View source for Track & Field (video game)

{{short description|1983 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Track & Field
| image = Track&Field arcadeflyer.png
| caption = European arcade flyer
| developer = [[Konami]]
| publisher = {{Collapsible list|title={{nobold|Konami}}|'''Arcade'''{{vgrelease|JP/EU|Konami<ref name="Akagi">{{cite book |last1=Akagi |first1=Masumi |title=アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) |trans-title=Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005) |date=13 October 2006 |publisher=Amusement News Agency |language=ja |location=Japan |isbn=978-4990251215 |pages=28, 121 |url=https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n28}}</ref>|NA|[[Centuri]]<ref name="Akagi"/><ref name="GM224">{{cite magazine|date=15 November 1983|title=Overseas Readers Column|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19831115p.pdf#page=16|magazine={{ill|Game Machine|ja|ゲームマシン|vertical-align=sup}}|publisher={{ill|Amusement Press, Inc.|ja|アミューズメント通信社|vertical-align=sup}}|issue=224|page=30|lang=ja|access-date=24 May 2021|archive-date=24 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210524062614/https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19831115p.pdf#page=16|url-status=live}}</ref>}} '''Ports'''{{vgrelease|JP|Konami|NA|[[Atarisoft]]<ref name="GM224"/>}} '''NES'''{{vgrelease|JP/NA|Konami|EU|[[Kemco]]}} '''ZX Spectrum'''<br>[[Ocean Software]]
}}
| designer = 
| platforms = {{Collapsible list|title={{nobold|[[Arcade video game|Arcade]]}}|[[Apple II]], [[Commodore 64]], [[Atari 2600]], [[Atari 8-bit]], [[MSX]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom/NES]], [[Amstrad CPC]], [[ZX Spectrum]], [[Sharp X1]], [[Game Boy]]}}
| released = {{Collapsible list|title={{nobold|September 1983}}|'''Arcade'''{{vgrelease|JP|September 1983<ref name="JAMMA"/>|NA|October 17, 1983<ref>{{cite web |title=Track & Field (Registration Number PA0000196323) |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov/ |website=[[United States Copyright Office]] |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-date=26 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126193156/https://cocatalog.loc.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref>|EU|Late 1983<ref name="EU"/>{{Better source needed|date=September 2025}}}} '''Apple II, C64'''{{vgrelease||July 1984<ref name="cechartaug84">{{cite news |title=Availability Update |url=https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/6c8014da-ebb0-437d-a794-baf52becb3c2 |work=[[Computer Entertainer]] |volume=3 |issue=5 |date=August 1984 |page=16}}</ref>}} '''2600'''{{vgrelease||Late 1984<ref name="cechartaug84"/>}} '''Atari 8-bit'''{{vgrelease||1984}} '''MSX'''{{vgrelease|JP|1984|EU|1984}} '''Famicom/NES'''{{vgrelease|JP|June 21, 1985<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.famitsu.com/schedule/recent/fc/|title=All Famicom games sorted from the latest release to the earliest|magazine=[[Famitsu]]|archive-date=October 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015061257/https://www.famitsu.com/schedule/recent/fc/|url-status=dead}}</ref>|NA|April 1987<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/nes_games.pdf |publisher=Nintendo of America |title=NES Games |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611225644/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/nes_games.pdf |archive-date=June 11, 2014 }}</ref>|EU|1992}} '''CPC, ZX Spectrum'''{{vgrelease|UK|1988}} '''Game Boy'''{{vgrelease|JP|July 17, 1992<ref>{{cite web |title=GAMEBOY Software List 1992 |url=http://tk-nz.game.coocan.jp/gamedatabase/software/DB_NTM1_GB1992.html |website=GAME Data Room |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827211555/http://tk-nz.game.coocan.jp/gamedatabase/software/DB_NTM1_GB1992.html |archive-date=August 27, 2018 |language=ja}}</ref>|NA|September 1992<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/dmg_games.pdf |publisher=Nintendo of America |title=Game Boy (original) Games |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402190758/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/dmg_games.pdf |archive-date=April 2, 2016 }}</ref>|EU|1992}}
}}
| genre = [[Sports video game|Sports]]
| modes = [[Single-player]], [[multiplayer]]
| arcade system = 
}}

