If there is one of my three consoles I have come to like more in the past year, it has to be the Nintendo DS. With the console, I decided to go with the classic choice of picking up a Pokemon title, at the time I thought it would be a good time to reminisce on the old days, but with a shocking roster of dull and cloned monsters, and the fact that I’m all grown up, it wasn’t the game for me. Final Fantasy IV was amazing, I must say, and I even drop in to visit Dr. Kawishima every now and then for a spot of Brain Training. However, with all this said, I am here to talk about a recent DS that I have attached myself to, Shaun White Snowboarding.
I haven’t been huge on snowboarding games (SSX fans, my apologies) but something about Shaun White caught my eye. Originally, of course, I had set my eyes on the Playstation 3 version, in which you create your own snowboarder and free roam four different mountain ranges with friends online, but the DS version, I figured, was worth a spin (or should I say FS Misty?)The DS version has the same initial concept as the console version; race, and complete set challenges on four different mountain ranges throughout the world, but it’s not what the console version had promised. Instead of offering a free roam experience, you start the game with a number of tickets, and four pre-made characters to choose from. Winning races and completing challenges gains you more tickets which will unlock MORE races and challenges, and will eventually take you to different regions. The four ranges account for each of the following regions; Europe, Japan, The States, and South America. There is no sense of free roaming whatsoever in the DS version, you will be pitted on a one-way track similar to arcade snowboarders such as SSX. Multiplayer is available, but your fellow tricksters had better be in a ten foot range or your going nowhere.
The range and your character are displayed on the top screen, and your board on the touch screen. As you watch the race unfold, you will need to rub your stylus in an down and then up motion to launch off of the ground; once in the air, any variation in how you slide your Stylus across the screen will result in performing tricks, the bigger air you get, the more daring tricks you can pull off. Grinding is also present along with a few bonus half-pipes that open up huge point racking opportunities.
Customisation isn’t present either; the only choices you can make are that of character, board, and perks. Perks are small bonuses that boost the stats on your boards; each board having three ability ranges in Speed, Trick, and Balance, these add-ons are simply obtained by boarding through them during play. Graphically, I personally thought they did a grand job. The cartoon output fits the casual sporting theme, and is accompanied by a plausible soundtrack of 90s rock, whereas the actual in-game sounds aren’t needed, your only slipping through snow, remember?
What can I say? I haven’t given the most elaborate insight into how the game plays out, but it’s god damn addictive, I can tell you. Replay value is there, if you’re interested enough to battle all of the challenges, if not a single play through of the races is enough...
What can I say? I haven’t given the most elaborate insight into how the game plays out, but it’s god damn addictive, I can tell you. Replay value is there, if you’re interested enough to battle all of the challenges, if not a single play through of the races is enough...
Graphics: 8/10 – Creates an appropriate theme but could still use tweaking here and there.
Gameplay: 9/10 – Tony Hawks watch your back, some killer moves bustin out here.
Sound: 6/10 – Nice soundtrack, but no vocals for the in-game characters.
Score: 8/10
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