The battle for those elusive medals has begun.

Producer: Epyx
Gold Sovereigns: £14.99 cassette, £19.99 disk
Authors: Summer Games I Randy Glover, Stephen Landrum, John Leupp, Brian McGhie, Stephen Mudry, Erin Murphy and Scott Nelson. Summer Games II Larry Clague, Jon Leupp, Scott Nelson, Kevin Norman, Chuck Somerville, graphics by Michael Kosaka. Winter Games Sentient Software

Just in time for the Olympics, Epyx have appropriately released Gold, Silver, Bronze, a compilation of the previously released Winter Games (93%, Issue 28), and new to the Spectrum, Summer Games and Summer Games II. This massive, comprehensive sporting package covers a total of 23 events, ranging from the rigours of pole-vaulting to the gracefulness of figure skating.

In Summer Games and Summer Games II, up to eight players can compete in eight events. Each can choose to represent any of 18 countries in the chase for gold medals.

After the obligatory opening ceremony, competitors timber up for that strenuous event, the pole vault. Choose between three types of grip on the fibre glass pole, and your little man strides automatically toward the bar. Split-second timing is needed to plant the pole in the box and flip over the bar while releasing the pole. These three different requirements make for a very difficult (and therefore realistic) event. A similar technique involving timing is used for the high jump on Summer Games II.

Running events include the joystick-waggling 100m dash and the more strategic 4 x 400 metres relay - no waggling here (a good job too, as my arm's just dropped off!), just control the speed of the runner.

Complex aerial movements and somersaults are involved in diving and vaulting. Both are controlled in a similar manner. The various joystick directions are used to control the speed of rotation as the athlete flies through the air. And careful timing insures you plunge headfirst into the water, or land on your feet.

Back down at the pool, it's time for some aquatic exertion in the two swimming events. These both involve pressing fire as the swimmer's arm enters the water to provide power, while pressing left to do one of those 'show off' underwater turns to turn round - well he wouldn't want to smash his head at the end of the pool!

The 100m freestyle has the competitor swimming two lengths of the olympic sized pool, while the relay basically involves the same thing but four times over.

A less energetic sport is that of skeet shooting - 'that's more my scene', says Nick as he puts his feet up while munching a 9-inch pizza with extra topping!

However, more exhausting events are contained in Summer Games II, including both rowing and kayaking, plus the unusual equestrian event, where you ride a horse, jumping over the fences.

Other excitements in this mammoth compilation are the triple jump, javelin, cycling - with a weird control method of rotating the joystick (if it wasn't mangled by the previous events!) - and fencing (not the wooden kind, Mark!), where the two opponents face each other on the piste (not down the pub, Dom!).

If this wasn't enough to wear you out, there are the seven icy events in Winter Games ie, both figure, speed and free skating, ski jumping, hot-dogging (without tomato ketchup), biathlon and bobsled.

Phew! it wears me out even describing all this exercise - I'm more a snooker and darts fan! Seriously though, Gold, Silver, Bronze has an unbelievably large number of events to keep armchair sports buffs happy, contained in a suitably massive box. If this isn't value for money, I don't know what is. Worth its weight in gold.

PHIL [92%]

THE ESSENTIALS
Joysticks: Kempston, Sinclair, Cursor
Graphics: well-animated, monochromatic sprites - especially in Winter Games
Sound: national anthems and a good tune at the start of each event
Options: up to eight players can compete (four in Winter Games)

Each of the 23 events is just as challenging and addictive as the last. Particular favourites of mine are the Hot Dog (not the type from the fair!), Pole Vault and Skeet Shooting.

The best graphics are to be seen in Winter Games with well-coloured, detailed backgrounds and silhouette-like players, but the graphics are of a good standard all through.

As in real-life, the events are difficult to master at first, but once you've practised, you can begin to get somewhere and enjoy the compilation. Both Summer Games I and Summer Games II are multi-loads - a problem if you're using the tape versions - but Winter Games loads half the events at once so you can chop and change without having to break your tape recorder!

