Snowboard Kids DS (Nintendo DS) Preview

We only got to play one course, but we made sure we played it a total of six times to get the most we possibly could out of this game, and we are hugely impressed with what we saw. No need to worry about any of that N64 magic being lost in translation, this DS iteration sports all the tight controls and snowboarding fun that made its Daddy such a cult classic back in the day.

Graphically the game is a real stunner. The courses fly past you as you zip down the slopes with great flair and detail, and in front of you isn't plain blue sky, but the rest of the course you will be racing. It looks just like the N64, but this time round it is shaper, clearer and in the palm of your hand.

The controls are really tight, allowing for some excellent high-speed racing round tight corners and courses, and some pretty 'flipped out' tricks...dude. The course we played on had a number of big air jumps, and once propelled into the void, you can hop, flip, twist and bugger about 'till the cows come home (or you hit the ground, whichever comes first). The trick system is fairly extensive; we managed to combine a whole strong of realty impressive moves before making a soft landing and continuing in the race.

Weapons are once again available to be used in the most evil of ways, and once again they are using sparingly. The course we played was once again quite long, and with only one run down it (rather than lap after lap that you might expect in driving games), the use of weapons in moderation is the key to how SBK works so well. Choosing when to use your weapon is crucial in a close run-in to the finish line, so unleashing that killer freeze-bomb at exactly the right moment will take a lot of consideration. Racing however, remains as hectic as ever, and with the promise of wireless play, things can only get bigger and better with time.

The gameplay remains relatively unchanged over the N64 original, but that shouldn't be much of a concern. This games predecessor was arguably one of the best (unsung) N64 sports titles, and what is lacks in innovation it more than makes up for in imitation. Touchscreen elements don't seem to be used, certainly not at this stage, we can see the menu being touch-sensitive, but beyond that the D-Pad and facia buttons are perfect for control in a game of this nature.

Control during a race is so simple that you can get on with tackling the complexities of the course without being distracted, so sharp turns are a challenge because they are sharp, not because they involve you having to do something confusing on the controller. The physics also feel just right, with the cartoony look of the game reflected to an extent in the mad trick system, but you never feel you are playing something that is too untrue to the sport itself (until you start firing random weapons at fellow boarders from all angles).