1080* Snowboarding
Reviewed by Raymond Almeda
Snowboarding games are apparently all the rage this year. There is no
shortage of companies scrambling to produce the definitive simulation
of this white-hot extreme sport. But when word leaked out that Nintendo's
elite EAD team and master designer Shigeru Miyamoto were working on a
snowboarding title, even the most cynical couch potatoes were motivated
to sit up and pay attention. The result of their effort, 1080* Snowboarding,
is now available in Japan. And unlike most Japanese games, 1080* Snowboarding
is totally identical to its upcoming American release. There is even an option
to display the selection menus in English! So while visiting New York City on
confidential ANT Army business, I took the liberty of snagging an import
copy for review.
The first thing you will notice when starting up 1080 Degrees is the
distinctive music. It's Parappa the Snowboarder! Thankfully, Nintendo has
deviated from the typical Japanese MIDI fare to deliver a great sounding
game. The aggressive music of this title is of the rap/hip-hop variety,
punctuated by a healthy dose of heavy metal electric guitar riffs. The songs
feature a throbbing bass and drum beat, with vocal clips often looped
throughout. The results are memorable, and a refreshing break from the
MIDI hell we've experienced in the past.
The opening menu brings up the wide variety of game options offered by
1080 Degrees. Among the choices are Match Race (head-to-head racing
against the CPU), Time Attack (time trials), Trick Attack (perform tricks
for points), Contest (slalom and tricks), 2-player Versus (split-screen
racing), and Training.
Once the mode of play is selected, it's time to select your racer and board.
There are five different racers of American, Japanese, and British origin.
Naturally, each racer is graded in abilities like jumping and speed. While
these characters don't add a lot of backstory to 1080 Degrees, they
undeniably add personality and variety. At long last, one of them manages
to work the word "yo" into a Nintendo game.
And in what may be the start of the next great video gaming trend, each
character is clothed in genuine Tommy Hilfiger apparel. (What's next?
"Mario's overalls by Ralph Lauren?") This attention to branding, er,
authenticity, naturally extends to the variety of snowboards by Lamar.
There are seven or so Lamar boards available, and each mimics its
real-life counterpart. Boards are rated in Max Speed, Response, Edge Control,
Flex and Stability. As with love, you will want to experiment with various
combinations until you find a happy marriage.
Once racer and board are selected, it's time to hit the slopes! And on
these beautifully rendered mountain tops, there's nary a banana peel
or Koopa shell in sight. 1080* Snowboarding features photo-realistic
graphics that simply put the competition to shame. The racers and
boards themselves are models of polygon-based goodness, while the
gorgeously believable winter environments will have you donning a
parka and goggles.
On most slopes, fogging is so slight as to be nonexistent. Other slopes
are punctuated by driving snow and fog. And when the sun is present,
classic N64 lens flare is evident. The lighting in 1080 makes for
some incredible effects, and the lens-flaring used makes sense and
adds a little extra cinematic coolness to the game. The lighting can
even brighten or darken while you're running a course, adding an extra
layer of graphic depth.
There are three default camera angles from which to choose, one of
which is a first person perspective. In the latter, lens flare plays more
of a role (ie. reflecting off your eyewear). By any criteria, 1080 Degrees
is simply a beautiful game to watch as well as play. And there's more to
this game than just a pretty face. The attention to realistic physics in
1080 Degrees is remarkable.
Calling to mind their previous efforts in Wave Race 64, the EAD
developers of 1080* Snowboarding have gone the extra mile to pack
each of the six main courses with snow of varying depths and texture,
ice, logs, rocks, etc. The feel of the game thus varies as racers traverse
this terrain. But whether skidding across a frozen creekbed or plowing
through knee-high snowdrifts, 1080 Degrees always feels authentic.
The game takes advantage of the Rumble Pak in subtle but effective ways.
For example, the Pak shimmies when crossing hardened ice, and shudders
when plowing through deep snow.
Naturally, the control varies according to territory. As we have come to
expect from every Miyamoto game, the control in 1080 Degrees is precise
and exceptionally varied. And control is key, as the racing action is
punctuated by a series of cool tricks and moves. When leaving the ground
and "catching air," racers are able to execute one or a series of aerial
acrobatics via clever combinations of the B button and analog control stick.
If anything, the tricks in 1080 Degrees are both more intricate and more
integral to gameplay than those in Wave Race 64. They range from simply
grabbing the end of the snowboard in mid-air, to the Holy Grail of
snowboarding tricks, a 1080-degree mid-air rotation. After a few
hours with this game you will be absolutely comfortable with terms
like Stalefish, Mute Grab, and Stiffy. Again, the choice of racer and
snowboard is especially relevant to trick performance. Some racers
and boards offer a little extra jumping ability and hangtime, both of
which will convert to more trick points.
Unlike many racing games, the action in 1080 Degrees feels like the
racer is pitted mano-e-globo against the environment. Whereas some
games feature an overload of competing racers, here the attention is
focused on the solo experience. Gamers will spend a great deal of time
mastering the variety of tricks and stunts, and attempting to beat
their best times and scores on the various courses. The key is creativity
and a willingness to experiment with different combinations.
If there is a weakness with 1080 Degrees Snowboarding, it is the
number of courses. There are a total of six available, with an extra
hidden course a strong, strong possibility. ;-) But don't fret; 1080 Degrees
offers such tremendous variety and quality of gameplay that these
courses will keep you busily satisfied for a very long time. And with
any luck, Nintendo has added the 64DD "hooks" to this title, so we can
look forward to even more courses in the future.
Nintendo's hotly debated "quality over quantity" philosophy has been
the source of much controversy, but there is no denying it produces
wonderful games. The Big N's own in-house development team produces
perhaps the best quality in the world, a fact evidenced by 1080*
Snowboarding. This game reeks of quality, and belongs in every N64
owner's library.
Overall 100 out of 100