Sled Storm - PlayStation 2

Sled Storm feels very much like a derivative of its bigger sisters and fans of the snowboarding series will feel right at home here. The action is fast and furious; the racing engaging and there’s even a trick meter which, when fully powered, allows ludicrously impossible stunts to be performed to great effect.

This game looks and plays very nicely. The handling of the individual sleds, which can be tweaked throughout the game, feels mushy at first but soon becomes second nature. The scenery is a delight to drive over, especially when it’s accompanied by a suitably twangy soundtrack and some impressive expletives from the player’s onscreen persona. The number of available tricks is limited by the nature of the machines characters can ride and is further restricted to a few arm-waving manoeuvres with the occasional bit of leg action thrown in for good measure--but this doesn’t detract from several good quality hours of playing time. The only faults to pick out are the measly seven courses to race on and a limited number of playing modes. Cast these minor niggles aside and what you’re left with is good, solid snow racing fun.--Chris Russell