California Games

California Games is a sports game developed by Epyx and Westwood and published by Epyx in North America and by U.S. Gold in Europe.

The game was released in 1987 for Apple II and Commodore 64, but then it was ported to several consoles and home computers.

The Californian company Epyx, previously known as Automated Simulations, operated until 1993. California Games is the fifth title in the famous Epyx "Games" series that started with Summer Games in 1984.

As its name indicates, California Games is composed of several sports. Among the ones that make up the entry is a skate game, where a character must do tricks on a ramp and earn points within a time limit. Then, the objective in the footbag is not to drop the ball, bounce it with any part of the body (except the hands and arms), and do tricks to win more points. The third sport is surfing. Here, the player must stay on the wave while, as in the other sports, you can get more points according to your performance on it.

The last three games start with Skating. In this case, the protagonist passes through an obstacle course riding rollers. Her goal is to advance as much as possible to achieve the highest possible score. Fifth, there is the BMX track. With a very steep track with obstacles everywhere, the athlete must advance as much as possible in the stretch. Finally, the Frisbee is one of the most complex games. A player must calculate the strength and angle where he throws it. He automatically controls a second athlete who must figure out various factors to know where it will fall and, thus, catch it.

The graphics of the mini-games are very colorful and animated. The positive point is the very diverse scenarios, such as one of a forest, mountains, or the beach. On the other hand, in each of them, two or three characteristic colors of the scenery predominate but are executed in a very intense and brilliant fashion. To accompany the idea, each section comes with a personalized 8-bit tune. It uses dizzying sounds that generate the feeling that each sport is not a game but a challenge.

The title had very positive reviews, and it became the most successful game by Epyx. Critics complimented its simple and enjoyable essence and the option to play it in multiplayer mode.

California Games is your best option if you feel like playing something fun but have little time. With a sequel, a tremendous replay value, and the ability to play with friends, this game will stay in your library for a long time.