DesertEagleXIX
12-18-2008, 12:24 PM
Past attempts to recreate the sport of snowboarding on our game consoles have delivered two divergent game paradigms. On one hand, there is the SSX model, with hundred-foot jumps, arcade mechanics, and forgiving gameplay. In stark contrast stands the Amped series, with its strict adherence to real-world physics and recreation of real-world tricks. Few snowboarding titles have attempted to straddle the realms of both arcade-action and simulation.
Shaun White Snowboarding for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 spends its first few hours of gameplay adhering to the rigid rules of simulation; the player is incapable of performing stunts unrealistic for a professional snowboarder. Within a few hours, power-ups are collected and the title radically changes its focus to become a high-flying, exaggerated game, which throws reality out the window. While some players may appreciate the novelty of Shaun White’s transitional gameplay, others might be perplexed at the shift in design. Fortunately, the controls remain consistent, if eccentrically conceived.
To initiate a jump, the player holds down and then releases the right trigger, at the apex of a hill or ramp. At first, this felt unintuitive, after many years of Tony-Hawk style jumps instigated with a face button. To perform a twist, the player moves the left thumbstick to preload the turn, continuing to hold the stick to rotate the player’s body. The right thumbstick is used for grabs, and once airborne, the right trigger can be utilized to ‘tweak’ a move. As the player progresses, they are awarded ‘focus’ powers which act as slow-motion triggers within the game.
Continued: http://tech-gaming.com/2008/12/17/prouder-powder-shaun-white-snowboarding-reviewed.aspx
Shaun White Snowboarding for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 spends its first few hours of gameplay adhering to the rigid rules of simulation; the player is incapable of performing stunts unrealistic for a professional snowboarder. Within a few hours, power-ups are collected and the title radically changes its focus to become a high-flying, exaggerated game, which throws reality out the window. While some players may appreciate the novelty of Shaun White’s transitional gameplay, others might be perplexed at the shift in design. Fortunately, the controls remain consistent, if eccentrically conceived.
To initiate a jump, the player holds down and then releases the right trigger, at the apex of a hill or ramp. At first, this felt unintuitive, after many years of Tony-Hawk style jumps instigated with a face button. To perform a twist, the player moves the left thumbstick to preload the turn, continuing to hold the stick to rotate the player’s body. The right thumbstick is used for grabs, and once airborne, the right trigger can be utilized to ‘tweak’ a move. As the player progresses, they are awarded ‘focus’ powers which act as slow-motion triggers within the game.
Continued: http://tech-gaming.com/2008/12/17/prouder-powder-shaun-white-snowboarding-reviewed.aspx