ESPN International Track and Field Preview

Konami, maker of countless Track and Field games spanning several consoles, has decided to expand the series to the current next-generation platforms. Snapping at the heels of the US PlayStation 2 launch will be Konami's ESPN International Track and Field, the sixth PS2 game to be added to Konami's growing ESPN sports line. ESPN International Track and Field will be a revved-up version of Konami's well-known Track and Field games, combining all the classic events with ESPN's stylized presentation and the PS2's graphical capabilities.

ESPN International Track and Field stays true to the traditional track-and-field formula. More than 12 different summer Olympic events are individually spread throughout three different modes. From the hammer throw to the high jump, each event tests your ability through different button-pressing trials. Fans of the series will be pleased to find that Konami has expanded the basic three-button formula and introduced new control schemes for most of the events. While there is a good amount of button mashing, most events now test your timing and your ability to pull off complex button combinations. The javelin throw, for instance, makes you hammer the A and B buttons in alternating order while it also makes you occasionally hit the down button to reset the rising angle meter, then the L1 button to throw the javelin. Rhythmic gymnastics, an event entirely new to the Track and Field series, uses an engine similar to this in Dance Dance Revolution: It has you pressing the correct directions in time with the moving indicators.

While definitely superior to the graphics of the Dreamcast version of the same game, the graphics in ESPN International Track and Field aren't as stunning as some other PS2 sports games. The backgrounds and other graphical effects look very realistic, but the character models look a tiny bit inhuman. The body structures and movements are all sport on - Konami motion-captured several actual Olympic athletes for every event in the game, and it shows. But some of the faces and the facial expressions look a bit unrealistic at this point. The game features a very cool replay mode, complete with the suddenly trendy motion-blur effect. Unfortunately, you can't control your replay, and you simply have to watch the camera angles that the game has chosen for you.

The game's sound is currently on par with other PS2 sports games. The sound effects are fairly realistic - characters grunt when they strain themselves, the ground patters when it's run upon, the javelin whooshes through the air and then chunks into the ground. An announcer gives you general information, but the ESPN commentary we've come to expect from Konami's other ESPN titles simply isn't present yet. We hope that Konami will add more ESPN flair to the game before it hits US shores. The music in the game is a mediocre collection of unlicensed high-energy guitar rock, and while adequate, it really isn't anything to write home about.

With a wide assortment of events, sharp visuals and sound, and gameplay that's more than mindless button mashing, ESPN International Track and Field is shaping up to be the most appealing track-and-field game yet. ESPN International Track and Field will hit store shelves this October.