'''''Track & Field''''', also known as {{nihongo foot|'''''Hyper Olympic'''''|ハイパーオリンピック|Haipā Orinpikku|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} in Japan and Europe, is a 1983 [[sports video game]] developed and published by [[Konami]] for [[arcade video game|arcades]]. The Japanese release featured an official license for the [[1984 Summer Olympics]]. In Europe, the game was initially released under the Japanese title ''Hyper Olympic'' in 1983,<ref name="EU">{{cite web |title=Video Game Flyers: Hyper Olympic, Konami (EU) |url=https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=2347 |website=The Arcade Flyer Archive |access-date=6 May 2021 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506205805/https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=2347 |url-status=live }}</ref> before being re-released under the US title ''Track & Field'' in early 1984. [[Centuri]] released the game in North America.<ref name="CVG30">{{cite magazine |title=Arcade Action: We Discover What's New in Blackpool |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |date=16 March 1984 |issue=30 (April 1984) |page=26 |url=https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/187/525 |access-date=29 March 2021 |archive-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411193335/https://solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/187/525 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Players compete in a series of events, most involving alternately pressing two buttons as quickly as possible to make the onscreen character run faster. The game uses a horizontal [[side-scrolling]] format, displaying one or two tracks at a time, a large scoreboard that shows world records and current attempts, and a packed audience in the background.<ref name="Lendino"/>

The game was a worldwide commercial success in arcades, becoming one of the most successful arcade games of 1984. Konami and Centuri also organized a 1984 ''Track & Field'' [[video game competition]] that attracted more than a million players internationally, holding the record for the largest organized video game competition of all time {{as of|2016|lc=y}}. It was followed by several sequels including ''[[Hyper Sports]]'', as well as similar [[Olympic video games]] from other companies. The game's popularity led to a resurgence in arcade sports games, and also inspired [[Namco]]'s side-scrolling [[platform game]] ''[[Pac-Land]]'' (1984).

==Gameplay==
In the original arcade game, the player uses two "run" buttons (or a [[trackball]] in later units that replaced buttons damaged from overuse) and one "action" button to control an athlete competing in the following six events:<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=10180|title=Track & Field - Videogame by Konami|website=www.arcade-museum.com|access-date=2016-06-10|archive-date=2016-02-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208023218/http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=10180|url-status=live}}</ref> 
* [[100 metres|100 meter dash]] – running by quickly alternating button presses.
* [[Long jump]] – running by alternating button press and correct timing for jump {{mdash}} hold jump button to set angle (42 degrees is optimal).
* [[Javelin throw]] – running by alternating button presses and then using action button correct timing for angle (43 degrees is optimal).
* [[110 metre hurdles|110 meter hurdles]] – running by alternating button presses and using action button to time jumps.
* [[Hammer throw]] – spinning initiated by pressing a run button once and then correctly timed press of action button to choose angle (45 degrees is optimal).
* [[High jump]] – running (speed set by computer) and then action button must be held down to determine angle of jump {{mdash}} once in the air, the run button can be rapidly pressed for additional height.
[[Image:Track & Field 01.png|thumb|right|[[Long jump]] event]]
In each event, there is a qualifying time or level that the player must achieve to advance to the next event. Failing to qualify (in one heat for running events or three attempts in the other events) will reduce the player's number of lives by one. If the player has no lives remaining, the game will end.<ref name="auto"/> Players can earn extra lives for every 100,000 points scored.
[[Image:Track & Field 02.png|thumb|right|Start of the 100m dash]]
The game can accommodate up to four players, who compete in pairs for the running events and individually for the others. If there are fewer than four players, the remaining slots are filled by the computer (or player "CPU"). In all multiplayer heats, however, the relative performances of the players do not affect the game; advancing is based solely on qualifying times. While most multiplayer arcade games have their controls arranged from left to right for the players, this game, which features two sets of controls, has a somewhat different setup. The left set of controls is designated for players 2 and 4, while the right set is for players 1 and 3. This is one of the few classic arcade games where single-player mode is played using the right set of controls rather than the left. If a player completes all six events, they are sent back to the field for another round, with higher qualifying levels; however, the game can be configured to conclude after the final event.

