Cool Boarders 2

"And snow is supposed to be hot? I thought so."

Game Play-
7/10

The gameplay is okay. You can only perform tricks at certain points in the level, which really is not great, seeing as how SSX can let you perform tricks anytime in the level. The controls are not great. You have really loose controls, so you have to slow down at tight curves. And you cannot turn when getting ready to jump. The variety is okay, and there are a lot of secrets in this game. The problem though, is that the game is really hard. That may discourage new gamers.

The tricks are nice though. Once you learn the combinations, you can always perform 1000 point tricks. Another great feature is the amount of modes. There is Tour/Competition Mode, which is a combination of doing a trick off a hill and racing against other boarders. Freestyle Mode, which is breaking time and score records on the game's courses. Board Park Mode, which is going around a snowboard park. Big Air Contest Mode, which is practicing tricks on a big hill. Big Air Master Mode, which is doing continuous tricks on hills. And Half Pipe Mode, which is practicing tricks on a half pipe. And there is even a Board Editor Mode. Sweet, huh.

One bad thing, though is that Nestle advertised billboards in certain levels. That is just really, really, weird. There are so many secrets in Cool Boarders 2, it is not funny. You can unlock extra levels. You can unlock extra boards. You can unlock extra boarders. And you can unlock other things. The problem with this is that some of the secrets are almost impossible to unlock. But you will learn after playing a long time.

Audio-
6/10

The music is not anything to cheer about. The only good tracks in this game are the tracks in White Resort, Take It Easy, and Railroad Trip, which are levels, by the way. All the others are pretty forgetful. The audio, well there is not much. That feature could have used the most work. The crowds booing or cheering after you completed a level got really annoying after a while. The other sound effects are nothing special.

Graphics-
6/10

The graphics are okay. The mountain backgrounds are perhaps the best graphics. Character design is original. The level design is original and does not repeat itself. The really bad thing about the graphics, though, is the little white lines that pop up around the screen in every level. Other than that, no complaints about Cool Boarders 2.

Enjoyability-
7/10

The game'll keep you busy, but it'll make you feel like they forgot something. The graphics have white flickers and they appear quite blocky.

Score-26/40

Overall-
7/10

The game could have used a big upgrade. Cool Boarders 3 did not do much in improve upon this game. This game is recommended to any Cool Boarders fan, or hard-core gamer. If you really want Cool Boarders 2, rent it first. Good thing, though, is that Hollywood Video sells the game used for $10.00, so that is a cheap buy. The multitude of secrets in this game will be an added bonus. Rent first, then buy.

Street Price-$9.99

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/19/00, Updated 05/20/02