Sled Storm

Overall: C+
Violence: B-
Sexual Content: A-
Language: A
Drugs/Alcohol: A

Platform reviewed: Playstation
Publisher: Electronic Arts
ESRB rating: E

I was a passenger on my friend's snowmobile that fateful winter's day he decided to chase down a rabbit. Apparently the challenge of catching up to, and running over one of nature's most elusive sprinters, was more than he could resist. Off we went, zig-zagging through shin-deep snow -- me hanging on for dear life, Thumper running for his. I was just getting comfortable with the sled's erratic maneuvers when I felt a sudden lurch accompanied by that distinct airborne feeling. The experience was exhilarating, but alas, gravity took over. My next memory consists of excruciating pain at the base of my spine and the panic associated with being winded. This was compounded by the fact that I was lying face down in the snow, unable to move. Thumper would live to see his family, but I was going to die. My snowmobiling days came to an abrupt end at the tender age of 13. Well, at least until Sled Storm came along...

The game follows a basic racing premise and can be played by up to four players at a time. Choose Quick Race mode and you'll be carving up those powder covered trails faster than you can zip up a snowmobile suit. If you feel up to a real challenge, Championship mode starts you out with a standard machine, a limited number of tracks, and your choice of weather conditions. Points are earned by finding and using shortcuts (yes, it's okay with race officials), doing acrobatic stunts while driving your sled (sorry, falling off doesn't count), and running over any wildlife unfortunate enough to venture onto the track. When (and only when) you finish in first place, these points are tallied and converted to cash, allowing you to upgrade almost everything on your snowmobile. Get good enough and hidden tracks will be unlocked.

Negotiating a series of turns, straightaways and jumps on dry land is tough enough, but when mountain trails are covered with snow and ice, the resulting experience can be intense to say the least. Although listening to the likes of Rob Zombie and Econoline Crush adds to the extreme racing atmosphere, music selection is somewhat limited. But where this game really falls short is in the sound effects department, particularly with regards to the sled noise... I've heard deeper growls emanating from hand-held blenders. Racer trash-talk can also become annoying due to a somewhat limited, albeit profanity free, vocabulary (all my son's character could say was "Watch It!" whenever he got side-swiped). Thankfully, the soundtrack and SFX levels can be adjusted to suit one's taste.

Unlike my real life experience with Thumper, Sled Storm's snowmobiles and people don't sustain any damage. Running into rocks and trees are mere inconveniences, serving only to slow your progress. Riders thrown from a machine lay prostrate on their landing site (sometimes at the bottom of a chasm), but within seconds remount, restart their snowmobile and rejoin the race. Oh, and rabbits? I guess chasing them is a more universal sport than I realized... but they're still just as difficult to run over. Perhaps that's why they're worth 7,000 points.

Jim Fleming

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