There are sound effects and tunes in most events except for the winter ones (being made in the 48K-only period). Gold, Silver, Bronze is good quality and great value for money. Buy it and you'll have hours of fun, guaranteed.
NICK [91%]

Wow! Be warned: one game of this type on its own is bad for the joystick, three of them are devastating. The 128K version of the game is graphically and sonically identical to the 48K version, but +3 disk owners will have their ears filled with national anthems on the 'pick your nationality; screen, as well as various jingles throughout the game.

Graphically Gold, Silver, Bronze is excellent. Nicely animated, monochromatic sprites energetically leap and bound across the screen in their attempts to win a gold medal. As always the best way to play these sport simulation games is with a couple of friends, but as Phil 'Carl Lewis' King keeps beating everyone else in the office, we have had to show him the 'red card' (as they say in sporting circles) to stop him playing.

Gold, Silver, Bronze is a first rate package that brings together the best of Epyx's sports games. For me to say that is a miracle.
MARK [91%]

Epyx
£14.99
Reviewer: Sean Kelly

Let's start with some interesting facts about the Olympics. 1. Live pigeon shooting used to be an event. 2. So did Golf and the Obstacle race. 3. This is now out of date because the Olympics has finished, so let's waste no further time and do fifty press ups to prepare for Gold, Silver And Bronze, Epyx's latest sortie into the world of people who make me sick by being so athletic.

Gold Silver Bronze is one third compilation, two thirds new game. Let me explain. Winter Games has been released on the Speccy already, but the two other games in this package, Summer Games I and II haven't been out for our little rubber keyboards before. There are 23 events in all, making this a sort of Twentythree-athalon, I suppose, and no I'm not going to list them all, (although golf and obstacle racing don't feature) just the most notable.

Winter Games is lots of sports from the Calgary Olympics, generally involving snow, skis and ice skates (quel surprise). The Ski Jump, Biathlon (ski around and shoot things) and Hot Dog (do wacky stunts in mid air on skis) were my faves in this game, probably because I found them most easy to get to grips with. In Summer Games I the Pole Vault, Diving and Skeet Shooting had a certain something about them, whilst Summer Games II included the Triple Jump, Javelin and the Equestrian event (horse riding to you!)

The first thing which I noticed in this package were the graphics. The screen layouts were all well thought out, and the sprites were for the most part large and well animated. The Summer Games also featured a spiffing little opening ceremony, where an athlete jogged along, up some steps, and lit a big Olympic flame, whilst a number of peace doves flew away to their freedom. Very pretty, but on with the review.

Epyx has tried to steer away from the rabid waggling joystick type of event in this compilation/game, and instead success depends more upon good timing and reflexes than breaking your joystick and wrist. This works well in some events, but not in others. Those above are the ones which I found the most appealing, precisely because the joystick control worked well. Some of the 'faster' events, however, such as sprinting and swimming, which are of course less dependent on good timing and more on legging it as fast as possible, didn't work on this system, and perhaps a bit of waggling should have been incorporated into these events to add variety.

One thing which I found frustrating was the never ending re-winding and re-loading of events, tapes, and sections. There wasn't a separate 128 version, so even those with big memories still have to go through this drudgery, I'm afraid. The instructions provided also left something to be desired, and each of the three games seemed to operate with totally different 'front ends' and perhaps having the same keys doing the same thing in all of them would have been easier and more user friendly. Having to re-learn what the joystick did for each of the 23 events was also difficult initially, although by using the 'play one event' option this was overcome after a time.

If you are a fan of this type of game, then this package will doubtless appeal to you, and I am sure that you'll be pleased should you buy it. Personally, I found it a little too bitty and fiddly to really grab me, and perhaps too much like its many predecessors. It does have many redeeming features however, and Epyx has certainty done its reputation no harm with this package.

