Winter Games

Winter Games followed on from the successful Summer Games series by Epyx, with the IIGS version being the last version to be converted.

What can I say? Winter Games represented the excellent initial burst of IIGS games, highlighted by its fantastic graphics (the figure skating colour cycle effect is most impressive) and equally amazing sound and music. The IIGS conversion was handled by Westwood (The same Westwood Studios who released Dune and Command and Conquer) and sound realised by a group called "IT", whom did an excellent job, demonstrating just how excellent the IIGS could sound.

The events can be played in a competition or as practice and include Hot Dog(aerial ski jumping), Biathlon, Figure Skating, Ski Jump, Free Style Skating and Bobsled (the IIGS version lacked the Speed Skating event found in other versions). Control can be had by use of the keypad, or arrow keys in combination with space, open apple, or option as the fire button. The timing of the depression of the keys is important but you'll get a feel for that. Special moves to certain events, such as Hotdog or Skating are achieved through a diagonal direction in combination with a fire button (but not all moves need the fire button). For some strange reason, option is the only fire button that works with figure and free style skating. To reload your gun in the Biathlon event, press down then up.

Just playing this game on my real IIGS, which I haven't done for some time, playing at a speed above 2.8Mhz makes it impossible! Hotdog in particular won't even allow you the time it takes to reach the ground for 1 move and you're supposed to have time for 2! Whilst being emulated, make sure it's going no faster than the stock speed of a real IIGS.

This game provided lots of fun for my competing friends and me back in the late '80s.