Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding

"Best snowboarding game ever!"

When I got my Xbox, this came with it. I wasn't expecting too much of it since all the other snowboarding games I played were pretty annoying but this game really amazed me and is still one of my favourite games.

Gameplay: The most important part of the game and Amped doesn't disappoint. In each level there are small hills, medium hills, and big hills. The hill levels add alot of depth to the game because you can specifically pick which hill you want for a move. So if you want lots of air youd go to the big hill, if your looking for distance youd go for the small hill and for both you go to the medium hill. Each type of hill has a stripe on it with a color. The controls are pretty much like Tony Hawk games except the grind button is B instead of X. The reason the gameplay is so great is because the phyisics in the game are true to life unlike other snowboarding games, when landing you actually have to land in a good way and it doesnt feel like a coin toss if you'll fall or land which makes it alot of fun even when you fall since you know it's your fault and not the games. There are tons of levels in this game and within those levels there are tons of paths to take that its almost endless. A great game needs a great gameplay system and Amped has the best gameplay system for a boarding game ever. 9.5/10

Graphics: Well, its Xbox exclusive so you'd expect great graphics... and that's exactly what you get! The character models are really well done and look like a real human model. The levels look amazing and most games usually make the background look bad or blurry but this game has the best background in any game period! The backgrounds are jaw-dropping and look so real. The trails left by the boarder also look amazing and it actually does look like the boarder left inprints with his board into the snow. When the boarder falls it also leaves a big blob in the snow which also looks amazing. Another great part of the game. 9.3/10

Sound: This game has a great soundtrack on its own but you can also use your saved song in the game if you don't like the songs already in the game. I use both soundtracks since the one that you get in the game has a ton of genre's to please any music lover, they vary from punk to hip-hop to metal and on and on... 10/10

Story: You're a snowboarder trying to make a name for yourself by getting sponsors to check your skills or competing with pro boarders. Its nothing mind boggling but it'll do... and hey it's not like other snowboarding games have a great story.8/10

Replay Value: I was expecting a little more multiplayer modes but battling head to head is still fun. It's also a great way to compare your created boarder with your friends... or just compare skills. Hopefully Amped 2 will have better multiplayer modes since it's online. If you don't like multiplayer you could just play all the different levels in the game since there ae so many levels and paths to take in those levels.8/10

Buy/Rent: Well now that its only $19.99 since its a platinum hit there is no reason why every xbox owner shouldn't have this game. It is almost as important as Halo. Im not a snowboarding fan but I had alot of fun playing this game and Im sure everyone else will too so just buy it! Buy

Overall: This is the sleeper hit of 2002 and the most underrated game in years! It is alot of fun and the developers focused more on fun then creating a complicated gameplay system which is a real easy strategy for developers to follow but 99% of them dont use it. Great Game. Great Price. Great Buy! 9.2/10 = 9/10 (gameFAQs rating system)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/29/03, Updated 03/29/03