Label: US Gold
Author: Epyx
Price: £14.99 cassette, £17.99 disc
Memory: 48K/128K
Joystick: various

Ask any self respecting Commodore owner (Isn't that a contradiction in terms? - JD) what the best sport sims are, and (s)he'll reply 'Dur. The Epyx ones.' Until now. Speccy owners have only had access to one of the three classics, but now US Gold comes, like a flash of lightning, to the rescue, with it's latest compilation, aptly titled Gold, Silver, Bronze. Now, as well as the original Winter Games, you now get Summer Games 1 and 2. How's that for a bumper package?

Unfortunately, it's not as good as it sounds. To put it simply, Summer Games 1 and 2 have suffered considerably in the conversion. "Rush job." is one of the phrases which spring to mind. "Bodge up," is another.

The layout of the three games is basically the same. You are presented with a main menu with all the basic options such as Define controls. Practise an event. Play all or some of the events, and See World Records.

Unlike the 64 version, sadly, you can't save the World Records, so there's just a bit of general competitiveness lost there. Once you decide that you've admired the splendid lettering and the attractive choice of colours, and have selected 'Play an event', you have to enter your name and country of your choice. In Summer Games, country selection is done via a scrolling display of flags. In the sequel, however, you are presented with a text list and a cursor. A bit of a let down methinks.

Still, you've done all your bits, it's off to the games, and what a lot of them there are. 23 in all. If you decide to play them all. they are in order from Summer Games 1 through to Winter Games: Pole vault; diving; 4x400 metre relay; 100 metre dash; gymnastics; freestyle relay; 100 metre freestyle; skeet shooting; triple jump; rowing; kayaking; javelin; high jump; fencing; cycling; equestrian; figure skating; free skating; speed skating; hot dog ariels; ski jump; biathlon; and bobsled.

You'll be pleased to know that Epyx have thankfully veered away from the joystick waggling found in all the other sports sims. Well, in most events anyway. Some events (speed skating, rowing) still require rythmic left/right movements. Others (gymnastics, high jump, hot dog ariels) require skill and timing. This all comes together to provide you with a package that has enough variations in gameplay to keep you interested for quite a while. Theoretically, that is.

The thing is, for a game to hold your interest for any amount of time, it has to play well. I found the new games on this package slow, unplayable and generally not deserving of the reputation the Games series has attained. Poor, badly defined and animated graphics, slow jerky scrolling and horrendous colour clash don't make this game a very attractive package. They make it downright unattractive.

Sound is nothing special. This is an area that USG could really have tapped into. The thudding as your runner beats the track, the spring of the board, the whoosh of the foil. is that whet you get? No. you get 'beep* if you do something right, 'beep' if you do something wrong and 'beep' while you're doing it.

Winter Games is this package's only redeeming feature, with some great graphics and some snazzy toons. I expect you're able to get that a lot cheaper than the asking price for this collection, too.

GSB was a compilation that I was really looking forward to seeing. Looking at it now, I can't imagine why. I think I'll go borrow a 64 copy from somewhere.

Medal-ing with Epyx.

Olympic fever's with us if the number of recent sporting releases is anything to go by. These two games have been available on the C64 for a long time, but only now have Spectrum and Amstrad owners had the chance to work up a sweat and join in the fun.

So, what have you got to compete in? In Summer Games you face eight events in all. In the Pole Vault you have to judge when to plant the pole, when to kick up and flip over the bar and then when to release the pole. Diving gives you the chance to show off your acrobatic prowess on the high diving board and the 4 x 400m relay requires good pacing and team work if you're to be successful. The 100m dash is a good ol' fashioned waggle-for-the-line event while the gymnastics event sees you vaulting over a horse. Skeet shooting (which seems to appear on every sporting compilation) has you shooting clay pigeons from several different stations. For the final two events you're in the swimming pool for the Freestyle relay and the 100m Freestyle dash.

