Reviewed: February 19, 2003
Reviewed by: Loki

Publisher
Konami

Developer
Konami

Released: February 4, 2003
Genre: Sports
Players: 2
ESRB: Everyone

6
6
5
5
5.8

Supported Features:

  • GBA Link Cable
    • I haven’t played a lot of snowboarding games in my career as a reviewer. There simply aren’t that many available for the GBA, but being an avid snowboarder in my non-gaming life I was compelled to check out Disney Sports Snowboarding when it released earlier this month. This is the fifth title in the Disney Sports series with games such as Basketball, Football, Soccer, and Skateboarding all releasing last year.

    In Disney Sports Snowboarding virtual riders suit up and hit the slopes with their favorite Disney characters, including the pint-sized Chip & Dale and the burly Big Bad Pete. Players can shred through a wide range of courses in five dynamic worlds, including a futuristic Metro Airway. As they progress, characters can obtain new snowboards and earn magic, increasing their individual skill sets and improving performance. Gamers can choose from thrilling game modes including Race, Trick, Rally, and Time Trial as well as a multiplayer mode for up to two players. With classic characters, intuitive controls and exhilarating gameplay, Disney Sports Snowboarding will appeal to beginners and experienced gamers alike.

    Features:

    • 5 massive stages
    • 30 boards to unlock and boost performance
    • 6 Disney Character Snowboarders
    • A wide range of outrageous tricks
    • Cartridge Save
    • Connects with GameCube for data exchange
    • Multiplayer mode to race against your friends (requires link cable)
    Anyone who has watched even a few minutes of competitive snowboarding will know it’s all about the speed, the air and the tricks, and Disney Sports Snowboarding makes a valiant attempt to cover all the bases. You race down a variety of slopes as fast as you can, catching as much air as possible, and performing a modest selection of tricks.

    Gameplay modes are admittedly a bit limited but there is only so much you can do with the genre, especially considering the limitations of the GBA. You basically get to pick from racing a computer-controlled opponent to the bottom of the mountain in a typical race or competing for trick points.

    The controls are simple to learn and even easier to master, which surprised me considering that every button on the GBA is utilized in some fashion. Even the youngest of gamers will be tearing up the slopes in no time like a seasoned pro.

    At first glance the graphics look really good in this game, but after a few races you start to notice some oddities that make the presentation fall apart all too soon. The programmers used a technique where the slopes are created using pre-rendered FMV and the sprite characters are placed over this streaming video. This creates a very unique 3D experience you typically don’t find on the GBA, but it also seems to alienate the background from everything else.

    There are two inherent problems with this system. The first is that the courses all look remarkably similar, so the entire game gets rather boring after a few races. The second problem is that the snowboarders “appear” to react with the slopes and the objects on those slopes, but since these backgrounds are pre-rendered they can’t be altered. This means no board trails or spraying snow or anything to create that sense that you are really streaking down a mountain.

    I found nothing really special about the music or sounds in this game. It all worked and there were some fun Disney-type themes in the menus and functional sounds of snowboarding and the occasional outburst from the characters, but it was just an average presentation.

    As previously mentioned, the game quickly starts looking and playing the same all too soon, and while you can race and do tricks and even link-up with a friend for some head-to-head snowboarding, chances are you will tire of this game long before you start looking for your link cable.

    One nice attempt to add some extended play to the game is the addition of Trick Cards that you can collect by performing tricks at certain locations on the slope. While these cards don’t unlock anything or give you any real added value it is something to collect and may keep some people playing longer than they normally would.

    With my love for snowboarding I really wanted to enjoy this game, but there is really nothing special here. The control scheme is great and the 3D-style of the backgrounds is certainly innovative, but there isn’t enough variety to keep you interested for more than a few races.

    Even in a world where snowboarding games on the GBA are all but extinct, Disney Sports Snowboarding is merely an average offering that might keep you busy during a weekend rental, but is far too limited for me to recommend as a permanent addition to your GBA library.