After going out snowboarding for the first time this season, I must say that it's amazing how many more people now snowboard compared to just a few years ago.  The excitement of the sport has definitely caught the attention of a surprising number of people, and has likewise caused a greater demand for snowboarding video games than even before.  Even with this said there still currently isn't much of a selection when it comes to realistic snowboarding games for the PS2.  Sure, there are the SSX games, but they're far from being realistic in terms of gameplay as well as the included courses.  Instead, they're meant to be attractive as arcade style games, which they undoubtedly are.  Also available is Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder, a game that is literally Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 on snow.  Therefore, it lacks originality as well as various qualities that are necessary in a realistic snowboarding game.  Now Konami has brought us "ESPN Winter X-Games Snowboarding 2002," which is the second X-Games Snowboarding release for the new console (the first was available shortly after the PS2 was launched in the U.S.).  As a result of this being their second time around, they've packed in some great features, but the game still isn't quite everything it could have been.

I must start out by expressing the various aspects of this game that are remarkably realistic.  There are 13 accurately portrayed snowboarders who are straight from the X-Games, including Peter Line, Todd Richards, Tina Basich, and more.  The locations available to board at stay surprisingly true to their real life counterparts in almost all respects.  Resultantly, we can all get a taste of the most famous mountains found in Colorado, Europe, Canada, Japan and more, without having to leave the couch.  The great thing about these courses is the amount of freedom that they offer.  Meaning, there's typically no set path that must be followed, but instead it's possible to explore and pick your own unique route to the bottom.  From a physics standpoint the game is also realistic.  The amount of air you can get is right on, as are both the snow and carving characteristics.  Just about every possible trick, from a simple tail grab to a backside rodeo, can be performed with ease.  The only thing found in the gameplay that isn't at all realistic is the ability to slide down objects for virtually as long as you want.  Balancing your rider isn't even necessary and therefore it's possible to slide down a fence for an entire run.

No matter what anyone tries to tell you, the truth is that snowboarding is an extremely difficult (painful) sport to learn.  Although once you get past the first barrier and learn how to carve without catching an edge, it becomes more enjoyable and then the fun never seems to stop.  Such is also the case in ESPN Winter X-Games Snowboarding 2002, as it is a very bumpy ride in the beginning.  The tutorial mode is a great starting point for everyone, but it's not quite as extensive as it could be.  It goes through only the most basic moves, thus leaving a lot to be gained through trial and error (as well as the instructions booklet).

The other included game modes are: X-Games, snowboarder, and duel (2-player).  X-Games mode is essentially the arcade mode of the game, as it allows you to pick a pro and hit up a number of different events.  One event, known as slopestyle, lets you earn points by busting tricks on any of the objects found in the level, including kickers, rails, halfpipes, fences, cars, and whatever else you can find while cruising down the slopes.  Another event, called snowboarder X, requires you to swiftly maneuver through gates in order to get the best time possible.  The superpipe event lets you experience what it's like to launch off the best halfpipes in the world.  Coming out on top requires that you earn the most points in doing so.  Big air is an event that lets you show off your skills on three consecutive kicker jumps.  It's a short event so it's necessary to pull off some amazing tricks and to not fall in doing so.  Lastly, the free ride event allows you to practice and to explore the courses without having to worry about a time limit or beating out the competition.  Overall, the arcade aspect of the game is enjoyable, but this is assuming you've already put in a few hours to get good at the game because it's not possible to simply pick up a controller and rule the slopes in this one.

Indeed, the learning curve is definitely steeper than the average gamer would expect it to be; a fact that's even more obvious in snowboarder mode.  Within this mode, you have the ability to create a new snowboarder from scratch in hopes of eventually becoming a pro and being invited to ESPN's X-Games.  It seems that Konami has taken no steps to make this process any easier than it actually is in real life, so when you first start out you have to be prepared for some serious pain and hard work.  You start off in your home town and try to earn company sponsorships by entering competitions as well as starring in snowboarding films, that is, if you're good enough to get an invitation to them.  Every event you participate in helps to increase your stats, such as his speed, life, ability to spin, stamina, etc, and if you place in the top three you also earn some money.  The local gym allows you to increase your stats without going boarding, but these increases don't come for free or in large quantities.  It takes a good amount of time to build up your riders' stats.  Another icon found on each main menu is the airport.  By visiting the airport you can travel to worldwide snowboarding destinations, but you must obtain the necessary passes before doing so.

