Sony PlayStation, £34.99
Snow boarding, once the domain of those anti-establishment grunge dudes, is now a recognised sport. At Nagano, in Japan, last month it was given real recognition when it made its debut as an Olympic sport.
There were some behind-the-scenes arguments between governing bodies, but the events passed off without too much fuss. Well, there was that little incident about cannabis, but, in the end, all went home happy - unlike most of the punters who splashed out on the first instalment of this game.
The indifferent first draft had poor graphics, limited gameplay (only one downhill option) and no two-player mode. But the programmers have listened to the criticisms and have totally revamped the game. This is evident from the moment you crank up Cool Boarders 2 and holds through in all options and modes.
There are now five options in the gameplaying department: Freestyle, Competition, Big Air, Board Park and Half Pipe, and 10 courses. The two-player mode, while only available in freestyle, is a welcome addition and it can be done with spilt screen or, if you have two TVs, two consoles and two copies of the game, by link cable.
The Trick Master mode, which can be accessed in Big Air, is ideal for practising those fancy moves. A trick is specified before each jump, and unless you perform it accurately you will be required to do the same one over and over until you perfect it.
Not being an exponent of the sport it is hard to tell how true the moves are in relation to the real thing, but executing the Indy Nosebone, Melancholy or Stale Fish seem suitably difficult to perform and are spectacular when accomplished.
Back and front flips are, on the other hand, relatively simple.
While Cool Boarders 2 gives you a sense of speed as you hurtle down the side of a mountain, the graphics tend to suffer. When at full speed, the amount of pop-up in the distance can be very annoying. That, however, is the only real criticism of this much-improved title and the attention to detail is proven by the inclusion of a comprehensive Board Editor.
Graphics: 83%, Sound: 85%, Gameplay: 92%
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