Track games are perhaps the most demanding sport in Beijing 2008, the adrenaline rush provided by the 100m and 200m sprint or the 400,800 and 1500 challenge is only remotely compensating for the effort of pressing buttons in a frantic rhythm. If you set for yourself an overambitious goal such as winning each race or setting new records, than your fingers will be the victims of excruciating pain and the wrists won't feel very comfortable either. Overall it's very exciting to triumph in a thrilling race such as the 100m but the problem is you can't hear the countdown until the gun fires so there is a good chance you'll either miss the start or have a false start. It's particularly frustrating to count in your head before each race and even if you'll eventually manage to approximate what is the right time to sprint you'll always have to overcome a small handicap.

The advantage of competing in the 800 and 1500 is that you automatically start running when the race kicks off and there is no risk of a false start or a late one, but on the other hand this type of contest is less demanding and the only thing you must focus on is resting for the final lap forcing. The 100m and 110m hurdle is a welcomed addition to the track events and jumping over the fences that block your way to the finish is much more entertaining than rapidly pressing 2 buttons until you can't feel your wrists.

Gymnastics are one of the highly anticipated events at the Olympics combining stunning displays of strength and concentration with the elegant performance of artistic exercises that can keep you breathless for a couple of minutes. Unfortunately in Beijing 2008 this is a tedious and frustrating experience that can leave you clueless even after trying the same exercise three or four times, and very frequently you'll simply have to resort to button mashing to complete a certain stage.

The "Uneven Bars" are a nightmare as you get no useful hints about how to swap bars and it's virtually a trial an error game that has a deterring effect on anyone who starts his Beijing 2008 adventure this way. Compared to these, the "Parallels" are like a breath of fresh air, even if the tutorial is not very explicit it's fairly easy to find out which buttons must be pressed and when, as the entire exercise is rather intuitive. The "Rings" are somewhere in between, a terrible time while you are performing in midair with keeping balance and maintaining a good hold, and a fast sequence of pressing buttons quickly for the perfect dismount.

The "Beam" event is pretty easy and the controls are intuitive but the problem is how to launch off the springboard in the first place without losing balance; to make things even worse, even a flawless exercise is bound to fail miserably in the end without a good dismount and once again you'll find yourself guessing which is the best way to do it. The vault is perhaps the most frustrating exercise, as it takes roughly 10 seconds to complete but is nothing more than mindless button mashing with the hope of hitting the right button in that 3 seconds frenzy between launching and dismounting.

The floor exercise is arguably the most exciting and entertaining part regarding gymnastics in Beijing 2008, it requires dexterity to earn a high mark but at least you know what you have to do and a good memory definitely comes in handy. The exercise lacks variety and although there are slight differences, after a few minutes of practice your performance will greatly improve and the effort is made worthwhile by the string of "Perfect and Excellent". Too bad it is stripped of any real depth and the resemblance with the thrilling exercise we see on TV is nearly irrelevant, the repetitive nature of the exercise being the biggest inconvenient.