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game

I broke my hand in the Olympics

dolphin olympics 2

The Dolphin Olympics 2, to be exact. This game, which is incredibly fun though also occasionally incredibly frustrating, requires only the arrow keys to control, and the premise couldn’t be simpler. You control a dolphin who has two minutes to perform a dazzling display of aquatic and airborne dexterity; each flip, tuck, twist, tailslide, corkscrew, and flawless landing increases your speed, thereby eventually increasing the extraordinary heights you can achieve on each jump. Similar to some of my other favorite flash games, once mastered, Dolphin Olympics 2 appeals not only to the mastery of its technical challenges, but also provides the player with a sense of artistry; each leap, every twist and turn is a stroke of paint across the two-minute canvas of your run, finally combining to create an oeuvre of dazzling achievement. I should warn, however, that to begin with, it’s much more like a coloring book that only comes with a lead pencil.

Kongregate, of course, adds its own challenges to the game. The impossible badge, which I just managed to earn, requires reaching the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, which requires some skill, some luck, some praying, and a lot of cursing. For me, I know a game is good when I complete all the challenges, and I still want to play it.

Play Dolphin Olympics 2 at Kongregate.