Released on June 20th, New International Track and Field celebrates 25 years of the arcade classic and retains the ultra competitive multiplayer game play that made the original such a success. Utilising the handheld’s touch-screen and stylus, 24 athletic events await, spanning the 100m sprint, high jump, long jump, through to archery and skeet shooting, pole vaulting, javelin and rowing, amongst many others.
With competition at the heart of New International Track and Field, the European developed game offers a stunning online element that throws it open to players all over the globe. Using the Nintendo DS Wi-Fi connection, players can link into a server that constantly updates the World Records as and when they are broken. Global high scores and world rankings are instantly logged and players are kept updated via an innovative News Feed service and regular messaging. Likewise, it is also possible for friends to send predefined messages to each other, ranging from congratulations to taunts when a record is smashed!
The online service is further extended with players unlocking new characters by registering on the official site www.newtrackandfield.com, while Community Trophies and various rewards are detailed to visitors of the site. Similarly, New International Track and Field also allows up to four players anywhere in the world to get together and compete. Players in Europe, Japan, Korea and the US can find each other in lobby areas, and take each other on in real time – an absolute first for any DS title.
Konami has also announced it is to host a series of official local and worldwide tournaments after the game’s launch. Shortly after release, visitors to the official site will be invited to compete in the Konami Cup with their results used to determine the world’s greatest DS athletes and great prizes up for grabs. Full details of these will be confirmed shortly.