The cool thing is that you can customize your rider quite extensively, as everything from physical characteristics to clothing can be easily changed.  You start out with 1000G (credits/dollars), which can be used to buy a range of things, including: a new snowboard, boots, bindings, jackets, pants, hats, and goggles (there are tons of real brand names to choose from).  Purchasing these items is another way to increase the stats of your rider.  Money is also necessary to enter special competitions as well as pay hospital bills if you experience a "break down," which simply means you have no life left as a result of falling too much (yes, there's actually a health meter in this extreme game).  Your snowboarding career won't be a cheap one if you happen to fall a lot.

My biggest complaint about snowboarder mode is the process required to sign up for contests, as it seems too tedious when you're just getting started with the game.  You have to individually sign up for each event and since this must be done once per week, a lot of time is wasted in the process.  An option allowing you to be automatically signed up for a new contest each day would have been a nice touch.

The controls in ESPN Winter X-Games Snowboarding 2002 are similar to those found in SSX and are somewhat hard to get the hang of, especially in snowboarder mode when your rider has low attributes.  The X button is held then released to ollie, while spins must be preloaded before take off.  These rotations, whether spins or flips, are too difficult to land because the riders often continue to spin even if you only press the trick once.  This is the biggest problem with the controls.  In the air it's possible to do a wide variety of grabs by pressing different button combinations and slides are pulled off by pressing the triangle button.  A button that I believe should have been included is one that would allow you to "hop" sideways when stuck in front of an object, as getting stuck is common.  Once you get a handle on the game's controls, you can bust some amazing tricks, including any big combos you can dream up.

Graphically, the game is average looking.  It's obvious that it wasn't meant to look very flashy, but instead Konami tried to make it as realistic as possible and they did a decent job in doing so.  The sound track provides some good tunes and the in-game sound effects are well done, but the sounds within the menu system get irritating very quickly.

ESPN Winter X-Games Snowboarding 2002 can be considered the most realistic snowboarding simulation game to date, but is this what the majority of the gaming crowd is looking for?  I doubt it, especially since the high difficulty level of the game compromises the overall ability to enjoy it.  On the other side of the coin is the fact that this game will offer more gameplay time than most others, since it's not at all easy to beat.  Although hardcore snowboarders may enjoy this one more than the average Joe, they too will face a learning curve that's steeper than the mountains found within the game.  My advice is to rent this one first to determine whether or not you'll actually enjoy playing it.

This game is rated "T" for teen and it takes up 250KB on your PS2 memory card.

Gameplay: 8
The gameplay is extremely accurate in terms of being realistic, but as a result the fun factor has been negatively affected.

Graphics: 7.5
The graphics found within the game are just average.  Although, the overall detail level is fairly high, as most objects, including the snowboarders themselves, are accurately displayed.  Additionally, the boarders' outerwear can be seen ruffling due to the high speed winds - pretty cool!  The terrain features are decent and the snow itself is powdery and the tracks made by the boards look quite good.  However I did notice some slowdowns in the frame-rate when too many moving objects were on the screen.

Sound: 7.5
The sound track is great and features a variety of popular bands, including 311, The Vandals, The Offspring and many more.  On the other hand, the sound/music within the menu system gets annoying very quickly, especially since you spend so much time signing up for the contests within the menu!  The announcer is decent and often makes comments while your complete a run, such as "that had to hurt" and so forth.  When carving down the runs the sound effects are also fairly accurate.

Difficulty: 5
The major flaw in the game is that it's too difficult for most people.  If people are interested in experiencing what it's like to learn how to snowboard, they should actually go do so.  No video game is required. Indeed, this is just a game and should be more fun, as simply picking up the controller and playing is nearly impossible.

Concept: 8.5
Conceptually, creating a snowboarding game that's real in just about every aspect is a great idea.  Snowboarder mode, and especially the ability to star in films, is truly unique and should be applauded.  Although, the problem is that the game is so real that it's not as fun as it could be.

Multiplayer: 7
Duel mode allows two players to go at it in split-screen format.  Nothing very innovative here.

Overall: 7.3