This is another review in my "classic games" installments. It’s a few months old and I had thought everyone had played it, but recently I received a few e-mails asking me about this game and I came to a startling conclusion. Not everyone out there has access to these games that most of us take for granted. A lot of people out there have to order their games from larger urban centers because they live in smaller towns and have absolutely NO access to the selection of games. They read the reviews on the Internet and in magazines and gather up all the info they can before making a purchase. Geez, sounds like a good plan. How many times have you or I bought a dud, because of our blind panic to get a game? So, if you are wondering why I’m a reviewing a game this late in it’s life, that’s the reason. And as summer turns to fall and thoughts turn to winter, 1080 Snowboarding isn’t that far off from being "in season" again.
Actually, in the case of 1080, this game is a hoot to play at anytime of year. Brought to you by the same team that wowed us with Wave Race, 1080 is the most realistic snowbird game available for any system. And the most fun in my opinion. Everything is slow cooked to perfection in this game, and the result is a quality title that every one should at the very least play, and at the very most, own.
Start up the game, pick your boarder, pick your board and hit the white stuff. You can choose from Match Race (Race against the CPU), Time Attack (Get down the hill in record time), Trick Attack (pull off stunts for points), 2 player vs. (go shreddin’ against your buddy), Contest and Training. I only played the one player game for this review thanks to a broken N64 joystick, an escaped mental patient, 2 kangaroos and a statue of Kathie Lee Gifford made entirely out of water that was taped together (don’t ask, I don’t wanna get into it), but I am happy to report that the friendless and outcasts will get their money’s worth.
Each boarder has their own personal attributes which gives you an overview of their performance capabilities in the areas of technique, speed, power, balance and jumping. After a boarder is selected, it’s time to select a board. Again the attributes come up and you can decide which one to use.
Don’t forget to notice that Tommy Hilfiger clothes play a big part in this game. Ah, commercialism at it’s finest. Think of it as owning a ton of Hilfiger getups for $60.00. If anything it will be an interesting time capsule when we look back on 1080 twenty years from now, when Hilfiger clothing is just starting to get "retro" appeal. How long before Mario, Sonic, Crash or Lara holds up a Coke and takes a sip when you leave the controller alone for a while? If they hadn’t thought of it already, then you can call me a marketing genius!
Nintendo deserves mucho accolado for taking this game seriously, unlike the horrendous Snowboard Kids. They saw fit to borrow from the already very popular CoolBoarders on the PlayStation and came up with a winner in their own right. Thanks to the graphic capabilities of the N64, snow and ice look and respond just like the real thing. When you kick up snow in 1080, and are blinded for a minute, or when your hand leaves a trail in the snow as make a tight curve, you’ll know you are playing a game where the programmers went the extra 2 miles for realism. When you take a jump off a cliff in say, Dragon Cave, you’ll feel the height as you plunge hundreds of feet to what should be your death. Of course, the death defying jumps are where the realism takes a back seat, but it is just a game, remember. You’ve gotta break the rules some how...
Snowboarding wouldn’t be snowboarding without the tricks that these talented people pull off. In real life yet! 1080 sets you up with some standard shreddin’ stunts that mainly consist of you manipulating your board after you get some air of a jump, cliff or the half pipe. Having trouble pulling off tricks? Visit the Training mode which should set you straight. Expect a good couple of hours learning curve for the tricks. It’s the memorization that will hang you up, because there are a lot of tricks to choose from. However, the execution of most of the tricks are fairly easy, but once you start getting into the 720’s, 900’s and 1080’s, things get a little more punishing. Have patience, you just need to find the timing and you’ll get the knack for the tricks.
The analog controller was invented for games like this. I can’t imagine using a digital controller to maneuver my guy or gal. Yuck. Along with the analog control stick, the R button, Z button and B button figure mostly in the execution of moves.
The tunes sound surprisingly good, for the N64. Sure it’s a little cheesy but what the heck. I was amazed that the N64 could pull off some of those tunes, with the heavy guitar and thumping bass. The tunes really set the mood for the game which is fast and furious fun.
The different tracks all offer their own unique challenges and shortcuts which really need to be discovered to beat the Time Attack mode. The tracks are long, steep and filled with natural jumps, ice, deep snow that will slow you down and dangerous drops. This game doesn’t allow you to get cocky too quickly; it always throws something at you just when you feel you’ve got it made. I call that good game design. 1080 never makes you feel that the game was at fault for your mistakes. If you bought the farm, then you just don’t have it all together yet.
1080 doesn’t just allow you to go nuts with your board. Oh no. You’ve got to take it easy on that thing. Don’t wipe out, land softly and don’t crash into the sides of mountains. Your board can only take so much and then it’s retirement time. Back to the top of the hill for another try, unless of course that was your third attempt at it. If that is the case, then it’s Game Over.
While making my way down one steep, twisty incline, I couldn’t help being reminded of the slides in Super Mario 64. That’s the basic idea right there. Just a lot faster, prettier and a whole lot tougher. Playing 1080, I can’t even imagine what Wipeout 64 is going to look like. It should be a thing of virtual beauty.
On the down side, I wish 1080 would have offered more courses or at least reverse tracks. As well having more than one opponent to race would have been a blast. That’s a pretty minuscule little argument, I know, but when something is perfect, you want more of it right?
The bottomline is that no matter what your stance is on snowboarding, you have to play this game. Fun is fun! The longevity of this game will last even longer than Wave Race due in part to the intricacies of each course. Add in the fact of unlocking hidden courses, boards and tracks and you definitely get your money’s worth. If you are one of those unfortunates who have to order games sight unseen, take a leap of faith and order 1080. Go ahead, live dangerously. You won’t be disappointed.
Final Analysis: