programmers of the game have included a special practise option which enables you to test out each event before the competition begins, and maybe even hone a few skills in preparation for the main events!

What the Mean Machines staff thought

The inconsistent quality of the graphics and dreadful music don't give this instant appeal, but the more you play it, the more you get into the snow-bound action. The events are varied and fun to play, and while some might complain that they're easy to finish, the real challenge is beating your own personal records. The multi-player mode is where the game is best appreciated, and I like the replay option as a tool for assessing your own gameplay style as well as a Beadle-esque laff-a-minute device for displaying your fellow player's major foul-ups in super slow motion! If you're after some enjoyable sporting action The Games: Winter Challenge comes highly recommended.

This is reminiscent of the computer Epyx Games series in name and presentation only. Rather than produce polished sprites and backdrops for each event, the programmers have opted for fast-moving filled-in 3D graphics with sprites overlaid. This works extremely well for just about every event, although the update slows down when there's plenty of on-screen action. The sound is a mixed bag, with some great samples and truly diabolical music. Gameplay-wise, there's no denying that The Games: Winter Challenge is varied and engrossing. Although each event is pretty easy to complete, actually mastering each to an expert degree should make for a long-lasting game. Add in the multi-player angle and you've got a great competitive experience as well. Although not exactly a classic, The Games: Winter Challenge will appeal to anyone after a decent sports game - a genre rather lacking on the Megadrive at the moment.