Snowboarding was never my forte. It was however my friend Ryan’s when we were teenagers. He was also a Nintendo 64 enthusiast, and as such couldn’t stop talking about 1080 Degree Snowboarding to save his own life. He picked up the game at release, and every time I went over after that it was pretty much all we played. At first I wasn’t that interested. Eventually the game won me over and became one of my favorite N64 titles. Decades later I still think about him from time to time, and by association 1080 Degree Snowboarding as well. When I started seriously collecting for the console I just had to add it to my collection. Recently I’ve had renewed interest in snowboarding video games, and I decided to give this one a modern look. Does it manage to hold up? Keep reading to find out!
This is a 3D downhill snowboarding racing game across snowy landscapes. It comes with considerably more bells and whistles than any other of it’s kind at the time, but we’ll get to that later. You start out by selecting a character (from a roster of five fictional snowboarders). I really like the interface for this as you choose them from a ski lodge setting and the camera pans to a different racer each time you press a direction. Each character has their own stats and you’ll need to experiment to see who best compliments you. Some are better at balancing, while others have higher acceleration. There are other statistics like edge control and flex as well. After making your choice you then select a snowboard. These too vary wildly in various categories. The two choices make for lots of different options. You can also choose between normal and goofy styles.
At the time this was a staggering amount of options for a simple snowboard game. There are also a lot of different ways to play. You can compete against a single opponent in a standard race where the first to the finish line wins. There’s also a time attack mode which is more like a slalom in which you’re trying to race against time while passing on specific sides of flags. Then you have the trick attack mode where you gain points for performing tricks, as well as head to head two player versus. Practice is also an option, but in my opinion it’s not a very useful one. You can only train in performing tricks. It doesn’t really go over the basics, at all. That is my one complaint for modes of play because 1080 Degree Snowboarding is one of the most content filled games of it’s kind.
That’s all fine and dandy but how does it play? Extremely well, I’m happy to report. The problem with a lot of snowboarding games from this era was that your characters felt more like they were rocks sliding downhill. That’s not the case thanks to an excellent physics engine. There’s a great sense of weight and momentum behind every turn. This is true to the point that 1080 Degree Snowboarding actually takes a fair amount of practice before you’ll be able to win in any mode. It feels highly realistic in that you really have to aim your turns well to lean into the momentum. Many courses feature jumps and ramps, and aiming your board at just the right angle takes a fair amount of focus and timing. Even the more basic techniques such as the push start take a little practice.
Course design is on point, but there are a few issues I had. For one thing they are all too enclosed. It’s fine for the most part but can make maneuvering around an opponent kind of tricky. I found myself bumping into the AI character frequently simply because there wasn’t enough horizontal room to play with. You have six different maps to play on, and they make use of different mechanics. You’ll find some absolutely huge jumps in some of them, and others feature inclement weather which obstructs your view forward. The only thing I didn’t like is the sections of bridge that you have to jump over. I struggled with these moments even after a lot of practice. In typical arcade racing style there are also a few well placed but not obvious shortcuts. It’s a rewarding mechanic and I found most of them by accident.
It may be surprising but the trick system is one of my least favorite aspects of the game. 1080 Degree Snowboarding is more rewarding in terms of pure racing rather than stunts. I was however impressed with the number of different moves you can pull off. This is typically done by holding down a face (or shoulder) button while in midair, and either holding a direction or by sweeping the analog stick a specific way. In the match race mode I found these little more than an amusing distraction. It wastes time to pull off tricks (unless of course you’re jumping off a ramp) and I felt like it was a missed opportunity. You’ll find yourself completely passing by half pipes because pulling off a few tricks gives the opponent a big advantage.
The tricks themselves are the most difficult part of 1080 Degree Snowboarding. The problem I had (and still have) is that I tend to move the joystick too quickly causing the game to not register it. Other times I didn’t get enough air, or started the trick too late into a jump causing me to fall to the ground. Trick mode is a different story, and it’s for the more advanced players. It’s fun to play, but falls short of the main racing mechanics. Still, if you wanted Tony Hawk Pro Skater but snowboarding then this game will scratch the itch. The practice mode is also pretty helpful to teach you the actual tricks, and I really like that you can choose between half pipes and ramps as your focus here.
1080 Degree Snowboarding is simply the best looking game of it’s kind from the 32/64-bit generation. The first time I played I was wowed with the tracks your board leaves on the course, and the effect is still impressive even today. The same goes for the way the wind blows your character’s jacket when you get up to top speed. Weather effects are also really well done and do a great job of immersing you in the course. The only complaint I have is that the game is locked at 30 frames per second, but it’s very smooth sailing with few hiccups. For a cartridge game the soundtrack is also really well done with some light vocal effects in the tracks. It sounds a bit muffled by today’s standards, but the music is really good considering the Nintendo 64 hardware.
