Snowboard Riot

I had a severe sense of d?j? vu after first playing Snowboard Riot on Wii. Shushing through this downloadable title, it dawned on me: this is just a clone of Snowboard Kids, but with hipster characters instead of the oversized anime boarders that were used in Atlus’ previous designs. You don’t get much in this ten dollar purchase: four uncreative slopes with absolutely no single player progression. Its focus is more on the pick-up-and-play racing, but with very little at stake (and with some of the most obnoxious rubberband AI routines ever), there’s not much draw in Hudson’s competitive design.

Snowboard Riot isn’t so much a snowboarding game as it is a racing game on snow. There are three different modes: snowboard races with Mario Kart-like weapons, snowboard races without weapons, and snowboard races against the clock. Problem is, once a race ends, it ends completely, whether it’s first or fourth place. You’re not racing for anything beyond bragging rights, so the thrill of victory is incredibly short lived since you’re never given anything for the accomplishment. I suppose there’s merit to this kind of design if you’re simply interested in pick-up games against a buddy in two player split-screen or online via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, but when you’re playing solo winning is a hollow sensation because there’s nothing to it beyond withstanding the overly frustrating computer AI “catch-up.”

It’s like Snowboard Kids without the substance.

Yes, that’s the biggest and most irritating part of the game — its overly aggressive “rubberband AI” routines, an artificial means to keep races close. This mostly happens during the “weapon” races where computer opponents have the luck of the Irish and the aim of a trained sharpshooter to knock you down to the snow in order to sneak in and turn your first place victory into a last place loss. I suppose the irritation would be much more severe if there was something at stake, but since victories pretty much go unrewarded in Snowboard Riot, I guess the issue isn’t as overwhelming with all things being considered.

Snowboard Riot feels like it was the start of a full-fledged retail product that had its development cut short early in the project. The 3D visuals are fine, the framerate’s solid even in two-player splitscreen, and the character models are pretty good (their voices are terrible, though). Courses are rather unimaginable, and with only four to play there’s not much variety. The online component works and works well, but it still is stuck in Nintendo’s heavily restrictive Wi-Fi Connection format with friend codes and a poor, flawed matchmaking system; you can’t search for opponents and then select the type of race, you have to pick the game first, then find opponents also looking for that type of race. It’s nice to get another title that supports the Balance Board peripheral, but no one in their right mind would use it in any sort of competition when analog stick controls are far more precise.

Resident Evil 5

From the ashes of old conflicts, a new terror arises. The Umbrella Corporation and its crop of lethal viruses have been destroyed and contained. But a new, more dangerous threat has emerged. Years after surviving the events in Raccoon City, Chris Redfield has been fighting the scourge of bio-organic weapons all over the world. Now a member of the Bio-terrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), Chris is sent to Africa to investigate a biological agent that is transforming the populace into aggressive and disturbing creatures. Joined by another local BSAA agent, Sheva Alomar, the two must work together to solve the truth behind the disturbing turn of events. Featuring a revolutionary new co-op mode of gameplay, Resident Evil 5 will let players experience fear together as terror moves out of the shadows and into the light of day.

Key Features: Two Playable Characters – Chris Redfield, protagonist of the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil: Code Veronica, returns and is joined by new playable character Sheva Alomar, an African BSAA agent tasked with investigating the epidemic. Two Player Online Co-op – New cooperatively-focused gameplay revolutionizes the way that Resident Evil is played. Chris and Sheva must work together to survive new challenges and fight dangerous hordes of enemies. Next Generation of Fear – Features groundbreaking graphics that utilize an advanced version of Capcom’s proprietary game engine, MT Framework, which powered the hit titles Devil May Cry 4, Lost Planet and Dead Rising. “Quick-Select” Inventory System – Improved inventory system allows items to be traded between characters. To add to the intensity, all inventory management is done in real time; items can even be assigned to the directional pad for instant access. New Control Schemes – Features new modernized third-person action game control variations as well as the return of the traditional Resident Evil 4 control schemes. New Enemies Bring New Challenges – Enemies boast increased speed and intelligence, making them as dangerous alone as they are in groups. Powerful New Weapons – The number of weapon variations has been greatly increased providing new ways to keep enemies at bay. Fear Light as much as Shadow – Lighting effects provide a new level of suspense as players attempt to survive in both harsh sunlight and extreme darkness.