Hyper Sports Special (Japan)

Arcade Video game published 36 years ago:

Hyper Sports Special (c) 1988 Konami.

Go for the Gold in Konami's newest kit, Hyper Sports Special. Feel the thrill of competition as you test your Olympic skills against other world-class athletes. The Bronze is not enough, and even the Silver won't cut it - you are going for the Gold! However, you must at least qualify in each event in order to compete in the next event.

Get pumped up to compete in the following events :

1) 100m Dash : Race against the other athletes as well as the clock. This is just a warm-up compared to the events to come.

2) Long Jump : Player dashes to the line, leaps, and propels his body as far as he is able. The player controls the speed and angle of the jump.

3) 400m Relay (Qualifying Heat) : Speed and timing are crucial in this event. Player must coordinate the baton hand-off perfectly for the best qualifying time.

4) Skeet Shooting : Player can aim left and right at the clay pigeons and must prove that he is a sure shot. A chance for bonus points is given for excellent marksmanship.

5) 110m Hurdles : Player sprints down the track, timing his jumps perfectly to clear all of the hurdles and reach the finish line in time.

6) Archery : This is a trial of the player's proficiency in using a bow and arrow. The player can decide the direction and force of the wind, which will help in demonstrating his skill as a sharpshooter.

7) Javelin Throw : The player darts to the line and throws the javelin with all his might. The player controls the height of the javelin.

8) High Jump : Another test of speed and strength as the player runs to the line and hurls his body over the bar. The player can control his angle above the bar.

9) 400m Relay - The Final Race : The final test of physical training as the player faces the challenging relay again.

GO FOR THE GOLD!

- TECHNICAL -

Game ID : GX861

Runs on Konami's "Chequered Flag" Hardware
Main CPU : KONAMI (@ 3 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Zilog Z80 (@ 3.579545 Mhz)
Sound Chips : Yamaha YM2151 (@ 3.579545 Mhz), (2x) UPD7759 (@ 640 Khz)

Screen Orientation: Horizontal.
Video Resolution: 304x224 pixels.
Refresh rate: 60Hz.
Palette Colours: 2048

Players : 4
Buttons : 3, depending on the event...
= > 100m Dash : [1] Power, [2] Unused, [3] Power
= > Long Jump : [1] Power, [2] Jump, [3] Power
= > 400m Relay : [1] Power, [2] Relay, [3] Power
= > Skeet Shooting : [1] Shoot, [2] Left, [3]Right
= > 110m Hurdles : [1] Power, [2] Jump, [3] Power
= > Archery : [1] Unused, [2] Shoot, [3] Unused
= > Javelin Throw : [1] Power, [2] Shoot, [3] Power
= > High Jump : [1] Power, [2] Jump, [3] Power

- TRIVIA -

Hyper Sports Special was released in July 1988 in Japan, just in time for the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea.

On the 100m Dash event, adverts for some other Konami games can be seen in the background : "Flak Attack", "Ajax", "The Hustler" and "City Bomber".

In Japan, Game Machine listed Konami '88 on their September 1, 1988 issue as being the twenty-second most-successful table arcade unit of the year.

Default high-score :
1 H.O 50000
2 M.O 49500
3 J.N 49000
4 A.S 48500
5 T.O 48000
6 K.K 47500
7 H.A 47000
8 A.N 46500
9 H.I 46000
10 Y.S 45500
11 F.S 45000
12 K.O 44500

Export releases:
"'88 Games"
"Konami '88"

- TIPS AND TRICKS -

100 Meter Dash: both players finish at the same time = +3000 pts.

Long Jump: Jump a distance of 6.66 meters = +3000pts.

110 Meter Hurdles: both players finish at the same time = +3000 pts.

Skeet Shooting: Shoot every plate and a flying saucer will fly across the screen. Don't shoot it at first! wait and hit it in the left box. Then a bird will appear and you can shoot it twice and earn +5000 per hit! Bringing your grand total to 18100 if you do it in a timely fashion you can earn a max score of 18200.

Archery: Get a bullseye on the last shot and unlock a bonus shot at a cat with an apple on its head.
High Jump: make every jump without missing at all. + 3000 pts.

- SERIES -

1. Hyper Olympic [Model GX361] (1983, ARC)
2. Hyper Olympic '84 [Model GX330] (1984, ARC)
3. Hyper Sports Special [Model GX861] (1988, ARC)
4. Hyper Athlete [Model GV021] (1996, ARC)
5. Nagano Winter Olympics '98 (1998, ARC)
6. Ganbare! Nippon! Olympic 2000 (2000, N64)
7. International Track & Field Summer Games (2000, N64)
8. New International Track & Field (2008, DS)
9. Hyper Sports Winter (2010 iPhone OS)