==Release==
''Hyper Olympic'' was introduced at Tokyo's [[Amusement Machine Show]] (AM Show) in September 1983. Despite the anticipation surrounding [[laserdisc games]] prior to the event, ''Hyper Olympic'' emerged as the most well-received game at the show. According to ''[[Cash Box]]'' magazine, several attendees noted "cursory similarities" to [[The Activision Decathlon|''The Activision Decathlon'']], which had been introduced a month earlier. ''Hyper Olympic'' was licensed to [[Centuri]] for North American distribution. However, [[Atari, Inc.|Atari]] was selected as the official sponsor for the Olympic video game, preventing Centuri from retaining the title ''Hyper Olympic''.<ref name="JAMMA">{{cite magazine |title="Somber" JAMMA Show Hosts Five Laser Disc Games |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=October 15, 1983 |pages=32, 34 |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox45unse_18/page/45}}</ref> The game was subsequently introduced in North America as ''Track & Field'' at the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) show in October 1983. Despite the initial hype surrounding laserdisc games, many operators and distributors ultimately regarded ''Track & Field'' as the biggest hit at the event.<ref name="CashMachine">{{cite magazine |title=Cash Machine |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=November 12, 1983 |pages=30–4 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1983/CB-1983-11-12.PDF#page=32 |access-date=2021-05-23 |archive-date=2020-08-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813200243/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1983/CB-1983-11-12.PDF#page=32 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Ports==
Konami licensed the North American home video game rights to [[Atari, Inc.]].<ref name="GM224"/> They initially [[Port (software)|ported]] ''Track & Field'' to the [[Atari 2600]] console and the [[Atari 8-bit computers]], followed by versions for the [[Apple II]] and the [[Commodore 64]] under the [[Atarisoft]] label. A port for the [[Atari 5200]], which would have been identical to the Atari 8-bit computer version, was canceled.<ref>{{cite web |last=Reichert |first=Matt |title=Track & Field |website=AtariProtos.com |url=http://www.atariprotos.com/5200/software/trackfield/trackfield.htm |access-date=September 19, 2014 |archive-date=November 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113104456/http://www.atariprotos.com/5200/software/trackfield/trackfield.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The 2600 version was among the new games to utilize Atari's "super chip" technology, enabling enhanced graphics and gameplay variety compared to what was previously possible on the 2600.<ref name="CE"/>

When Konami ported ''Track & Field'' to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom]] (as ''Hyper Olympic''), they included only four out of six events. They later converted ''Hyper Sports'' to the Famicom as well, this time incorporating three of the ''Hyper Sports'' events along with one additional event from ''Track & Field''. By the time the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] gained popularity in the United States, Konami retooled the game for American release by including all eight events from both games in one cartridge. Of the original six events from ''Track & Field'', only the hammer throw is missing; in its place, however, are skeet shooting, archery, and triple jump.

The [[ZX Spectrum]] and [[Amstrad CPC]] versions were released only as part of the ''Game, Set and Match II'' compilation in 1988 and are poorly regarded.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cpczone.net/index.php?game=1511 |title=The Amstrad CPC Resource: Track and Field by Ocean Software for the Amstrad CPC/GX 4000 |publisher=CPC Zone |access-date=2009-07-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305150932/http://www.cpczone.net/index.php?game=1511 |archive-date=2012-03-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ZXDB Powered Software Search: Game, Set and Match 2 |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=11732 |website=SpectrumComputing |access-date=14 June 2018 |archive-date=24 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024151822/https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=11732 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The NES version of ''Track & Field'' was re-released in Europe in 1992 as ''Track & Field in Barcelona'' by [[Kemco]] in light of the [[1992 Summer Olympics]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}} The opening song for the NES version is the ''[[Chariots of Fire]]'' theme by [[Vangelis]] (which was also used in the arcade version's high score screen).