Summer Games II also gives you eight events. In the Triple Jump you hop, step and jump your way into a sandpit. Rowing is a single sculls rhythmic waggling event. Kayaking has you on the water again, but this time going through a series of gates along the course. The Javelin event requires power and precision to win and the High Jump event requires the player to carefully select speed and the angle of jump. Fencing's next, where you have to parry and lunge against a series of opponents, while Cycling has you rotating the joystick in a clockwise motion to simulate pedalling. The final events Showjumping (against the clock, naturally).

Each event in the game(s) can be selected individually, so you can practise the ones you're having difficulty with. Once you get good at the events you can take on some of your friends or the computer and start competing for those gold medals. Both Summer Games I and II offer little that's original, but it's all been done well.

Reviewer: Andy Smith

RELEASE BOX
C64/128, £14.99cs, £17.99dk, Out Now
Spec, £14.99cs, £17.99dk, Out Now
Ams, £14.99cs, £24.99dk, Out Now
All prices for Gold, Silver, Bronze compilation.

Predicted Interest Curve

1 min: 68/100
1 hour: 75/100
1 day: 70/100
1 week: 60/100
1 month: 40/100
1 year: 20/100

MACHINES: Spec/Ams/C64
SUPPLIER: US Gold
PRICE: £12.99
VERSION TESTED: Spec

SUMMER GAMES I: Fairly good eight-event simulation marred by long multiload.

SUMMER GAMES II: improvement over its predecessor, but still suffers with long loading.

WINTER GAMES: The pick of the bunch with seven good events; multiload's a pain.

If you can stand the multiload, it's a reasonable package, but doesn't stand up to the likes of Game, Set and Match.

Spectrum 48/128 Cassette: £14.99, Diskette: £17.99
Amstrad CPC Cassette: £14.99, Diskette: £14.99

A BOTTLE of fizzy orange liquid won't b e enough t o get y ou through this lot! Summer Games is made up of eight gruelling events: pole vault, diving, 4 x 400 metre relay, gymnastics, 1 0 0 metre dash, freestyle swimming relay.

100 metre freestyle and skeet shooting.

The Spectrum version retains great playability even through the different control styles required in each, simply constructed event.

Visuals are good, with certain events sporting some well animated graphics - track running, diving, gymnastics and the pole vault for example - although the last two use rather crude, single colour pictures. Compared t o Winter Games, use of colour is restricted although the majority of screens are attractive.

The Amstrad version fares better with its attractive use of colour, and small, but beautifully teemed, well animated graphics. Sound plays a large part. featuring jingles on selected events, the worldrecords screen and the opening ceremony. This improved presentation makes for a better game while retaining the all-important challenge.

The main attraction of sport simulations is the generation of competition bet ween players, both Spectrum and Amstrad versions of Summer Games achieve this - proving almost as enjoyable as the original Commodore 64/ 128 game.

Spectrum 48/128 Cassette: £14.99, Diskette: £17.99
Amstrad CPC Cassette: £14.99, Diskette: £14.99

SUMMER GAMES II covers a further eight events, simulating not only the more familiar sports such as the javelin, high and triple jump but also those perhaps less well known, rowing, kayaking, fencing, cycling and equestrian.

Variety is offered in each event proving more a test of timing with the joystick than physical punishment. On both machines, the difficulty of events ranges from simple to very tough. The difficulty often stemming not through the profusion of joystick movements to perform but the lack of response.

Some playability has been lost as a result, especially in the equestrian, with its stubborn horse, and the unresponsive, awkward control in the Cycling.

Learning the moves is difficult and play can prove inconsistent. Nevertheless, most events are problem free, entertaining and place a different set of demands on the player than those encountered in Summer Games.

Graphically, this sequel makes much the same use of the host machine as the prequel but features better animation. The Spectrum version is largely monochrome but makes good use of colour where it can.

The Amstrad game is let down through lack of colour, those used are odd - ever seen an orange horse before? Scrolling however, is smooth and detail is generally better than in Summer Games.

In the area of sonic entertainment, the Spectrum version wins with short tunes (although sometimes ill-matched) played before each event - the Amstrad Summer Games II offers only limited spot effects.

