Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding

The Good
Let me start off by saying that Amped is the most fun, exciting, and realistic snowboarding game I have ever played. When compared to SSX and SSX Tricky, it's more fun. When compared to ESPN Snowboarding, it's more realistic. It's a masterpiece.

Graphics: They are top notch. Trees look like trees, snow machines shoot out realistic looking snow. The player models are intricately detailed. Jackets have ripples and zippers on them and they sway in conjunction with your movement. The snow trails from the boards look good. The snow actually looks like snow, and the falling snow is very well done.

Controls: Very easy to learn, very easy to master. Three buttons perform six moves (press a button once for a move, press it twice for a second move), and the B button acts as the "jib" button, or the "grind" button for skateboarders. Tweaking and grabbing, as well as flipping and spinning are accurate and happen as soon as you touch the control.

Music/Sound: There are just over 150 tracks in Amped, so you are bound to find something you like. If you don't, then you can use your custom soundtrack. Yes, Amped is one of the few games to support this feature. If you're so inclined, you can board down the mountains listening to Barry Manilow, but I don't recommend it.

Gameplay: The career mode is excellent. You start off as a local rider and you must make your way up the ladder. Beat various high scores, get media coverage, beat the pros and then a sponsor will show up. If you can complete his challenge, he'll sponsor you. I'm currently at rank 88 (from 122) and I'm a shop rider.

Options: You have a huge amount of options to choose from, including jackets, goggles, pants, hats, boots, and even bindings. The game is licensed, so you can expect to see real life snowboard and equipment manufacturers here. Each board and accessory gives you an added boost to one or more of your five skills, including Speed, Jump, and Balance.

Replayability: There are various "dropoff" points for each mountain, so there are lots of ways to complete a mountain. The back of the box claims there are one hundred ways down a mountain, so hopefully that's true.

Additional: The white button on the controller acts as a skip button. You can change to the next song in the lineup, in real-time, while your boarding, without having to go through a host of menus. It's no big deal, but cool nonetheless.

The Bad
If I had to pick something, I'd have to say the difficulty. The high score and media challenges are fairly easy once you know how to properly link tricks.

That's about it. Really. No, really, it's a near perfect game.

The Bottom Line
As a regular snowboarder, this game makes all other snowboarding games pale in comparison. It's got an engrossing career mode, and a fun Instant Run mode. It's a great game all-around.