Stoked

Developer: Bongfish
Publisher: Destineer
Release Date: Feb. 24, 2009
System: Xbox 360
ESRB Rating: T
Official Web site

In a nutshell: I'm not Stoked about it. Eh? See what I did there?
0:00 My long search for an SSX replacement continues.

0:01 Lots of company logos, including one for a company called "Bongfish." Anyway, the title screen features a snowboarder flying waaaay over a hazy mountain ridge. Like, miles up. He's gonna be SORE when he lands! Some funky hip-hop plays in the background.

0:02 I hit start and jump directly to a generic rider in a red jacket with a white stripe. I can customize everything, from his height to his gloves to his "tan," (not skin color ... "tan"). The customizer loses points for a distinct lack of wacky hairstyles, but gains them back with an awesome skull-shaped facemask.

0:04 The options menu has a "forecast" option, which brings up sunny or partly cloudy predictions on a small iPhone-like PDA. Well, that's nice.

0:05 I jump into "Ride Mountain" and get a shot of a helicopter flying noisily over a mountain range. "Hello and welcome to Chile! My name is Marcelo and I'll be your pilot for the ride in!" He sounds super-excited ... at least, in the parts I can hear through the ridiculously loud chopper noise. He says something about two summits, a high one to the west and a lower one east. Lots of snowboard brands pop up in the corner for no reason...

***-->CONTINUE READING AT CRISPY GAMER<--***

____________________________________________________

Shaun White Snowboarding

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: Nov. 16, 2008
Systems: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PS2, PC
ESRB Rating: T
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Snowboarding ... with Shaun White!

0:00 All these years later, I'm still looking for a snowboarding game I'll like as much or more than the original SSX. Here's hoping the Flying Tomato is up to the challenge.

0:01 This minute spent downloading and installing the obligatory Xbox Live update.

0:02 Jump directly to the title screen, with a simple red text against a white background. "Need help? Visit www.shaunwhitegame/com/help." What if I don't have Internet access? Huh, game? What should I do then?

0:03 "Man, me and the mountain, there's no way to describe it," says what I assume is White as we pan over the mountain. "It's like I'm the slayer and the mountain is my dragon." Um, I think that counts as a way to describe it, right there. "What's the first bit of advice you'd give a new player?" asks some snowboarding commentator. "You need to look good, you know what I mean." No, I do not know what you mean, Shaun. "Like, freaky, sexy good." Oh, OK, now I know what you mean.

***-->CONTINUE READING AT CRISPY GAMER<--***

____________________________________________________

Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding

Developer: Indie Built
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Release Date: Nov. 20, 2001
System: Xbox
ESRB Rating: E

In a nutshell: I'm surprisingly not very amped about this game.

0:00 SSX, which came out about a year earlier, was one of my favorite PlayStation 2 games of all time. So there's no excuse for this to be any worse, right? Right! I'll just be happy if the game makes me forget about the current summer heat.

0:01 Sounds of an old film projector whir about as the title burns away to show real video of snowboarders mixed with video of in-game snowboarders. The real boarders look a lot better. This isn't that surprising, I guess, since they're real, but putting the game right next to real video doesn't make the game look too good.

0:03 I start a new career and I'm asked to divide some stat points between spin, balance, jump, speed and switch. I go for a balanced breakfast of stats because I am incredibly boring.

0:04 Now I can choose from a bunch of extremely generic-looking characters who don't even have names. I'm practically begging for the over-the-top stereotypes of SSX at this point. I go with the slightly Asian-looking guy, because Asians are good at snowboarding, right? I can't even keep my stereotypes straight anymore.

0:05 Not only can I can choose from four colors of baseball caps, but also a smattering of beanies and bandanas. WHOA! I pick a snowboard that helps my balance, jump and speed ratings a bit. Let's go!

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer