Beijing 2008: The Official Video Game Of The Olympic Games

Take no notice of the first review, this is a great game. Ok its not too good on your own but playing against friends or online is brilliant fun!! If you're the kind of person that wants to break world records straight away then don't buy this game, it takes a lot of practice (and blisters!) but its worth it when you cream a javelin throw or beat your personal best at high jump. Well worth the £40 if you are online.

By the way, im 72nd in the world at Javelin with 98.72m, challenge me??

I bought this from Play.com last week & first night i played it for 6 hours & loved it. I practised for an hour, then i thought i'd go online & was really smooth, had lag one time ONLY & that was on 1500m (which kills your arm but it's a laugh seeing you disintegrate & after 3 laps you can hardly move your wrist but others online are the same & everyones's struggling to race.) I never had any lag issues at all again, it's a lot of fun. It is really good but not perfect, i would not say it deserves 5 stars (what game REALLY does) but a -4. For example the clay pigeon shooting is bordering on the impossible, kayak (canoe) is both impossibly difficult & no fun & Judo is poor & table tennis is awful, i mean BAD...
but & it's a big BUT
i never even thought of those events when i was buying into this game. I was thinking 100m, Javelin, Long Jump, High Jump, etc... What are they like? EXCELLENT & fantastic online. For the basic events you expect from a Track & Field game it's excellent, avoid the fillers (Judo, etc) & i forgot to add the graphics are brilliant. This game is a must buy, especially for the online play. You genuinely feel the tension when you're in the blocks in the 100m & your racing another 7 individuals from all around the globe online. I recommend this game to anyone.

Ok, some people are saying they find gaining speed difficult to compete in sprinting, etc Well easiest way is to pinch ur thumb & forefinger together (like you would with a pinch of salt) So hold that pose, thumb & forefinger pressed together & then rub over X + O in a sliding motion in contact with controller the WHOLE time. You will NEVER get ur speed up by tapping X, then a tap of the O, etc, etc. Waggling the analog stick won't get ur speed quick enough either. I actually put a sock on my hand & won every event lol. True! It is dead easy this game, just some people are doing it the difficult way. Good luck!

I strongly suggest you avoid this purchase at all costs. This is probably the worst game I have ever played.
Most of the events are just smashing the buttons. Now I know they have added the the ability to wiggle the analogue stick rather than button mashing but it just doesnt work....how fast do they expect you to be able to do this??
I would not even buy this game if it was £10.
Avoid at all costs !!!

This is a quality game, ignore all the people who moan about the controls, how hard is it to wiggle a stick. I agree it is tiring when you do certain events but thats all part of the fun! Great game to play with your mates, buy it now for hours of fun!!!!

This game had alot to follow after Athens 2004, which has always been a great game to play with mates for years. This game has more events, more athletes, online play, an olympics mode and brilliant graphics.
The Controls - many people simply press the x and o button. This is not effective unless you have a seriously good technique! You can also move an analog stick from side to side which is easier and can be quicker.
If you liked Athens 2004 or would like a game to play with your mates i would recommend this game. It will keep you entertained for hours!