Summer Games II#Ports
{{Short description|1985 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = Summer Games II
|image = Summer Games 2 cover.jpg
|caption = Commodore 64 cover art
|developer = Epyx
|publisher = {{vgrelease|NA|Epyx|EU|U.S. Gold}}
|designer = Chuck Sommerville
Kevin Norman
Larry Clague
Jon Leupp
Michael Kosaka
Scott Nelson
|composer = Randy Glover
Larry Clague
|engine =
|series =
|platforms = Commodore 64, Apple II, Atari ST, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Amiga
|released = {{vgrelease|NA|June 1985{{cite magazine |title=1985 Index |magazine=Computer Entertainer |date=January 1986 |volume=4 |issue=10 |page=6 |url=http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/newsletters/video_game_update/computer_entertainer_jan86.pdf#page=6}}|EU|1985}}
|modes = Single-player, multiplayer
}}
Summer Games II is an Olympic sports video game developed and published by Epyx in North America, and published by U.S. Gold in Europe, based on sports featured in the Summer Olympic Games. It is a sequel to Summer Games released by Epyx the previous year. Summer Games II was originally written for the Commodore 64 and ported to the Apple II, Atari ST, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Amiga.
Gameplay
The game was presented as a virtual multi-sport carnival called the "Epyx Games" (there was no official IOC licensing in place) with up to 8 players each choosing a country to represent, and then taking turns competing in various events to try for a medal. World records could be saved to the game disk.
The game features the following eight events: Triple jump, High jump, Rowing, Javelin throw, Equestrian, Fencing, Kayaking, Cycling.{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/commodore-user-magazine-23/page/n33/mode/1up?view=theater|title = Commodore User Magazine Issue 23|date = August 1985}}
The game allows the player to compete in all of the events sequentially, compete in some events, choose just one event, or practice an event. This version also features both the opening and closing ceremonies, where the closing ceremonies features a "fan man", the flame extinguishing as the sky goes dark, a blimp passing by and some fireworks. Certain ports also allow for participants to compete in events from the original Summer Games events, but they had to have the original Summer Games diskette for this to happen.
Ports
{{Video game reviews
| rev1 = Zzap!64
| rev1Score = 97%{{cite web |url=http://www.zzap64.co.uk/zzap100/100thspec5.html |title = Zzap!64 100th Issue Pull-Out Special Page 5}}
| award1Pub = Zzap!64
| award1 = Gold Medal
| award2Pub = Golden Joystick Awards
Game of the Year
| award2 = Runner up{{cite web |url=http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=C+VG/Issue055/Pages/CVG05500090.jpg |title = Computer & Video Games}}
}}
The original Commodore 64 version of Summer Games II was created by Scott Nelson, Jon Leupp, Chuck Sommerville, Kevin Norman, Michael Kosaka, and Larry Clague and published in 1985. The same year saw an Apple II version, ported by John Stouffer, Jeff Webb, Doug Matson, Greg Broniak, Tim Grost, Matt Decker, Vera Petrusha, Ken Evans, Pat Findling, Dr. Keith Dreyer, and Chris Oesterling. It became a bestseller in the UK.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=C+VG/Issue049/Pages/CVG04900030.jpg |title = Computer & Video Games}}
A year later it was ported to the IBM PC by Phil Suematsu, Jeff Grigg, Don Hill, and Jimmy Huey. Richard Wilcox and Steve Hawkes ported it to the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} In 1992 Adam Steele, Phillip Morris, and Dave Lowe ported it to the Atari ST and the Amiga.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}
Summer Games II was re-released on the Virtual Console in Europe on June 27, 2008 and in North America on March 16, 2009.{{cite news|title=One WiiWare Game and One Virtual Console Game Added to Wii Shop Channel|url=https://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/179YO1V8ivd04jZ2AkOPF0AVIUZLQXqc|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=2009-03-16|access-date= 2009-03-16}}
A port for the Atari Jaguar CD was under development by Teque London, but work on the port was discontinued sometime in 1995 and it was never released.{{cite web|last=Dragon|first=Lost|url=http://forums.atari.io/index.php/topic/3333-the-epyx-titles-atari-wanted-on-lynx/|title=The EPYX Titles Atari Wanted on Lynx...|website=atari.io|date=July 6, 2017|access-date=2019-04-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320105443/http://forums.atari.io/index.php/topic/3333-the-epyx-titles-atari-wanted-on-lynx/|archive-date=20 March 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Vendel|first=Curt|url=http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/jaguar/jagfiles/jag64-payments.PDF|title=Payment Schedule for Jaguar games to Developers|website=atarimuseum.com|date=August 26, 1995|access-date=2019-04-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211091716/http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/jaguar/jagfiles/jag64-payments.PDF|archive-date=2014-12-11|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last=Dragon|first=Lost|url=http://forums.atari.io/index.php/topic/2674-the-ultimate-jaguar-unreleasedbetasourcedev-master-list/page-5#entry34184|title=The Ultimate Jaguar Unreleased/Beta/Source/Dev Master List! - Page 5|website=atari.io|date=July 5, 2017|access-date=2019-04-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104015428/http://forums.atari.io/index.php/topic/2674-the-ultimate-jaguar-unreleasedbetasourcedev-master-list/page-5|archive-date=4 November 2018|url-status=live}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| Z64=97%Zzap!64 review, Newsfield Publications, issue 5, page 16
}}
Summer Games II was Epyx's second best-selling Commodore game as of late 1987 after Winter Games.{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/1987-12-computegazette/Compute_Gazette_Issue_54_1987_Dec#page/n17/mode/2up | title=The Commodore Games That Live On And On | work=Compute's Gazette | date=December 1987 | access-date=24 January 2015 | author=Ferrell, Keith | pages=18–22}} Ahoy! said that "the production values of Summer Games II are absolutely top of the line, even better than the original Summer Games". The magazine cited equestrian and fencing as the best events, and concluded that it "covers itself with glory from the familiar opening ceremony to the closing festivities. Put simply, if you own a Commodore 64, this disk is a must".{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/Ahoy_Issue_23_1985-11_Ion_International_US#page/n53/mode/2up | title=Summer Games II | work=Ahoy! | date=November 1985 | access-date=27 June 2014 | author=Kunkel, Bill | pages=49}}
Reviews
See also
- Daley Thompson's Decathlon
- Track & Field (video game)
- Winter Games (video game)
- World Games (video game)
- California Games (video game)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{moby game|id=/summer-games-ii}}
- {{WoS game|id=0004992}}
- [http://www.c64sets.com/summergames2.html Images of Summer Games II box, manual and screen shots]
{{Epyx Games series}}
Category:Cancelled Atari Jaguar games
Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games
Category:Summer Olympic video games
Category:Video games developed in the United States