Hello and welcome back to Lost Gems, the series where I discuss titles that have been lost, forgotten or simply abandoned. Following the theme for the season, I have another winter sports game that was released for the Nintendo 64, developed by Racdym and published by Nintendo and Atlus. So it is time to take a look at Snowboard Kids, a snowboarding action game that was released in Japan in 1997 and worldwide through 1998.
Disclaimer: while the game being discussed here is no longer officially on sale, there are ways to obtain the game. This can either be through the second hand market, or via unofficial digital roms/rips. I do not condone or promote piracy, so there won’t be any links to roms or rips of the game being covered.
So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be discussing the general game experience, the give my personal thoughts on the title.
About the game
Snowboard Kids is a downhill snowboarding game, where the player can select one of 6 characters, with 5 available at the start and one locked character. At the start of the game, the player can select the number of players that will be playing, with up to four players available to play. After selecting the number of players, the character selection will pop up on screen. Each of the characters have their own unique stats and abilities in play.
There are three stats for the characters, separated into Speed, Corner and Trick. The Speed stat affects the downhill speed that the player can reach in a straight line. Then there is Corner, which determines the ability they have for turning, with Trick affecting the airtime that can be gained from jumps. Finding the character that fits your play style is the key to success, as they all handle differently and offer something unique.
Once the number of players has been set and characters have been selected, the player will enter the game properly. If only one player is active, there will be three modes that players will be able to select from. The main game mode is Battle Race, which is the real meat of the game. In this mode, the player will select a track, with each of them having a different length, affecting the number of laps that will need to be completed.
After selecting the track that the player wants to challenge, they can select their board. There are three types of boards available from the start, separated into Freestyle, All-Around and Alpine. Each of these boards have their own stats, which will add to the stats of the player character. These stat increases can balance out some of the weaknesses of the riders, making up for deficiencies in their overall capabilities during play.
During a battle race, the player will challenge three other competitors, with the goal of finishing the race in first place. To complete a race, riders will need to ride down the slopes, carving up the snow along each track, reaching the ski-lift at the bottom. When a rider reaches the bottom, they will need to reach the lift gate, which can get a little busy. This can lead to some fighting when more than one rider is at the lift gate, crashing into each other.
This isn’t a straight forward downhill racing game, as there will be item boxes scattered throughout the courses. Which are split into two different categories, with shot and item pick-ups available for riders to collect. The red shot pick-ups are projectiles, which will affect opposing riders freezing them, knocking them down or launching them into the air with a parachute. Shot items come in threes, with some mild homing capabilities to them.
Then there are the blue items, which have varied effects tied to them which can affect one rider or more. These items can change the way that races play out, with items like the rider flattening pan, the fan that gives a speed boost and invisibility, which provides safety from shots. The items and shots are important to success, but they come at a cost of 100 gold. This is collected on the course, with coins scattered along the slopes.
Gold coins can also be collected by performing tricks, with successfully landing them providing different amounts based on performance. The basic tricks consist of flips, spins and grabs, which can be combined for more advanced moves. If the player successfully lands a trick, they will get a gold bonus, adding it to their total and it can be used to buy items. All characters have special tricks that give big bonuses, but these can be really tough to pull off.
There is no limit to the amount of gold that can be carried, but if the player doesn’t have enough, they will bounce off the item boxes. When this happens, the player will be slowed to a halt, which can also happen when the shop is refilling after use. This makes item use strategic, as the CPU riders will try to grab boxes from time to time. So players will need to decide if they want to use the items, or hold off until later on. Boxes will also overwrite any current item.
At the end of the final lap, depending on the position that the player is in, gold will be awarded. The amounts will vary between Gold, Silver and Bronze, with last place getting nothing. If the player places in the top 3, they will also be able to keep the coins earned during the race. This comes in real handy when it comes to the shop, as there will be additional boards available to buy, with special ones becoming available when conditions are met.
