Hyper Olympic

One-dimensional button masher(at least for the first level), but it's one of the firsts to depict sports events(well, athletic events) in the form of time-precision mini-games. It still leaves a lot to be desired though, since most of the games revolve around nailing one particular element right(namely the angle under which you jump or throw javelin) with little place for added depth. However, unlike the unfortunately-controlled Activision's Decathlon(also a button masher, with a twist), Hyper Olympic is brutally hard to the point of unfairness, meaning that one lost event would lose you your entire game.

Even the Japanese version, which is easier than the American release, is not nearly easy enough to warrant enjoyment in this game. That being said do please play the Japanese release. The NES port is a very good conversion, too, and I think it's slightly easier.

Known as Hyper Olympics in Australia, this game was a very big success. It was around the time of the 1984 Olympics that there was a huge surge in the game's popularity, and it served as a staple in all arcades.

I could never progress through all of the events because I didn't devote enough time towards bettering my skill. The hammer throw would often be my undoing. It was a fun thing to see the different techniques that people would come up with to increase their speed. Those two buttons became a living monument to the most abused arcade cabinets in history. Gamers would smash at them with absolutely no restraint. Some people went for the "two hands" method, while others used a coin to quickly skip from one button to the other. I just used the index and middle fingers of my right hand to good effect.

There was a sequel released soon after - Hyper Olympic '84 - which featured different events, but the gameplay was mostly similar.