"This game is a blast!"

This is an excellent game, despite what the people at IGN and Gamespot think. Some people simply think that this game cannot compete with SSX 3 or Amped 2, which I might add are good games as well, but in some aspects Avalanche surpasses those two titles. The first person who reviewed the game seemed to think Amped 2 looks much better than Avalanche visually. Well, I am going to have to disagree. Avalanche has wicked animations and character models. Some may argue that the characters have low polygon counts, but who cares as long as they look good right? The characters' clothing, and hair if a winter hat is not worn, will flap in the wind in a realistic fashion. The sense of speed is incredible in this game. You will be on the edge of your seat by the end of a race. The particle effects (especially the avalanche effects) are impressive as well. The environments are full of life and action. On one slope, you will see a jet fly above. The soundtrack is surprisingly impressive as well. Nintendo decided to get some licensed music in the game and this has proven to be an excellent decision. Only one word can describe the gameplay: FUN. Avalanche may not be the most challenging game, but it is a lot of FUN and you will be able to take advantage of its LAN feature to play online via Warp Pipe. This game focuses on racing, as opposed to SSX 3, so of course its trick system will not be as advanced, though it is still fairly good. Four-player split screen is also great fun, and the visuals do not drop at all in multiplayer. I recommend a buy for all Gamecube owners out there. Superb!

Here are my scores for the game...

Visuals: 10/10 - One of the best looking games on the Gamecube to date. Avalanche effects are outstanding!

Sound: 9/10 - Licensed music was a good choice. Everything sounds like it should. This game really makes you feel like you are on the slopes.

Control: 10/10 - Really couldn't be any simpler. The sluggish controls from E3 have been perfected.

Gameplay: 10/10 - This game may not be challenging, but it is one of the most enjoyable games I have ever played.

Replay Value: 8/10 - What!? You may ask how I could give such a score. Simply put, the game is online, yes you heard me correctly, ONLINE. You can play this game over Warp Pipe by taking advantage of its LAN features. This adds infinite replay value to the game. Four-player splitscreen support is also very entertaining. If there were some more tracks and maybe some more modes in multiplayer, this game would get a 10 here.

Final Score: 9.2/10

Since I can't give a 9.2, I rounded down to a 9/10.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/14/03