Asterix At The Olympic Games (Wii) - Review by yoshimn

Introduction

Asterix At the Olympic Games is a sporty adventure game based on the movie. In it there are 4 main characters - Asterix, Obelix, Getafix and Lovestorix, who travel to Olympia to stop the scheming son of Emperor Julius Caesar. He can travel through different dimensions and become ruler of all worlds, experiencing purple mystical electricity along the way. You have to compete in the Antique Games as you live an exciting new adventure, which includes bashing Romans and solving puzzles. You can play lots of different games including hammer-throw, javelin, long-jump, toad-ball, and tug-of-war; and you can experience exciting game-play with the nun chuck and Wii remote.

Gameplay

If you are getting used to Wii titles with a wide array of options, then you will be a little surprised that the only choice available here is what section of the competition to enter first; and even then it is only those that have already been unlocked. They are split into sections like Viking, Gaulish, Egyptian and even Gothic, all of which are around five events. You will probably choose Asterix for the running and jumping events, while Obelix is more useful for challenges requiring a little extra brute force. All the events are based on 'real' track and field games with a twist, although I am sure that it would be more fun with events like sack racing and egg and spoon race.

Once you've completed an event, you will be rewarded with lighting a fire, which will also help you further on in the game. The problem here, though, is that everything is a little more challenging than before. To help you with some events, there is a shop where you can buy different punches and kicks - which will help you to defeat the Romans. This involves using the helmets (which you collect every time you smash anything up, such as benches, haystacks, carts etc.) and spending them at the store. Here you can purchase everything from power-hammers to super-whips, to give you much needed help in the games. These moves enable you to defeat the Romans, which gains you points. Unfortunately, there is not much more to do after completing the Olympics, which is disappointing. There is also no Wi-Fi at all. You can only play with your friends one at a time, which does seem a little boring - especially for a sports title.

Controls

You can easily control your character with the nun chuck analogue stick, and running is simple : you just wave your arms up and down to run, and while in mid-air follow the on-screen actions to perform jumps. Bashing is also easy : you just press 'a' and 'z' to swing your opponent. Interacting, such as talking, is simple too : you just press 'a'; likewise for pushing boxes and so on.

Graphics

These are the normal graphics you would expect from a cartoon style game and they are very funny. There are no graphic glitches, such as walking through walls, such as you find on PS2 games. The game play is so great anyway, which means the quality of the graphics is not so important. One annoying aspect is that there are humans in it - like the Roman you see running through the forest.

Sound

The music is all you could hope for from a sports game - for example, hearing the officials whistle and the crowd cheering. At the open menu, there is a trumpet and Roman music playing. At the pause screen, the highly dramatic music leaves you sitting on the edge of your chair. There is no music in the game - however, the trumpet and the cheering are always satisfying to hear. When you break things, there is a cool sound of snapping and breaking; and when you win a competition, the triumphant music is deeply satisfying.

Final comments

I thought at first that this might be just a copy of Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Games. But I was wrong: it is a completely different and original game. The game play is quite brilliant, as are the impressive cartoon graphics. Nothing really verges on the tedious in the sound and the story, and the characters are actually funny. And - it is much cheaper than Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Games. The Olympic Games are fantastic and I love the new ones they have invented, especially toad-ball and king-of-the-throne. If you do find the beginning a bit slow, you may prefer to skip the videos.

Pro: Good graphics, some interesting puzzles and activities, good use of the original comic book and film. Asterix At The Olympic Games is a very impressive game which at the least is worth renting.
Con: Can be slow. Once the highlight of the Olympics is completed, there is not much left to do, except trying to beat your best score.
Final score: 7.5

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