Multiload is present but nevertheless the competitive element and playability have been retained - and that's what matters most.

Spectrum 48/128 Cassette: £14.99, Diskette: £17.99
Amstrad CPC Cassette: £14.99, Diskette: £24.99
Commodore 64/128 Cassette: £14.99, Diskette: £17.99

G'DAY SPORTS

American programming and design team, Epyx, are renowned for their range of quality C64 games - US Gold provide conversions to the popular UK micros. Perhaps the best known of these products are those in the Games series, which will soon reach its seventh game: The Games: Summer Edition, Summer Games and Summer Games II, previously unavailable on Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, were reviewed last issue.

Winter Games making up the trilogy, all parts follow a similar format in both joystick control styles and playing options. A menu is presented on loading, allowing you to practise one or more events, selected from a sub-menu, as many times as desired before taking part in actual mono or multi-competition. World records can be displayed on the disk versions - the sporting equivalent of a high score table and the visual splendour of the opening (and in Summer Games II, closing) ceremonies replayed to inspire gentlemanly competitive spirit.

When ready to take part in real sport, up to eight players (dependent on version and friends available) enter their names and a country's flag from the 18 available, including the special 'Epyx country'. The Amstrad is lacking in this department, it being impossible to represent a country in Winter Games with it missing out the traditional flags and national anthems.

Control generally splits into two styles. Repeated waggling or pressing generate energy for the sportsman, with additional movements on some events carrying out an action. The other control format uses joystick directions to perform various moves, while the athlete moves under his own power.

You test your varied sporting skills first with the eight events which fill the sun-drenched arena of Summer Games: pole-vault, 100 metres, 4 x 400 relay, 100 metres freestyle and 4 x 100 swimming relay, diving, gymnastics (vaulting over a gym horse) and skeet-shooting.

Another eight events feature in Summer Games II, beginning with the timed step of the triple jump. The others are the cycling, high jump, javelin, rowing, kayaking, fencing, and equestrian events.

Control is a little awkward in Summer Games II. Near pixel-perfect positioning is needed to get the temperamental horse to jump and the bicycle requires a strange joystick rotation to be propelled. Despite this, it's an improvement over the original, as there is greater variety in the events and animation is smoother. Increased detail on all three formats is marred slightly by some weird colour schemes on the Amstrad version, and the Spectrum features jingles to complement its tactfully used colour. A worthy sequel.

The snow-covered scenes of Winter Games have been seen before on these machines, its seven events being figure skating, bobsled, speed skating, hot-dog aerials (stunts performed on skis), biathlon (a shooting and cross-country skiing combination), freestyle skating and ski jump.

The bobsled and ski jump are the events that stand out because they have different control methods. The worst two are the figure and free-skating; virtually identical events which generate little interest. The other events, particularly the quirky hot-dogging, do well to bring interesting sports that neutralize the stumbling block of skating and bring Winter Games up to the Epyx standards. Graphically, its arguably the best of the three, mostly due to its extremely attractive snowscapes, particularly on the C64. Poor animation and blocky sprites in some Amstrad events are not helped by whining music, but in competition aren't too detrimental. The C64's detailed and colourful sprites make it a good looking game. and monochrome characters on the Spectrum work well. The lack of music on the Sinclair machine is made more acceptable for tape users as Winter Games requires but two loads.

In all three games, medals are awarded to the players on completion of each event, and records saved to disk, if the option is available.

The sometimes drastic changes of control method between events in all Games is offset by the undeniable playability of the program. All have well-animated sprites, although the Amstrad and Commodore athletes are more colourful than the unavoidable dullness on the Spectrum.

Multi-loaded events are the only major fault with the Gold, Silver, Bronze compilation, which provides a total of 23 sports, which, if not all playable, are certainly competently programmed. Some events are old-fashioned but together the package forms a huge sporting competition that represents good value for money. If tape users can stand the individual loading of each event, they will find many hours of exciting competition ahead.