==Reception==
In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Hyper Olympic'' as the top-grossing new [[table arcade cabinet]] of December 1983,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型新製品 (New Videos-Table Type)|magazine={{ill|Game Machine|ja|ゲームマシン|vertical-align=sup}}|issue=225|publisher={{ill|Amusement Press, Inc.|ja|アミューズメント通信社|vertical-align=sup}}|date=1 December 1983|page=32|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19831201p.pdf#page=17|access-date=30 May 2021|archive-date=31 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131232025/https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19831201p.pdf#page=17|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|date=15 December 1983|title=Best Hit Games 25|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19831215p.pdf#page=17|magazine={{ill|Game Machine|ja|ゲームマシン|vertical-align=sup}}|publisher={{ill|Amusement Press, Inc.|ja|アミューズメント通信社|vertical-align=sup}}|issue=226|page=33|lang=ja|access-date=30 May 2021|archive-date=31 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131232024/https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19831215p.pdf#page=17|url-status=live}}</ref> and it remained the top-grossing table cabinet in January 1984.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine={{ill|Game Machine|ja|ゲームマシン|vertical-align=sup}}|issue=227|publisher={{ill|Amusement Press, Inc.|ja|アミューズメント通信社|vertical-align=sup}}|date=1 January 1984|page=37|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840101p.pdf#page=19|access-date=3 March 2021|archive-date=15 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115184529/https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840101p.pdf#page=19|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine={{ill|Game Machine|ja|ゲームマシン|vertical-align=sup}}|issue=228|publisher={{ill|Amusement Press, Inc.|ja|アミューズメント通信社|vertical-align=sup}}|date=15 January 1984|page=31|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840115p.pdf#page=16|access-date=3 March 2021|archive-date=9 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209131156/https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840115p.pdf#page=16|url-status=live}}</ref> The game sold 38,000 arcade hardware units in Japan by the end of 1983. ''Track & Field'' was also a hit in North America.<ref>''RePlay'', January 1984</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Olympic Summer Games|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=20 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=August 1996 |page=101}}</ref><ref name="CE"/> Despite requiring physical interaction from players, the game continued to enjoy success in North America throughout the first half of 1984.<ref name="Sharpe">{{cite magazine |last=Sharpe |first=Roger C. |title=1984—Every Which Way But Up |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=December 1984 |volume=10 |issue=23 |pages=39, 49–51 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-10-number-23-december-15th-1984/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2010%2C%20Number%2023%20-%20December%2015th%201984/page/49}}</ref> It topped the US ''RePlay'' upright [[arcade cabinet]] charts in February<ref>{{cite magazine |title=RePlay: The Players' Choice |magazine=RePlay |date=February 1984}}</ref> and May 1984,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=RePlay: The Players' Choice |magazine=RePlay |date=May 1984}}</ref> and was the top-grossing arcade game of June 1984.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Hit Games & High Scores: Arcade Games |magazine=Computer Games |date=June 1984 |volume=3 |issue=2 |publisher=Carnegie Publications |location=United States |page=12 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Games_Vol_3_No_2_1984-06_Carnegie_Publications_US/page/n11}}</ref> It went on to become the third highest-grossing arcade game of 1984 in the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Top 20 Performing Video Games of 1984 |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=1 November 1984 |volume=10 |issue=20 |page=47 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-10-number-20-november-1st-1984/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2010%2C%20Number%2020%20-%20November%201st%201984/page/47}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Nominees Announced For 1984 AMOA Awards |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=September 8, 1984 |page=28 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-09-08.pdf#page=28 |access-date=2021-05-23 |archive-date=2021-07-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704013823/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-09-08.pdf#page=28 |url-status=live }}</ref> In Europe, it was the highest-grossing arcade game of 1984 in the United Kingdom.<ref name="YS">{{cite magazine |title=Commando: Soldier of Fortune |magazine=[[Your Sinclair]] |date=January 1986 |issue=1 |page=54 |url=https://archive.org/details/your-sinclair-01/page/n53}}</ref>

The arcade game received positive reviews upon its release. Gene Lewin of ''[[Play Meter]]'' magazine scored it 8 out of 10, stating that it would be "a definite 10" if released as a more affordable conversion kit. The review praised it as the best dedicated arcade game at the AMOA 1983 show, highlighting the gameplay, "excellent" graphics, "fantastic" sound, and originality, noting that having "different track and field events is an original idea" and "certainly different" than the other sports games based on baseball, football, or basketball.<ref name="PM">{{cite magazine |last1=Lewin |first1=Gene |title=Gene's Judgements: Critiquing AMOA Show Conversions, Dedicated Games |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=January 15, 1984 |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=60–3 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-10-number-2-january-15th-1984/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2010%2C%20Number%202%20-%20January%2015th%201984/page/60/mode/2up}}</ref> ''[[Computer and Video Games]]'' referred to it as a "great game for all you armchair sports enthusiasts," although they cautioned it could lead to cramped fingers.<ref name="CVG30"/>

