Somewhere back in the dim dark history of gaming, it was proclaimed that track & field games required tendonitis-inducing button mashing as a major component of their gameplay. You know - the faster you can pound on a certain button, the faster your character will run, etc. Konami's latest effort may have a "2000" in the title, but its gameplay is still firmly grounded in the same spastic roots of all the "multi-event" games before it.
Presentation/Graphics : 80
Much like the original International Track & Field for PSX, ITF2000 features large, moderately detailed character models that look good, if a bit chunky at times. That's not to say that the graphics in this newer version aren't an improvement, but the PSX can only do so much. The occasional polygon seam or other slight roughness is easily forgiven, however, once the onscreen athletes begin to move.
Smooth, believable animation is what ITF is about, and considering the wide range of events represented in the game, Konami had no easy task in making things move so well. Running, jumping, bicycle riding, swimming, diving, etc. - all look great in action.
Presentation/Audio : 70
Audio is decent, though I can't really imagine what could stand out in this sort of game. As in the vast majority of games, the music is pretty bad and unnecessary, but gladly it can be turned off. Sound effects for the individual events are sparse, but good, with nothing seeming out of place or inappropriate. One thing that Konami definitely got right was the crowd noise. Break a world record and the fans let you know it, and this one aspect of the sound provides excellent atmosphere for the various events.
Interface/Options : 70
With a dozen events and with the different details of the various control schemes, the manual for ITF2000 covers each event individually, and yet gives far too little information about some of the more abstract control mechanisms. Springboard diving, for instance, is far from intuitive, and yet the bare-bones tips provide almost no real help in performing the event properly. Trial and error has its place, but a more coherent explanation of each event would've been a huge help.
And now to the nitty-gritty - control. Playing this sort of game at an arcade while standing up and pounding on larger buttons makes at least some sort of ergonomic sense to me. Trying to replicate that experience on a PSX controller is not quite as simple, and many may not even care to go beyond the first race. Actually, it's not as bad as it may sound if you can find a comfortable "button mashing" position.
And, while some events require a bit more refinement, there's plenty of mashing to be had here. You've most likely played a game like this before - tap a button to run or build up power, press another button or two to execute the "skill" part of the event. As simplistic as the general control schemes are, it's almost impossible to say that this is good or bad, it's just the way it is and always has been for these types of games.
Gameplay : 75
I still own the original ITF that Konami put out for the PSX a few years ago. Sure, it's fairly simplistic, and the events get a bit old after awhile, but this is the sort of game that I pull out every so often because its basic gameplay is so old-school that it just feels right sometimes.
What Konami has done with ITF2000 is expand upon the basic gameplay ever-so-slightly, and give the twelve events much less feeling of sameness. Sure, some of the events are pure measures of tapping speed (100 meters, bicycle sprint), while others combine tapping with "don't foul and choose an angle of flight" (long jump, hammer throw, javelin) - but there are some new twists to the old schemes, as well. The horse vault event (track & field gymnastics?) involves pressing a preset sequence of buttons in order to execute the desired trick properly, while springboard diving, as previously mentioned, is an odd combination of timing and controlling your diver's specific flips and entry angle. Not groundbreaking, of course, but it's sure nice to have some variety.
As a one-player game, ITF2000 allows you to pick a country to represent and then go through the various events competing for an overall victory. There are three difficulty levels to choose from, and each event has a "world record" to shoot for, in case you find the CPU competition a bit easy.
With a multi-tap, up to four players can compete, and this is where ITF2000 really shines. There's a bit of a learning curve for some of the events, but for the most part this is true "pick up and play" gaming. I can just picture the groups of guys sitting around, drinking beer and smack-talking about their mad skills at the women's horse vault.
Replay Value : 70
Playing ITF2000 by yourself may give you a few evenings of fun, but frankly it's not going to make you put down NFL2K anytime soon. With a group of friends, this is most likely only an occasional choice at best due to the heavy dose of button mashing required. If you've played one game like this in your life, you know what's in store with ITF2000, so you probably already know if this type of game has any sort of lasting appeal for you.
Overall : 75
I like ITF2000. It's an improvement on the original, and provides just enough variety to stay interesting, for awhile at least. While it's not the kind of game that captivates you for weeks, it will definitely keep you and a group of friends occupied for awhile. Track and field games are few and far between, and ITF2000 is easily one of the best, but I would absolutely suggest renting it first to see if it's really for you.
