Alpine Skiing
Here are the best Ski and Snowboard Video Games of All Time.
There's only one reality that remains pristine and picture-perfect throughout any time of year; the virtual one.
As ski resorts worldwide have closed down, skiers are left hungry for what has been taken from them - a golden month of skiing. Sure, that's sad and all. But luckily, skiing doesn't necessarily have to be done in real-life. Or maybe it does, It comes down to who you ask. Glen Plake would probably disagree, but if you ask Pewdiepie, we're pretty sure he'd say aye.
Cut to the chase!
We have listed the greatest video games of all time dedicated to the sport we love. Some are old, some are not, but they all serve the same purpose: Stimulating Hungry Skiers dying for their next pow-turn. So without further ado, here we go.
STEEP (2016/2017)
Some call it the extension of the groundbreaking SSX Games, and yes, they're in this list too, while some call it a big fat flop. Regardless, STEEP did quite well in capturing its targeted audience, promising an open-world platform to roam around, just as in SSX. However, a slight hiccup occurred for many players as the game makers seemed to have had a hard time settling if the format would be realistic or unrealistic. They landed somewhere in-between, giving the player opportunity to go huge in airs and gaps, but setting the scale of the map way to small, causing you to more or less overshoot anything you tried to jump.
In 2017, an extension dropped, which takes on new locations and challenges to mark the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Steep: Road to the Olympics allows players the chance to participate in Olympic events such as downhill skiing, slopestyle, halfpipe, and big air and explore the locations from the 2018 event in South Korea, as well as regions in Japan.
Platforms: Xbox, Playstation 4, and Windows.
Our rating: 3/5
Cool Boarders (1997)
Coal Boarders - a game in a series of four editions - were released between 1997 and 1999 and is arguably one of the most influential Snowboarding-games ever created. With choices of up to five different locations, thirteen characters, eleven boards, and six various events such as big air or slopestyle. Do we seem intrigued? Well, in 1997, this was groundbreaking, and don't even get us started on the graphics - pure 90's all the way.
Platform: PlayStation 1
Our rating: 4,5/5
Slalom (1987)
Eighties gaming graphics at its best. Initially developed for Nintendo's VS arcade machine, which you've probably stumbled across at various ski resorts or arcade halls across the world. Later on, it was re-made for the Nintendo NES console and hence enabling families to play the beloved game in their homes with a joystick instead of the downright awesome machines put in place to simulate racers worldwide.
Twenty years after its release, the concept remains strong and is instantly recognized for its characteristic format, which is very straight-forward: Race from the top, avoid obstacles and win tournaments.
Platforms: Nintendo VS and NES
Our rating: 3,5/5
SSX (2000-2012)
SSX is a collection spanning over ten years of modern gaming-history. With radical characters, epic locations, and rebellious features, it remains one of the most beloved games of all time in the Snowboarding/Skiing sector. Initially, you could only ride Snowboard in the game, but upon the release of SSX On Tour (2005), you could choose between splitting your ride in two or not.
SSX was all about exaggerating. Unstrap your skis mid-air, drop 200 meters or knock down ski patrol to score bonus-points were only a few features that caused the game to sell worldwide.
Platforms: Xbox, Playstation 2
Our rating: 5/5
Amped (2001)
The first career-dialed game where you could upgrade your character and chase medals against real-life pros such as Jeremy Jones.
One of the funniest features was the random photographers set out around the mountain, which you were encouraged to put on a show for. Back in the days, that was pretty much your go-to if you pursued a real-life career in the sport.
For all of you who have ever played any of the Amped games, we know you know there will never be any game that will be able to resemble the spinning-mechanics of the first Amped-edition, where every first 360 takes 0,1 seconds, while the second may take up to three.
Platforms: Xbox
Our rating: 4/5
So there you have it, the top video games of all time involving snow. Now, it's up to you to go down in the basement and dig out that old console of yours and get to it!
...but if you prefer to watch ski videos or read the latest from the world of snow instead, we suggest you go follow us over at Facebook by clicking here.
Editor's note:
If you're looking for something that closes the gap between gaming and reality, look no further than the below-featured video.
3 min
Unrailistic 2.0
This year freeski ace Jesper Tjäder is back with new trick ideas and creative, never-before-seen features.
