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We Ski & Snowboard Review for Nintendo Wii

We Ski & Snowboard Review for Nintendo Wii

We Ski released in May of 2008 to solid if not overly-enthusiastic praise. The simple, family-friendly skiing title did a surprisingly good job of capturing the essence of cruising downhill right from your living room. The biggest draw was the excellent implementation of the Wii Balance Board into the control mechanic. It was also possible (and fairly enjoyable) to play the game with just the Wii Remote and Nunchuk combo. But, stepping on the glorified scale made the experience much more pleasing.

We Ski & Snowboard screenshot

As nice as that skiing game was, leaving out snowboarding seemed to be a curious decision. Fast-forward a mere ten months and Wii owners can now pick up We Ski & Snowboard. While there are some interesting additions (including the obvious ability to be a snowboarder) and some wholesome fun to be had, I can’t help but feel We Ski & Snowboard is little more than a well-laid plan of the marketing minds at Namco to release the same title twice in one year.

We Ski & Snowboard takes up to four players down a virtual mountain while taking full advantage of the Wii’s motion controls via the Wii Remote, Nunchuk, and Balance Board. The virtual skiing and snowboarding won’t appeal to a lot of core gamers, but families and youngsters should get a fair bit of mileage out of the title. As with We Ski, Namco Bandai did an excellent job of bringing a glimpse of the mountains to the confines of the living room. Playing with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk is surprisingly enjoyable, and taking advantage of the Balance Board compatibility is a hoot. In fact, the controls offer both simplicity and depth, making the game accessible and rewarding for the casual sect.

We Ski & Snowboard has an indistinguishable interface from We Ski. That’s to say, it’s very user-friendly and pleasant to navigate. This time around, players will be able to choose between two distinct mountains with lots of terrain, and they will be able to pick from either Miis or a chibi-like set of skiers and snowboarders. Once registered, players can then decide to hit either of the slopes – one featuring resort conditions, the other opting for an untamed, unspoiled outback experience. Both mountains are very well designed, offering a lot of new looks and new challenges for players. They are also amazing mountains to behold. In fact, both games in the franchise are about as graphically pretty as we’ve seen on the Wii. The environments are filled with great textures and impressive vistas. Also, players can choose to tackle the slopes at day or night, providing for another layer of content and visual stimulus. Getting around the mountains is a breeze, as players will appreciate the ability to enjoy the scenery from the chairlift or quick-travel via the mountain map.

We Ski & Snowboard screenshot

Gameplay in We Ski & Snowboard consists of meeting innumerable denizens of the slopes, challenging them to races, having them join up with you to guide you around, unlocking new gear, and pulling off tricks. All of these objectives are available at your own pace – you never are railroaded by the game. The open world feel provides for a malleable experience that each player can tailor to their liking. If you don’t like races, simply take on trick challenges, or skip structure altogether and cruise around the bowls and mogul runs.

If you’re not familiar with the ins and outs of the basic controls or how to pull off aerial tricks, it is best to head over to the Ski School. This tutorial is very complete and, like the original, will get anyone ready for the game in about 20 minutes. Experienced players can skip this tutorial if they plan on skiing, as moves are the same as they are in the original. However, it’s still a good idea to take the lesson if you plan on slapping on a snowboard, even though the maneuvers are nearly identical to those performed while skiing.

We Ski & Snowboard screenshot

Once again, I was thoroughly impressed by just how easily and soundly the controls, especially the trick system, was implemented. A vast improvement over We Ski concerns the ability to pull of tricks all over the mountain. Players will find a lot more interesting hits scattered throughout the mountain this time around – one of my major complaints from the last go. It seems the focus of the game has shifted away from tedious missions and has skewed more toward finding your own rhythm and enjoying the actual play experience – a good move by Namco players should enjoy.

We Ski & Snowboard screenshot

The sounds are acceptable but the graphics are great. The musical themes are scant and uninspired, and the fake talking sounds while conversing are grating and therefore superfluous. As previously mentioned, the mountains and their vistas are beautifully rendered – a rarity in a casual Wii title.

If you pick up this title without picking up a Wii Balance Board, you’ll definitely be missing out. However, the game is still fun and easily controlled even if you can’t shell out the cash for the entire rig. As with We Ski, the game is still only compatible with one Balance Board at a time. This makes the multiplayer experience less interesting than what it could have been, but cruising around the slopes with friends in the living room is still a pleasant experience. However, single-player action still trumps the basic multiplayer offering.

Unfortunately, other than the ability to snowboard and the addition of a second, more open and wilder mountain, this title is essentially identical to what its predecessor brought to the table. As such, owners of the original game won’t find a truly compelling reason to pick up the second attempt. That being said, We Ski & Snowboard is the definitive edition if you haven’t already plunked down cash on the first. Also, the developers have once again done an excellent job of organizing the loads of options and additional content in the game. This is a casual Wii exclusive that has gotten loads of polish and has been lavished with time and care; purchasers won’t feel as if they’ve been swindled by a slapped together mess. Consequently, I recommend We Ski & Snowboard for those who have not played the original, can’t get enough of the original, or are in need of a uncomplicated snowboarding fix – just don’t expect a barnburner.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.0 Graphics
The mountains and vistas are impressive to behold with solid textures, and there are tons of goofy objects to unlock. 4.1 Control
The game controls very well whether you use the Wii Balance Board or not. 2.8 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The tunes are as sparse as in the original, and the Animal Crossing-like gibberish gets annoying. 3.4

Play Value
Once again, the solid controls and polished presentation make the game enjoyable, but I can’t help but feel like I’ve done all this before, less than a year ago… oh, that’s right! I did.

3.5 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Enhanced Maneuvering: Trick skiing, including backwards-riding, flips, daffy ducks and helicopters are now possible! Snowboard goofy or regular and twist, turn and flip as much as your body can bear. Jump anywhere, anytime! And put your improved skill set to the test in the brand new Family Ski & Snowboard Fun Park, complete with huge half-pipe, rails, and fun boxes.
  • Interactive, Dynamic Environment: Perform jumps wherever you want to on skis or snowboards in a fully-explorable environment.
  • Beautiful Scenery – With 7,000 vertical meters to explore over two massive mountains, there is a virtual world of wintry wonder to wander! And with Day, Afternoon and Night riding modes, you can set the mood as you see fit.
  • Relive the Memories: Replays can occur in any game mode at any time, and from multiple camera angles, just like on TV! Any instance in a replay can be captured as a static photo.
  • Interactive Additions: NPC’s can be recruited in game play as tour guides around the mountain, and NPC’s and Mii’s are there to keep you company, skiing or snowboarding with you, ahead of you, or behind you.

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