Daley Thompson's Super-Test

About this game

Daley Thompson's Super-Test

This game features a variety of sporting events in the second game licensed around the Decathlon champion. Each one has its own world record and a target time/distance/score to reach. Fail and the player loses one of three lives. After completing all events successfully they repeat with tougher targets. The Amstrad, Commodore, and ZX Spectrum 48K versions of this game feature eight sporting events: cycling, giant slalom, penalties, pistol shooting, rowing, ski jumping, spring board diving, and tug of war), while the ZX Spectrum 128K release has four additional events: 100 metres hurdles, javelin, sprint, and the triple jump; making twelve games in all.

Rowing, 100 metres hurdles, and cycling are pure tests of joystick waggling; this is a feature of many other events. The penalty shoot-out involves timing the run-up then pressing fire to set the angle of the shot. In the ski jump, timing the launch and landing are crucial. The tug of war involves choosing a candidate the player feels can beat and then out-waggle them.

In the triple jump, the player runs to the line before holding down fire for the right length of time for each of the 3 phases of the jump (45 degrees is optimal). The hurdles event involves running to and pressing fire to clear the hurdles.

Pistol shooting gives the player limited time to correctly move a sight into position, before firing as close to the centre as possible. This is made harder by only being able to move up and towards the target, which prevents being able to correct over-movement.