When you think of the Winter X Games, the first thing that leaps to mind is a group of folks snowboarding. We’re not sure why that is, it’s just a thing. Of course, there’s more to it than that. There are skis, for one, and it’s not just fearless folks going downhill very fast.
Normally the only way to experience something like this — you know, extreme athletes performing movement-based miracles — is to watch it on a screen or stream. But you can also join in by connecting up a games console and sending a digital version of these sports… people…? careening around a virtual mountain.
Snowboarding games remain popular, though not enough that annual releases are an option. In other words, when they’re released, they tend to be good. Tend to be. There are always a few stinkers (looking at you, Evolution Snowboarding) but there are a couple of greats out there. Most of them are even still playable today. Here they are.
SSX 3 (2003)
SSX 3 is an absolute classic. There’s a reason why this is the only PlayStation 2/Gamecube/Xbox-era game in the series still on (digital) sale. There’s a massive area to explore, players can customise their characters (to some extent), and the tricks and stunts, as ever with the series, are impossibly cool. If you’re playing this Xbox title on the Xbox One, you’re also in for some improved visuals and performance. Even if you’re playing on a legacy console with an original disc, the graphics and controls compare favourably with modern-day games.
SSX (2012)
But if you absolutely must have the most modern SSX game available, then 2012’s release on the Xbox 360/PS3 is the way to go. You can make the case this that update leaned a little too far in the direction of realism but there’s a large roster, masses of different courses to tackle, and a bunch of customisation if you’re willing to put in a few hours. That Electronic Arts thought to include Run DMC’s It’s Tricky on the soundtrack just earns the game a few extra points.
1080° Snowboarding (1998)
This one reaches all the way back to the days of the Nintendo 64 console. That’s 1996, for all the people born after 2000. 1080° Snowboarding is very much a product of its time but it was also made by Nintendo themselves. The great Shigeru Miyamoto himself worked on it as a designer so it’s no wonder that navigation, animation, and trick execution are fantastic. The game still holds up today, if you can get your hands on it. It’s not as slick as more modern offerings — the announcer belongs in Virtua Fighter and some of the music seems cribbed from early Gran Turismo games — but it’s still definitely worth playing.
Amped 2 (2003)
Amped was Microsoft’s attempt at cashing in on some of that snowboarding love floating around at the turn of the century (yeah, we went there). There were three games made, so M$ obviously managed to ride that particular snowboard for a while. Amped 2 is our pick of the bunch. This one’s the most like a Neversoft game (specifically THPS) but there are elements here that were used to great effect when Electronic Arts released Skate in 2007. Specifically, the whole photoshoot thing. Even today the game’s controls are tight and the level design is more than bearable. The only tricky bit? This one’s not backwards-compatible with anything, so you’ll need an original Xbox and an original copy to play it.*
Alto’s Adventure (2015)
Normally snowboarding games are all about speed and adrenaline. It’s rare to see one that’s all about taking it easy. Until you keep crashing into a reindeer or whatever that thing is. Originally a mobile game, Alto’s Adventure (and its sandboarding sequel Odyssey) is now available on most game platforms (the Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One, plus mobile phones). Whizz soothingly down a crisp mountainside. Gracefully leap over stones and other obstacles. Elegantly backflip as you glide through the air. Land on your head or in a crevasse. Rince. Repeat. You know you want to.
Steep (2016)
Even if you ignore every other snowboarding title on this list, there’s one you really, really shouldn’t. Ubisoft’s Steep is still current and, while Rider’s Republic is arguably the better extreme sports game, this one offers a proper Winter X Games edition. It’s as close as you’re going to get to winning a gold medal for snowboarding without snapping on a pair of boots and heading over to Aspen to dip your board in some fresh powder. And when you’re done with that there are still loads of mountain peaks, activities (like paragliding, wingsuiting, and trudging), boards, and gear to unlock/pay for (depending on how lazy/rich you’re feeling that day).
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