Reviews for the home conversions varied by platform. ''[[Computer Entertainer]]'' reviewed the Atari 2600 version in 1984, scoring it 7 out of 8 stars.<ref name="CE">{{cite magazine |title=Track & Field |magazine=[[Computer Entertainer]] |date=August 1984 |volume=3 |issue=5 |page=75 |url=http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/newsletters/video_game_update/computer_entertainer_aug84.pdf#page=11 |access-date=2021-07-17 |archive-date=2024-10-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006172012/http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/newsletters/video_game_update/computer_entertainer_aug84.pdf#page=11 |url-status=live }}</ref> David M. Wilson and Johnny L. Wilson reviewed the home computer conversions for ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'', stating that "the game is primarily a joystick buster."<ref name="CGW46">{{cite magazine |last1=Wilson |first1=David M. |last2=Wilson |first2=Johnny L. |title=The Boys of Spring: A Computer Sports Survey |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=April 1988 |volume=1 |issue=46 |pages=13–14}}</ref> However, Stuart Campbell, writing in ''[[Your Sinclair]]'' in 1992, considered the Spectrum version to be one of the worst games ever released for that machine.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=An Equal Sequel |magazine=[[Your Sinclair]] |date=March 1992 |issue=75 |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=296&page=27 |page=27 |access-date=22 April 2021 |archive-date=6 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006172015/https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=296&page=27 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1996, ''Next Generation'' magazine ranked the ''Track & Field'' series collectively as number 78 on their "Top 100 Games of All Time." They noted that while the gameplay may not accurately reflect skill or knowledge of the actual sports, the game's appeal lies in its pure button-pushing endurance, particularly when played with four players.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 100 Games of All Time |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=21 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=September 1996|page=44}}</ref> Additionally, in 1995, ''Flux'' magazine placed the arcade version at 65th in its own "Top 100 Video Games" list, further solidifying its status as a classic in the gaming community.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=April 1995 |title=Top 100 Video Games |url=https://archive.org/details/flux-issue-4/page/n29/mode/2up |journal=Flux |publisher=Harris Publications |issue=4 |pages=31}}</ref>

==Competition==
In 1984, Konami and Centuri jointly organized an international ''Track & Field'' video game competition that attracted over a million players from Japan and North America. This event was hailed by ''Play Meter'' as "the coin-op event of the year," marking an unprecedented scale in the video game industry at that time.<ref name="Sharpe"/> As of 2016, it is recognized by ''Guinness World Records'' as the largest organized video game competition in history.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Baker |first1=Chris |title=How 'Track & Field' Launched World's Biggest Video Game Tournament |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/how-konamis-track-field-launched-worlds-biggest-game-tournament-103592/ |access-date=6 October 2021 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=16 August 2016 |archive-date=28 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728042134/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/how-konamis-track-field-launched-worlds-biggest-game-tournament-103592/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The competition, officially known as the "1984 March of Dimes International Konami/Centuri Track & Field Challenge," was highlighted in the ''Twin Galaxies'' publication, which noted that more than a million contestants participated between April 30 and May 26, aiming to be among three finalists who would travel to Japan to represent the USA. This event served as a fundraiser for the March of Dimes and was held in Aladdin's Castle arcades and National Convenience Stores. Gary West from Oklahoma City emerged as the U.S. Finals winner, while Phil Britt from Riverside, California, claimed victory in the World Championship held in Tokyo on June 10, 1984.