If all six of the races can be cleared, additional courses will open up, providing more challenges for players to take on. If these courses can be cleared, there are additional secrets that can be found. Away from the main Battle Race mode, there are two extra options for players to challenge in single player action. The first is Time Attack, which allows players to pick a course and challenge for the best time, with a single fan to help get them to the goal faster.
Then there are the skill challenges, with three challenges that will test the player’s prowess on the slopes. There is the Shot challenge, where players must ride down the slope, shooting snowmen on the way to the goal line. Then there is the Speed challenge, where players have a target time they have to beat on one of three tracks. Fans will be scattered along the course so players can get to the goal faster, picking them up automatically.
Last is the Trick challenge, which takes place on the Animal Land trick course. In this special mode, the player has a set amount of time to get as many trick points as possible. To get the best score possible, players must make good use of the half pipe, slopes on the turns and a big jump. At the end of the track is a rail that will provide a big bonus, doubling the score for the run if players make it across safely. By clearing all of these challenges, players will earn gold coins.
Moving on, there is the multiplayer mode, which is a straight forward battle race mode, where players can challenge each other in competitive races. Up to four boarders can compete in split screen action, playing out the same way as the regular battle races. At the end of a battle race, the player in first place will be awarded a trophy, before being prompted to continue. If there are less than 4 players, CPU characters will be added.
Last to discuss is the Lesson mode, which offers a comprehensive tutorial for players to use. This provides a fully interactive guide for players to learn the ropes, this covers all the basic mechanics while giving tips on how to get ahead. There is also a full guide on the Shot and Item pick-ups that appear in races, this guide provides full demonstrations of the capabilities of the items. This is a great resource for new players and those who struggle.
Personal Thoughts
I very much enjoy Snowboard Kids, having it on the Nintendo 64 as a kid and playing it for hours, but I didn’t know how to play it that well. But as I got older, I picked up the mechanics and developed the skills to play well, being able to pull off tricks and get all the gold. It does take a little time to get used to it, as it is unlike other games in the genre. The momentum can feel a little off when first starting, but after a few tries, it easily falls into place.
There is a lot of depth to the game, with the special tricks and unique tracks, offering a very stylised gameplay experience. The challenge is there too, with a bit of a mixed difficulty curve, where some races will be a little easier but others being very hard. The only exception is the secret stages, which are the toughest courses in the game, really testing the skills of the player. In general, this is a fun and mostly balanced racing game, with little rubber banding.
Snowboard Kids does have some minor flaws to it, with the need to grind in order to unlock boards, as well as the secret tracks and the final character. This can lead to some frustrations, as it can be pretty tough to beat some of the races during the tail end of the game. Players will also need a lot of gold if they want to buy all boards, with a good mastery of the trick system speeding it up. This does add a lot of replay value to the game.
This title was released during the boom of 3D Snowboarding games, making its mark on players with a unique take on the genre. This is due to the inclusion of Kart racing style mechanics, which made it stand out as more than just a downhill racing game. The game received mixed reviews during release, with critics claiming it lacked staying power and innovation. However, others praised the style and easy to pick up nature.
Snowboard Kids was sold in siginificant numbers, becoming a success and leading to an enhanced port being released for the PlayStation exclusively in Japan. Due to how prevalent the game is, the prices stay relatively low for those who want to pick it up. All versions of the game can be obtained for a decent price, with the Japanese full boxed version being fairly common. But be aware that there are many reproductions on the market.
I love Snowboard Kids, I grew up playing it and had a lot of fun, it has a distinct charm and level of fun that elevates it. The game and series was poplar enough to get 2 sequels and an enhanced port, but the series effectively died in 2005 with the last release on Nintendo DS. I hope that the series at least gets acknowledged, either with a new game or just being added to the Nintendo Classics library, but I don’t think that is going to happen.
If you have enjoyed this feature, then please stick around and see what else catches your eye. I cover a wide range of games in reviews, get special previews and put out regular features. I have Lost Gems, Retro Revival where I discuss re-releases and the occasional Gaming Oddities piece, where I cover weird and wacky titles. So stay a while and have a look around.
W.Kohaku Media 