Sydney 2000 (DC) (Sydney 2000 (DC))

Member Name: thole09

Product:	Sydney 2000 (DC)
Date:	14/10/09 (30 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Audio, Video

Disadvantages: Gameplay

"Sydney 2000" is a video game which was released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000 by Eidos Interactive. It is a sports game based on the summer Olympic games. In the European marketplace, the game received a rating which deemed the title appropriate for ages three and above.

Gameplay of this title surrounds solely on athletics and other summer games. At the time of release, Sydney 2000 was the only official video game of Sydney's summer Olympics and offered players the chance to participate in some of the more popular events through two gameplay modes. The "arcade" mode allow selection of events prior to play and the "Olympic" mode takes the player's country of choice through a career style game with all of the events played in sequential order. Players first begin their experience by first inputting a three character name and selecting from one of 32 available countries to represent. From there, an Olympic game is shown or selected and the player is shown a brief introduction video for the upcoming event. The video generally deals with each of the player's personal preparations and proceeding towards the starting area. After this the competitors are off and execute any required task as dictated by the event.

I found the gameplay of this title to be quite repetitive and monotonous. As with most Olympic games, the control scheme to all of the events is very similar. Most of the games do not require skillful precision on the control pad, but instead require the player to continually strike a series of buttons to propel the athlete towards his or her goal. Sydney 2000 could very much be described as a "button masher" because of this. These types of games may appeal to younger children or those who are not familiar with the Sega Dreamcast's controller, but those seeking any sort of challenge will be disappointed. There is some challenge offered to the player in the form of the 10-metre platform diving event. Here, players will be required to enter a combination of buttons as presented on screen to execute intricate dives and aerobatics. The button combinations become increasingly difficult and break away from the standard "A" "B" alternations seen in other events. I enjoyed this event much more than any other presented in the game due to the higher skill level required.

Visually, Sydney 2000 is a solid offering. The game's framerate is incredibly smooth even in the heat of events such as the 100m dash. Each of the athletes also sport an aesthetically pleasing design with superb finer detailing such as eyes and fingers. These features are not always apparent in the Olympic game itself but are showcased in the instant replay which accompanies each event. The audio is also a great addition to the game. Commentators follow the event very closely and present flowing audio cues related to the action at hand. There is no sense of choppiness in each of the vocal prompts; everything flows together very nicely.

Overall, Sydney 2000 is an average at best Olympic game. Most games of this nature are plagued by mediocrity due to the repetitive control scheme and Sydney 2000 in no different in this respect. What draws me to the game primarily are its audio and visual efforts which come across as quite stunning on the Sega Dreamcast.

Summary: Thumbs in the middle