The Activision Decathlon

The Activision Decathlon brought a decathlon to the Atari 2600 in 1983, consisting of running, jumping, and throwing events – the 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m, hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1500m. The player gradually competes in all ten events, either alone against their own results or in a contest against other players, with the final ranking determined by the sum of points for individual performances according to official athletics tables. Progressing gradually through the whole day of competition gave the game the structure of a real sporting contest with its own build-up of tension, as the approaching end of the decathlon combined with the player's growing finger fatigue.

A key gameplay element was rapidly and rhythmically rocking the paddle from side to side to build up speed in the running events, which became infamous for the game and physically demanding – more than one player damaged their controller through sheer enthusiasm while competing for the best time, which became one of the best-known period jokes about this game. The throwing and jumping events, on the other hand, required precise timing of the button press for the takeoff or release of the implement, which enriched the game with a different skill dimension than just raw speed of rocking the paddle from side to side, forcing players to think about the right moment for the takeoff or release of the implement.

The Activision Decathlon was one of the most successful sports titles of its time, and its concept of competing across many events in sequence later inspired dozens of Olympic-themed games on other platforms and consoles. Today the game is known chiefly as the legendary example of a title that could physically wear out game controllers, and as such it remains a beloved curiosity and a pleasant reminder of the competitive spirit of the early era of home consoles, when fun could be physically demanding even off the screen.

Why play it: Thanks to its legendary reputation as a game that could physically wear out controllers, The Activision Decathlon is a great reminder of the competitive spirit of the early console era, entertaining even off the screen.