PixlBit

The Olympics has been a tradition around the world for generations. This year, the Olympics were held in London, England where it earned the achievement of being the most viewed Olympics of all-time. The idea of being able to compete against other athletes from around the world to determine the best of each sport has been a driving force for many athletes their entire life. Residents of those countries cheer on their representative athletes in hopes that they finish with the most medals and reign supreme. This year, Sega had the honor of virtually representing these games as London '12, giving players a chance to compete for their country against friends and online users alike in a variety of games and events. Unfortunately, rapid button-pressing with a lack of emphasis on skill isn't representative of this notable and important worldwide sporting event.

Growing up as a child, I remember playing Nagano Winter Olympics for the Nintendo 64 against my two brothers. Even though most of the events were terrible and we were terrible at them, they still gave us hours of good playing time. Reliving that experience was definitely something I was looking forward to with London '12 when I first popped it into my Xbox 360. Unfortunately, I did not get that same enjoyment that I had as a child and instead received the polar opposite. I was bored.

It’s not that these events were not put together well - they were - it’s just that there was a limit to their competitiveness. Many of the events throughout London '12 are as simple as tapping a specific button or seeing who can tap a button faster. However there are some games that take some precision such as the skeet shooting event. These types of events give players some room for improvement, but there is definitely a ceiling on how good you can get.  Once you reach that ceiling (which takes a matter of minutes) there really is nothing more to do other than going through the motions of the game.

While I quickly and easily peaked with London '12, I can still see it being enjoyable for kids. With their still-developing skill sets, they may be challenged by what's offered here. However, even for this demographic, London '12 is hard to recommend when Sega produces the more accessible and enjoyable (for all ages) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series.

Even beyond the skill issues, London '12 is noticeably devoid of prominent athletes. Many people around the world enjoy watching specific games because of the specific athletes that are competing. London '12 limits your selection tremendously and doesn’t even allow you to play as some of the best ones. I’m sorry, but if I’m playing a swimming event for the USA, I should definitely be able to choose Michael Phelps as my character. Instead, London '12 forces you to control an athlete that no one  has any interest in. This doesn’t change the event’s gameplay, but it definitely takes away part of what makes the Olympic experience special.

I was really hoping for great things from London '12 given Sega's track record with their Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series. After about five hours with this game I had completely lost interest. I won all of the medals and mastered all of the events and time spent online proved the experience to be both repetitive and boring. If you're set on picking up an Olympics video game (and have a Wii), check out any of the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games titles – they'll be more fun for both you and your family.