Sick of ESPN's X-games? Commercials promoting skateboards and snowboards got you, well, bored? Longing for the days when "gonzo" was just a character on The Muppet Show?
Join the crowd. Even the Playstation has been bombarded with subpar games that attempt to re-create the extreme feel of snowboarding down a mountain, biking a dirt track, or hopping on a skateboard and shredding the halfpipe (whatever that means).
The latest disc to capitalize on the growing extreme sports craze, Coolboarders 2 allows you to choose from four different characters, each with different abilities and weaknessess, and a vast array of different snow boards and you prepare to hurdle down one of a number of rock slabs at vomit-inducing speeds. Yet another entry in a saturated market.
But here's the funny part. Coolboarders 2 is a great game. Really.
UEP-Systems succeeded where other developers failed. They made the snowboarder easy to control. Actually, this game plays more like Ridge Racer than, say, 2xtreme. You can accelerate by grabbing the from of the board (pressing the R1 button) and crouching (by pressing L1). The X button allows you to jump, and if you hit the right combination of
directional buttons while airborne, you can pull off some awesome tricks. The triangle button changes the games viewpoint, which even allows you to see the game in first person, if you so choose. To execute a sharp turn, press the square button.
The graphics in this title are simply awesome. Coolboarders 2 is not hindered by the same tiny sprites as in the aforementioned 2xtreme or like ESPN's Extreme Games. Different levels have you zipping through a town, darting through trees inside a forest, or gliding within a rocky chasm. Road signs, waterfalls, and far off mountain ranges add to a deep and gorgeous background, though odds are you'll be moving so fast you'll hardly have time to notice the tremendous graphics.
Even the sound is top notch. As you speed along, you can hear the different sounds produced by thick snow (a woosh like a heavy wind), lightly-packed snow (a light "shhhh" sound like the air leaking from a tire or baloon), and ice (a heavy sound which resembles that of rain during a heavy thunderstorm). Each character has their own voice and catch phrases, and an announcer cheers when you do something right and taunts you if you screw up ("WHATTAYA DOING?" seems to be a favorite of his).
Best of all, Coolboarders 2 is the type of game that never loses its challenge or appeal. There's always the drive to better your time, improve on your jumping technique, or battle a comrade. There are four different types of competition, including a Big Air competition and a timed Halfpipe, and the game includes a save feature.
If you are a fans of racing titles like Ridge Racer or Jet Moto, definitely give Coolboarders 2 a try. The graphics are the best in the genre, but it's the speed that will ultimately keep gamers hooked. Coolboarders 2 could be the surprise hit of the year.
