With a name like Decathlon 2012, this miniature title is one of the only Olympic games that makes sense. A decathlon is a series of 10 events all performed by the same athlete, rather than the singular Olympic contests. Ergo, the top spot here is only tallied at the end, rather than to dispense a gold medal after each event to the same person.

In vein of many athletic competitions before it, this game uses a frantic mashing control scheme of sliding and tapping the stylus with vigor. Speed is generated by making circles as fast as possible or tapping furiously, while angles and strength are performed by sliding in a given direction. While this high-paced input has an entrancing effect; it’s frequently obvious that it can’t be good for the touchscreen at all. This is most obvious with the shot put and discus throw, which require banging the screen as fast as possible. Let this be a fair warning: Decathlon 2012 will do damage to those unprotected.

Decathlon 2012 - NoobFeed Review

As mentioned, there are 10 events to choose from and this in either practice mode or consecutively for the grand prize. Events are usually incredibly short and offer virtually no build up or elation. The only gratification can come from excelling, but that’s fairly predetermined depending on the event. The records seem to be either too far away or easily within reach. As it’s hard to tap or slide more skillfully, it doesn’t feel like Decathlon has a learning curve at all. Things like hurdles can be performed a bit more efficiently and learning the exact motion needed for alternating circling and sliding will add a bit to the end score, but not a sizable amount. More so, some events such as the javelin throw suffer from this hectic alternation of input commands.

More so, the short and unfulfilling results of sports leave Decathlon with little to offer. The simple 2D visuals and sounds are more an homage to the older titles than anything else. Practice is only good enough to learn the ropes and after that a full game can be completed in about 5 minutes and won’t entice a retry often. It took less than an hour to come out on top and once that high score is there, it’s virtually pointless to return, given there is little to no improvement rate to be found.

Decathlon 2012 - NoobFeed Review

For die-hard fans of the olden Track & Field games that rewarded furious button mashing, there might be a slight whimsy to try out Decathlon 2012, even with its shoddier control scheme. Other than that, the game does very little to keep its worth past a handful of tries.

Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed. (@Daavpuke)

Decathlon 2012

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Decathlon 2012