Here’s proof how far video games have come since the last summer Olympics: here’s a game where you get to launch the fireworks in the opening ceremonies. It’s called the “Beijing 2008: The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games.”

When you're done messing around with that and are ready for the events, there are more than 30 in all, each of which require different button-mashing and stick-swiveling combinations. For fans of the old Track and Field arcade game, this one is not terribly different, only with vastly better graphics and a vastly more varied catalogue of sports to choose from, all the way from gymnastics to ping pong.

“Beijing 2008: The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games” is out on all the consoles and on the PC and will run you between $30 and $50.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games is one we told you about when it launched at the end of last year, but it's worth mentioning again if you're looking for a more cartoony way to play along side the real Olympic Games. The Wii version of this one allows you to participate in the Games the way you think you might, by bouncing and flapping your hands like you do with most Wii games. It also has some neat game play on the Nintendo DS, the only other platform it's available for. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games will run you between $30 and $50.

Finally, Track and Field Challenge is for anyone who wants to sweat along side the real Olympic athletes, though it's really geared towards kids. This one is a plug and play game, so no console necessary. You just buy the big controller mat, plug it into your TV, then run and jump in unison with your on-screen virtual character in just under a dozen different events. This one will actually help tell you how many calories you've burned after competing in the virtual decathlon.

“Track and Field Challenge,” which has been available since last summer, is just $25.