Lèon Marchand’s Olympic Challenge (2024)
a FREE sports game by ‘Roudoudou’, ‘Pulsophonic’ and ‘TITAN’ for Amstrad CPC
Written for BrewOtaku #004 by Usman A. Khan
If you’ve got an Amstrad CPC and a love for gorgeous looking sports games, Léon Marchand’s Olympic Challenge might just be the one for you. Sure, the Seine may have been a bit too sketchy for swimming during the Paris Olympics, but here you can dive into the action with no health worries as you help Marchand strike Olympic gold.
“Swim Hard or Drown Tryin’”
Initially developed in just 25 days — can you believe that? — Léon Marchand’s Olympic Challenge puts you in the lane with Marchand himself as you tackle a variety of swimming strokes, including the breaststroke, butterfly, medley 200M, and medley 400M. But it isn’t that simple. You’ll need to master the rhythm and timing of each stroke while beating the clock. Using an incremental system, you can stop and resume at various points, letting you pace yourself, but the pressure is on as each stroke requires precision. The graphics are surprisingly detailed and splendid for the CPC, especially when considering the limitations of the platform. Marchand is animated in full body, a rare treat for a swimming game on the system. The cross section pool view gives the game another world vibe, sacrificing realism for readability and smoother gameplay. The vibrant sprites combined with Pulsophonic’s groovy soundtrack — which includes a lovely rendition of Kavinsky’s Nightcall — make the experience breathtaking. You’ll race through each event with careful planning and frantic joystick movements, pushing your endurance and reflexes to the max. Despite some repetitiveness, the charm lies in the collaborative effort that brought the game to life. From the diving animations to the celebratory push-ups (not to mention a brilliant intro), this game was clearly a passion project. Magnifique!
Conclusion
Léon Marchand’s Olympic Challenge might just leave your joystick feeling a little sore, but the satisfaction of going for glory makes every flip worth it. Besides, where else can you feel like an Olympic champion on your trusty Amstrad CPC?
