1080 Avalanche

"1080 is one of the most underrated games ever!"

After reading Ign and Gamespot bash this game I did not really want it but then I took a chance and bought the game. I never regret my decision for a moment. This game is really fun. While many compare this to SSX3 the two are nothing alike. While 1080 has a main focus of racing SSX3 has a main focus of tricks. This game has 1080 in the title but it is all about speed. Nothing beats the feeling of going 138 kph while dodging trees, going off jumps, and beating an avalanche.

Graphics:10/10
This game has some of the best graphics I have ever seen. The snow looks beatiful and smooth. While going fast snow goes on your clothes and on the screen, its just that realistic. The avalanche effects are amazing and makes you feel like your in the game. Overall this game has solid graphics and better graphics then the N64 version but that is due to a hardware difference.

Sound:10/10
This game has one of the best soundtracks ever. The soundtrack for this game has over 30 songs all from different artists. Also you can choose what song you want to listen to beofre the match starts. Another great thing about the sound is that during the loading you pick songs to listen to. Overall with over 30 songs from many different artist this game has one of the biggest and best soundtracks.

Controls:7/10
This is the games downpoint. The controls aren't really that bad. The controls are simple for doing tricks.To do tricks you use X and Y buttons along with different directions. Also you can spin and do backflips by holding down L or R. The bad thing about controls in this game is when you crash you must rotate the analog stick fast or else you will crash. ALso after big jumps if you land it wrong you have to rotate the sticks. This is a real annoyance but you get used to it after a while.

Gameplay:8/10
This game has pretty good gameplay. There are several modes to choose from such as Trick Attack,Match race,Multiplayer,Lan,Time Trial,and Gate Challenge. This game also has a pretty hard difficulty. Match race is the main mode where you race across 15 different tracks and 3 avalanches. You dont get all 15 tracks though first you beat Novice which has 4 courses, then Hard which has 5 courses, and last Expert which has 6 courses. In Trick Attack you get to choose if you want to do Half Pipe,Big Jump,and Terrain Park. This game has alot to unlock. You can unlock courses, boards for each racer, and secret characters. There are quite a few unlockables which keep you playing.

Overall:9/10
Overall this game has a great single player mode where you can unlock many courses, many boards for each racer, and secret characters. This game has Lan which can make you play online using Warp-Pipe. This game has a decent multiplayer but in multiplayer you can only race on 8 courses. This a great game and will keep you coming back for more.

Rent or Buy?

I would say Buy. There are alot of things to unlock in single player and afterward you can play Trick attack mode to break records or multiplayer with up to 3 friends

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/19/03