Is snowmobile racing an extreme sport? Well, it is if you perform tricks, enhance the engine, and have unique riders. EA Sports Big also thinks that it's the perfect extreme sport for a video game. I guess their Big franchise is their sideline extreme sports series which also includes SSX, SSX Tricky, NBA Street, and Freekstyle. This isn't the first Sled Storm game: there was also one on the Playstation, so there's a little experience behind those makers of this sequel.
Voice Over By Matthew Lillard and Gene Okerlund
Yes, you read that right and yes, I am talking about "Mean" Gene Okerlund of wrestling fame. Sled Storm is presented in a TV style format. The two announcers (Lillard and Okerlund) fly above the courses in a blimp introducing the track, commenting on the riders, and providing a loose and weak play-by-play on the game. This is entertaining in itself because these two act like John Madden and Dennis Miller in their comments: One is knowledgeable and serious, while the other is knowledgeable and a smart-aleck and they constantly trash-talk each other. Their play-by-play is basic...mostly they let you know when you've hit first place and what they think of you if you are in last place most of the game.
Oh, Snow Me
The eight riders have unique personalities and attitudes. Also, they each have a brand of snowmobile that is tailored for them, but don't worry, you can earn similar-brand snowmobiles with upgrades for that rider. There are also "home-town" favorite riders which have their specialty track and they are more aggressive and dominating than usual. Their characteristics will have a factor in how you place and score in the trick system. Some riders are more passive in their racing, but have a high trick potential. Adversely, someone with a low trick possibility is more aggressive in their racing. So to unlock other selectable riders or tracks you have to pick the rider that you feel you can control to maneuver around the track for first place, or to accumulate the necessary number of points.
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
This game is a looker. While it doesn't house the most outstanding graphics in a PS2 game, it does rise above the mediocre games currently on the system. One of the best features that you'll notice isn't even on the tracks or within the character models. There are some tracks that are surrounded by water and weirdly enough, it's not frozen. In spectacular Blood Wake fashion, the water has perfect motion with crests rising and falling and waves rolling into the rocks. Unfortunately, you'll only notice it if you fall off the track and are tumbling into it.
The 7 tracks in Sled Storm are some of the most detailed in an extreme racing game and have been much improved on since the original. I did not like the fact that they were longer, but I did enjoy the brutality and secret-finding on each course. By brutality, I mean the designers of the tracks put every snowmobiling obstacle they could think of: trees, ice sticks, steep ramps, bumpy hills, etc. You will be all over the track, trust me on this, and you can thank all the little things that will be sending you all over the track. Even though you have the choice of staying within the red markers on the track, there are numerous shortcuts laid on each track. Some of them are marked with barricades and others are not. Also, some of the shortcuts will save you time and some will not but you won't know until you try them. A lot of the shortcuts take you to a nice high ramp which will allow you to gain some major points, so I recommend that you seek these shortcuts out and take them on each lap if you want to score.
I Love To Score
Basically, there are a few goals to achieve. One of them is to score a certain number of points to unlock something. To get these points you have to perform tricks. By using the Triangle button and a combination of the shoulder triggers, you can shred up the air by successfully pulling off a trick. What makes a trick unsuccessful is if you are in the middle of the trick when you land or if you are not full set on your snowmobile when you land. The former nets you zero points while the latter will give you only half the points. Of course, there are simple tricks to perform and harder tricks to perform, but whichever you decide to do, if you combo them, you get some super mad points (great, I'm starting to talk like a 'shredder').
Another way to add points is if you hit items along the track. Anything that can be uprooted or broken will get you points: from the track markers to track signs to barricades...they will also add to your score. One of the best things you can hit are the large overhead signs that do the advertising. Launch off a ramp at the right angle and speed, you can get enough air to bust through the sings. Sure, you might get burned a little bit, but hey, all's snowy in Sled Storm and you have to do what you can.
Want To Play Duck, Duck, Loose?
I did not like the controls on this game. They were much, much different from the original game, which had little control issues. The PS2 version of Sled Storm has loose controls, which makes navigating around the track more difficult than it needs to be. They left the R1/L1 sharp turn buttons intact, but using these often will just find you fishtailing around corners and just plain trying to regain your own control of your snowmobile. You can either use the digital pad/button combination or both analog sticks if you desire, but I found that using the analog stick had me sliding all over. I used the digital pad to steer and the buttons to accelerate and brake. Using the trick system is a bit odd. Why they just didn't use the shoulder buttons to perform tricks was beyond me, but you also can use the Triangle button. I think just keeping to the should buttons and having a combo-type trick system could have made it more interesting. The last control feature that was annoying that I felt the response time from hitting the trick I wanted to perform and my rider actually performing it was too long. I sometimes missed out on longer combos or high-scoring tricks because the trick would start a few second after I launched off the ramp. And let me tell you, just missing a 20,000 goal by 100 points really just irritates me.
Some Extras and Some Non-extras
You don't just race around a track to win first to complete the game. You do have some goals to accomplish if you want to really enjoy the game. To unlock tracks, you must finish 3rd or better; to unlock characters, you must hit the point goal (which gets increasingly difficult the more you play); and to unlock more sleds, you usually have to finish 1st in the race. A positive to this is that you can achieve each goal one at a time if you want, which was great for my speed at finishing racing games. So is that all? Nope. After you beat Championship Mode, Rival Challenge is unlocked. This mode has you racing in a one-on-one atmosphere for Snowmobile "pink-slips". The computer picks the track, but if you lose the race, you have to re-race the championship level where you won that sled to get it back. Your goal in Rival Challenge is to acquire each of the 5 different snowmobiles for each of the 8 characters.
While trying to get all the secrets will take you most of the time, you do have a few other options if that gets boring. You can just play single-player and race just one race in time trial or practice mode..but why waste your time when you can be unlocking things; or you can race a friend in multiplayer. Disappointingly though, it's only a 2-player match. The number of modes was skimpy, but Championship and the Rival mode will keep you busy.
If you were a fan of the first Sled Storm, you should have no problem enjoying this one. Similarly, if you played and loved SSX Tricky, then you will probably like the extreme part of this game because they play very, very akin. Although the control is slightly irritating and the lack of modes disappointing, this game is just pure fun on snow.
And remember, Don't Eat Yellow Snow
