Track & Field

In Track & Field, 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:

• 100 meter dash – running by quickly alternating button presses.
• Long jump – running by alternating button press and correct timing for jump — 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 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 — once in the air, the run button can be rapidly pressed for additional height.

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. Players can earn extra lives for every 100,000 points scored.

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.

Due to the game's response to rapidly pressing the “run” buttons, players of the arcade version resorted to various tricks, such as quickly swiping a coin or ping-pong ball over the buttons or using a metal ruler that was repeatedly struck to create vibrations that would press the buttons. As a result, arcade operators reported high rates of damage to the buttons, leading to modifications in later versions to prevent such actions.

Source: TheGamesDB