Olympic Decathlon involve alternately pressing the 1 and 2 keys. Other events have more complex controls, with the pole vault using five different keys. "Decathlon" received the "Creative Computing" Game of the Year Award at the 1980 West Coast Computer Faire. "BYTE" in 1981 called "Decathlon" "a great party game" and "a remarkable simulation ... challenging and entertaining", praising the adherence to the real decathlon's rules and the TRS-80 and Apple II versions' graphics. "Computer Gaming World" stated in 1982 that "Decathlon" "has all the characteristics that are required of a long-lasting, quality game". It described the game as having "superb graphics
American Champion Decathlon passed through the hands of a number of companies through the 1980s, including a Champion Aircraft Company which was no relation to the Champion Aircraft of the 1960s, but no Decathlons were built in that period. American Champion Aircraft Corporation acquired the Decathlon design, along with the 8GCBC Scout and the group of Citabria and Champ variants, in 1990, bringing the Super Decathlon version back into production that same year. It is still being produced. The Decathlon traces its lineage back to the Aeronca Champ, by way of the Citabria. Like the Citabria, the Decathlon features tandem seating and center-stick