On December 18, 2008, Héctor Rodriguez from California set a new world record score of 95,350 points.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.twingalaxies.com/scoreboard/track-field/arcade/325/ | title= Twin Galaxies' Track & Field High Score Rankings | date= 2009-12-27 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://archive.today/20130913181946/http://www.twingalaxies.com/scoreboard/track-field/arcade/325/ | archive-date= 2013-09-13}}</ref> This score surpassed the previous record of 95,040 points set by Kelly Kobashigawa from Los Angeles on June 30, 1985, during the 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.<ref>"Guinness World Records 2008 - Gamer's Edition", page 251</ref><ref>[http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx?c=22&sid=24532] [https://web.archive.org/web/20070727164014/http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx?c=22 Archived copy] at [[WebCite]] (July 14, 2007).</ref>
<!-- Note: Guinness World Records source their Arcade world records scores from Twin Galaxies -->

==Legacy==
While not the first Olympic track-and-field game (it was preceded by ''[[Olympic Decathlon]]'' in 1980<ref name="reed">{{cite web|last1=Reed|first1=Matthew|title=Olympic Decathlon|url=http://www.trs-80.org/olympic-decathlon/|website=TRS-80.org|access-date=2021-05-04|archive-date=2022-02-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205043553/http://www.trs-80.org/olympic-decathlon/|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[The Activision Decathlon|Activision Decathlon]]'' in August 1983),<ref>{{cite web |title=Activision Decathlon (Registration Number PA0000189213) |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov/ |website=[[United States Copyright Office]] |access-date=8 June 2021 |archive-date=26 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126193156/https://cocatalog.loc.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Track & Field'' spawned other similar [[Olympic video games]] following its release.<ref name="YS"/> For example, [[Ocean Software]] developed a licensed adaptation for home computers titled ''[[Daley Thompson's Decathlon]]'' (1984).<ref name=":0">{{cite magazine |title=Daley takes the gold|magazine=Sinclair User |issue=32 |publisher=EMAP |date=November 1984|page=26|url=https://archive.org/stream/sinclair-user-magazine-032/SinclairUser_032_Nov_1984#page/n25/mode/1up|access-date=3 April 2020}}</ref> [[Epyx]] released its own multi-event collection with ''[[Summer Games (video game)|Summer Games]]'' and subsequently ''[[Summer Games II]]''. [[Dinamic Software|Dinamic]] published ''Video Olimpic'' for the ZX Spectrum in 1984.<ref>{{cite web |title=Video Olimpic |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/5563/ZX-Spectrum/Video_Olimpic |website=Spectrum Computing |access-date=2021-05-03 |archive-date=2020-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921193712/https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/5563/ZX-Spectrum/Video_Olimpic |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Bandai]]'s entry was ''[[Stadium Events]]'' for the NES in 1986.

''Track & Field'' had a significant impact on the broader [[sports video game]] genre, leading to a resurgence of sports games in arcades during the 1980s. Following the release of ''Track & Field'', the arcade industry began producing sports games at levels not seen since the days of ''[[Pong]]'' and its clones nearly a decade earlier.<ref name="Lendino">{{cite book |last1=Lendino |first1=Jamie |title=Attract Mode: The Rise and Fall of Coin-Op Arcade Games |date=27 September 2020 |publisher=Steel Gear Press |pages=272, 334 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d6wCEAAAQBAJ |access-date=3 May 2021 |archive-date=6 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006172015/https://books.google.com/books?id=d6wCEAAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> Sports video games became increasingly popular after ''Track & Field'', with several successful arcade titles released in 1984, including [[Nintendo]]'s [[List of boxing video games|boxing]] game ''[[Punch-Out!! (arcade game)|Punch-Out]]'', the [[Nintendo VS. System]] titles ''[[Vs. Tennis]]'' and ''[[Vs. Baseball]]'', [[Taito]]'s [[List of American football video games|American football]] game ''[[10-Yard Fight]]'' and [[golf]] game ''[[Birdie King|Birdie King II]]'', and [[Data East]]'s ''[[Tag Team Wrestling]]''.<ref name="Sharpe"/>

[[Namco]]'s Yoshihiro Kishimoto cited ''Track & Field'' as the biggest influence on the [[side-scrolling]] platform game ''[[Pac-Land]]'' (1984). The game's controls were heavily inspired by ''Track & Field'', which allowed players to become faster by rapidly tapping the button in succession; Kishimoto found the concept intriguing and believed it would help ''Pac-Land'' stand out among other games.<ref name="Untold History">{{cite book |last1=Szczepaniak |first1=John |title=The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers Vol. 2 |date=4 November 2015 |isbn=978-1518655319 |pages=207–208 |edition=1}}</ref>

