<s>
released	O
in	O
Europe	O
as	O
Athlete	B-Application
Kings	I-Application
due	O
to	O
a	O
licensing	O
issue	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
track-and-field	O
themed	O
arcade	O
sports	O
video	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
its	O
unveiling	O
,	O
the	O
gaming	O
media	O
generally	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
modern	O
clone	O
of	O
Daley	B-Application
Thompson	I-Application
's	I-Application
Decathlon	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
home	O
port	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
in	O
1996	O
,	O
largely	O
identical	O
to	O
the	O
arcade	O
version	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
similar	O
hardware	O
of	O
the	O
ST-V	O
hardware	O
and	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
in	O
Japan	O
only	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Sega	O
Ages	O
2500	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Compared	O
to	O
other	O
decathlon	B-Application
based	O
games	O
,	O
Decathlete	B-Application
has	O
a	O
more	O
comic	O
and	O
cartoon-like	O
style	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
followed	O
in	O
1997	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
the	O
winter	O
sports-based	O
Winter	B-Application
Heat	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
overall	O
gameplay	O
is	O
largely	O
based	O
on	O
quick	O
,	O
repeated	O
button	O
pressing	O
for	O
gaining	O
speed	O
,	O
and	O
timed	O
single	O
button	O
presses	O
for	O
jumping	O
and	O
releasing	O
projectiles	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
similar	O
style	O
to	O
the	O
1983	O
Konami	O
arcade	O
game	O
,	O
Track	B-Application
&	I-Application
Field	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
all	O
versions	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
competes	O
in	O
ten	O
traditional	O
decathlon	B-Application
events	O
:	O
100	O
metres	O
,	O
Long	O
jump	O
,	O
Shot	O
put	O
,	O
High	O
jump	O
,	O
400	O
metres	O
,	O
110	O
metre	O
hurdles	O
,	O
Discus	O
throw	O
,	O
Pole	O
vault	O
,	O
Javelin	O
throw	O
and	O
1500	O
metres	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
home	O
console	O
versions	O
allow	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
compete	O
in	O
a	O
full	O
decathlon	B-Application
featuring	O
all	O
ten	O
events	O
without	O
qualifying	O
limit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
port	O
still	O
allows	O
only	O
up	O
to	O
two	O
human	O
players	O
to	O
participate	O
,	O
but	O
all	O
playable	O
characters	O
appear	O
in	O
the	O
sprint	O
and	O
dash	O
events	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robin	O
Banks	O
:	O
A	O
veteran	O
at	O
38	O
years	O
old	O
,	O
zebra	B-Device
print	O
leotard-clad	O
Banks	O
is	O
the	O
reigning	O
champion	O
from	O
the	O
previous	O
decathlon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aleksei	O
Rigel	O
:	O
A	O
seasoned	O
decathlon	B-Application
competitor	O
,	O
Rigel	O
is	O
physically	O
the	O
strongest	O
of	O
the	O
eight	O
competitors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mankichi	O
Kazami	O
:	O
A	O
hidden	O
character	O
available	O
only	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Appears	O
to	O
be	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
character	O
from	O
a	O
Japanese	O
Manga	O
comic	O
,	O
"	O
Decathlon	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DecAthlete	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Sega	O
AM3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
considered	O
including	O
swimming	O
and	O
gymnastics	O
,	O
but	O
director	O
Yoshitaka	O
Maeyama	O
insisted	O
that	O
the	O
decathlon	B-Application
would	O
suffice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DecAthlete	B-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
in	O
Japan	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
DecAthlete	B-Application
Collection	O
with	O
Winter	B-Application
Heat	I-Application
and	O
Virtua	B-Application
Athlete	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Game	O
Machine	O
listed	O
Decathlete	B-Application
on	O
their	O
July	O
1	O
,	O
1996	O
issue	O
as	O
being	O
the	O
most-successful	O
arcade	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
ten	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
games	I-Application
of	I-Application
1996	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
console	O
port	O
was	O
among	O
the	O
nineteen	O
best-selling	O
Saturn	B-Device
games	O
of	O
1996	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
HMV	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
reviewer	O
for	O
Next	O
Generation	O
said	O
that	O
compared	O
to	O
its	O
rival	O
,	O
Konami	O
's	O
International	B-Application
Track	I-Application
&	I-Application
Field	I-Application
,	O
DecAthlete	B-Application
has	O
far	O
more	O
polygons	O
,	O
producing	O
characters	O
which	O
are	O
"	O
completely	O
smooth	O
,	O
crisp	O
,	O
and	O
full	O
of	O
life.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
one	O
criticism	O
is	O
that	O
it	O
supports	O
up	O
to	O
two	O
players	O
,	O
compared	O
to	O
International	O
Track	B-Application
and	I-Application
Fields	I-Application
four	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rob	O
Allsetter	O
of	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
Magazine	O
highlighted	O
the	O
60	O
frames	O
per	O
second	O
animation	O
,	O
and	O
agreed	O
with	O
Next	O
Generation	O
and	O
EGM	O
that	O
,	O
while	O
DecAthlete	B-Application
does	O
involve	O
some	O
button-mashing	O
,	O
it	O
emphasizes	O
skill	O
conspicuously	O
more	O
than	O
other	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
listed	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
as	O
number	O
95	O
on	O
their	O
"	O
100	O
Best	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
ultimate	O
sports	O
game	O
for	O
people	O
who	O
are	O
n't	O
into	O
sports	O
games.	O
"	O
</s>
