Athlete Kings

Athlete Kings, released in Japan under the title Decathlete, is an athletics arcade game in the style of classic Track & Field titles — the player goes through a series of events such as the sprint, javelin throw, long jump, or swimming, trying to make the best use of rapid button-mashing and precise timing in each one. It's a typical representative of the genre, where it's primarily about reflexes and rhythm rather than deeper tactics, and matches work best as short duels with a friend on one TV, where the tension builds with every subsequent event and onlookers cheer just as passionately as the players themselves.

On the Saturn, the game benefited from colorful, energetic graphics and brisk character animation, which at the time counted among the better visual presentations within the arcade sports game genre. The controls were designed to work even without a specialized controller, although the rapid button alternation in events like the sprint made the most sense in tense multiplayer sessions, where players would practically wreck their thumbs trying to beat an opponent by a hundredth of a second. The music and sound effects supported an Olympic-competition atmosphere, full of exaggeration and comic-book flair, which was typical of Sega's arcade sports games and worked well even without deeper context from real sport.

Athlete Kings never counted among the titles that defined the Saturn's library, but among fans of fast party games, thanks to its brisk pace and appealing look, it kept a reputation as reliable multiplayer fun. The short length of each match made it an ideal title for a quick diversion between longer, more demanding games, of which the Saturn also offered plenty. Today it's a pleasant reminder of a genre that gradually all but disappeared from game consoles and remained more the domain of mobile apps and occasional party games at social gatherings.

Why play: For a quick multiplayer diversion between longer games, Athlete Kings offers brisk and appealing party fun, even though it never counted among the titles defining the Saturn's library.