===Sequels===
Konami continued releasing games in the series:

* ''[[Hyper Sports]]'' (1984) (Arcade)
* ''Track & Field 2 / Hyper Olympic 2'' (1984) (MSX)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/msx/track-field-ii|title=Track & Field II for MSX|publisher=[[MobyGames]]|access-date=1 August 2014}}</ref>
* ''[[Konami '88]]'' (1988) (Arcade)
* ''[[Track & Field II]]'' (1988) (NES)
* ''Track & Field'' (1992) (Game Boy)
* ''[[International Track & Field]]'' (1996) (Arcade, PS, PSN)
* ''[[Nagano Winter Olympics '98|Hyper Olympics in Nagano]]'' (1998) (Arcade, N64, PS)
* ''[[International Track & Field 2000]]'' (1999) (PS, N64, GBC, DC, PS2)
* ''Konami Sports Series'' (2001) (Mobile phones)
* ''[[ESPN International Winter Sports 2002|Hyper Sports 2002 Winter]]'' (2002) (GC, PS2, Xbox, GBA)
* ''[[New International Track & Field]]'' (2008) (NDS)
* ''Hyper Sports Winter'' (2010) (iOS)
* ''Hyper Sports Track & Field'' (2010) (iOS)

===Re-releases===
The game appears in ''[[Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits]]'' for the Nintendo DS, but with an altered version of the Chariots of Fire theme. The Game Boy version was rereleased in color as part of the European ''[[Konami GB Collection Vol.2]]''.

The [[Xbox Live Arcade]] version of the game was released on the [[Xbox 360]] on 8 August 2007, with updated graphics and audio, leaderboards, and online play. It sold 297,307 copies as of 2011.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Langley |first1=Ryan |title=Xbox Live Arcade by the numbers - the 2011 year in review |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/39713/Xbox_Live_Arcde_by_the_numbers__the_2011_year_in_review.php |access-date=29 April 2020 |work=[[Gamasutra]] |publisher=[[UBM Technology Group]] |date=January 20, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731193152/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/39713/Xbox_Live_Arcde_by_the_numbers__the_2011_year_in_review.php |archive-date=July 31, 2021}}</ref>

[[Hamster Corporation]] released the game as part of the ''[[Arcade Archives]]'' series for the [[Nintendo Switch]] and [[PlayStation 4]] in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Calvert |first=Darren |date=2019-09-19 |title=Nintendo Download: 19th September (North America) |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/09/nintendo_download_19th_september_north_america |access-date=2025-09-14 |website=Nintendo Life |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{KLOV game|id=10180|name=Track and Field}}
* ''[https://archive.today/20130913181946/http://www.twingalaxies.com/scoreboard/track-field/arcade/325/ Twin Galaxies High Score Rankings for Track and Field]''
* [http://www.centuri.net/tracknfield.htm ''Track and Field''] entry at the [[Centuri]].net Arcade Database
* {{WoS game|id=0005360|name=Track and Field}}

{{Konami Track & Field video games}}
{{Konami franchises}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Track and Field (video game)}}
[[Category:1983 video games]]
[[Category:1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Amstrad CPC games]]
[[Category:Arcade Archives games]]
[[Category:Arcade video games]]
[[Category:Apple II games]]
[[Category:Atari 2600 games]]
[[Category:Atari 8-bit computer games]]
[[Category:Atari games]]
[[Category:Cancelled Atari 5200 games]]
[[Category:Centuri games]]
[[Category:Commodore 64 games]]
[[Category:Hamster Corporation games]]
[[Category:Kemco games]]
[[Category:Konami arcade games]]
[[Category:Konami franchises]]
[[Category:Konami games]]
[[Category:MSX games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:NEC PC-8001 games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Sharp X1 games]]
[[Category:Sport of athletics video games]]
[[Category:Summer Olympic video games]]
[[Category:Trackball video games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]
[[Category:Video games set in 1984]]
[[Category:Video games set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:ZX Spectrum games]]