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Snowboard Kids 2
Snowboard Kids 2
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Game Description

The Snowboard Kids are back in this sequel to 1997's cartoon-based racer. New features include the ability to race against boss characters in Story Mode, six different courses, three Skill Games and an enhanced control interface to perform tricks. For those unfamiliar with the original, the game is played from a perspective behind your "kid" as you race down 3D courses in an attempt to finish first.

Since the other three characters are aiming to do the same thing, they'll try to win using any means at their disposal. This means running over weapon power-ups and firing them when you least expect it. Fortunately, you can do the same thing! If all goes as planned, you'll be able to make up some ground while your opponent recovers from the attack.

Weapons available on the slopes include slap sticks (each shot knocks an opponent down), parachutes, freeze shots, bombs, snowmen (each shot turns your opponent into a large, slow snowman) and whirlwinds. As in the original, you'll also be able to purchase items using coins collected on the courses.

A total of nine items are available for purchase: ghosts to slow down opponents; super ghosts to "haunt" everyone on the slopes; speed fans to boost ahead of the competition; rocket boosters for faster acceleration; pans to drop on your opponents' heads; invisibility to protect your character from harm; wings to make you jump higher; rocks to drop as obstacles; and two types of rat faces to steal money from one or all of your opponents.

Besides running over coins along the courses, players can also earn money by performing tricks. This money can be saved to purchase new boards or even custom paint jobs! Snowboard Kids 2 features a total of nine different characters, each rated in speed, balance and trick ability.

The three included Skill Games consist of a Speed Cross, Shoot Cross and Trick Game. Speed Cross has your character trying to get to school by 8:30 a.m., while the Shoot Cross involves delivering newspapers to twenty mailboxes within the time limit. The Trick Game challenges your character to earn more than 300 points before time elapses. Built-in data files allow players to save purchased boards, unlocked courses and progress during Story Mode.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Roots & Influences

Snowboard Kids 2, like its 1998 predecessor, carries on the tradition of light-hearted racing that originated with Super Mario Kart on the Super NES. While the game borrows heavily from the power-up and weapon interaction found in Nintendo's 1992 classic racer, the biggest difference is that the "kids" all ride atop snowboards rather than inside vehicles. Another key difference is the way laps are handled: since players are moving down slopes, they will have to board ski lifts in order to reach the top of the course.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

Look out! Those mischievous kids are back for some more comical racing in this update to 1997's Snowboard Kids. While the game doesn't stray too far from the Super Mario Kart formula of weapons-based racing, Snowboard Kids 2 is a noticeable improvement over its predecessor. The first thing that stands out is the graphics: everything seems more cheery and colorful, just as you'd expect from a game starring little kids. Unfortunately, the "kids" still look as though they could be Ziggy's long lost relatives, sporting noses that rival Pinocchio's in length and beady little eyes. The characters are certainly weird looking, but they somehow fit the offbeat nature of gameplay.

Despite what the title suggests, this game really isn't about snowboarding. In fact, there are only three snow-covered courses available for racing in the entire Story Mode! So those expecting a game like 1080° Snowboarding will probably curse the kids the moment they lay eyes on them. It would also be easy to dismiss this title solely based on the carnival-like atmosphere. Snowboard Kids 2 features a variety of wacky courses, ranging from a giant house (you'll be boardin' down piano keys) to a jungle complete with ancient ruins and a huge waterfall. You'll also race against three large boss characters, including a giant snowman and an egg-laying dragon, for the right to continue playing in the Story Mode.

Despite the childlike nature of the game, Snowboard Kids 2 offers enough excitement to hook older gamers who first earned their kart-racing stripes in 1992's Super Mario Kart for the Super NES. The secret? It's the variety of weapons and items that makes this game so fun and unpredictable. You'll be able to run over two types of presents that offer random goodies to use against your enemies: blue presents hold items while red presents hold weapons. Snag the frying pan and you'll witness a huge skillet slam down on your closest opponent's head; fire the devastating parachute and it's up, up and away for your fiercest rival (who will slowly glide down to the course).

Play this game with friends and you'll see how much fun these power-ups can be. The game also lets you perform tricks to ward off incoming attacks, but this is often easier said than done. Timing the move has to be precise; if you wait too long, the weapon will find its mark and you'll be helpless as the other kids zoom past you. The one power-up that can turn the tables is the Super Ghost -- use this at the right time and you'll be able to make (or lose) serious ground in a matter of seconds. This brings us to one of the big problems with the game: the ruthless AI of your computer competition.

To put it mildly, it cheats more than my grandmother at gin rummy. Sorry, granny. While the first four races are deceptively easy, the next six or so will test the ability of all but the most seasoned of players. This is because you'll be leading almost the entire race only to cough it up near the end after being slammed by an opponent's weapon. This leads to the unfortunate tendency of your controller being flung across the room. Smash. Yet the most frustrating part is when you knock down an opponent and he or she is right on your tail mere seconds later. This is the same type of cheating found in Mario Kart 64, so you can either look at it as intense competition or downright annoying gameplay. Consider yourself warned.

The second problem "revolves" around the turnstile at the end of each course. For those unfamiliar with the first game, each slope concludes with a ski lift that transports your character to the top of the course for another lap. So what's wrong? There's only one turnstile and you have to wait until you can board the lift! This is annoying, since you'll be blazing down the course and then suddenly crash into the turnstile, which forces you to wait several seconds until it lets you through. A better method would be to let your character jump across the bars in an attempt to land on the seat -- this involves more skill than the random nature of the current setup.

Even despite these two problems, Snowboard Kids 2 delivers a healthy dose of fun, especially with four players. The new boss mode and three trick challenges may have been generously "borrowed" from Diddy Kong Racing, but think of them as bows on a nicely wrapped package. I have only two more things to add for those planning on purchasing the game: (1) invest in a few more controllers and (2) look out! Things have a nasty way of falling down on you when you least expect it.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Enjoyment

If the computer AI wasn't so cheap, the game would receive a higher rating in this area. Those who enjoyed the first game will find more to like in the second, but the gameplay has remained essentially the same.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Graphics

The graphics are a step up from the original, but the characters are still bizarre looking. The courses are diverse enough in appearance to keep things interesting.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Sound

Happy, bouncy music is what you'll find in Snowboard Kids 2, which will probably sicken some gamers after repeated listening.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Replay Value

With four-players, this game offers a considerable amount of replay value. Of course, you have to want more of the same {*Mario Kart 64}-style of gameplay to fully appreciate this title.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Documentation

The colorful manual describes each character and the entire list of available weapons and items.
~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

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