Some sequels try to reinvent the wheel, others try to make improvements on the original while some, like Snowboard Kids 2, just provide more of the same. The first Snowboard Kids was a pretty good game, and so is Snowboard Kids 2. You snowboard through some nice looking levels, using ski lifts to finish a “lap” and use items to hit other racers.

The story mode feels very much expanded upon, with a little town you can walk around acting as a menu and cutscenes before and after with some silly but fun little animations. In terms of what you actually play, it doesn’t actually change much, so it’s a nice example of how a bit of nice presentation can make something feel much more like a fulfilling experience.

One of the biggest issues in Snowboard Kids 2 is the track design. The themes are great, and includes space and underwater levels. The problem is the tracks are much flatter, which makes the game extremely slow. The speed issue was present in the first game, but this highlights it even more. Considering the absurdity of the game, the snowboards accelerating on flatter surfaces really shouldn’t be a problem.

There are a few nice minigames, such as a speed challenge using items and a trick mode. The most interesting was a Paperboy mission where you have to deliver newspapers to houses. Snowboard Kids 2 is in a nicer package than the first, but the lack of speed can just be frustrating.

Fun

Snowboard Kids 2 is criminally slow. Yes, we know that speed on your snowboard is dependent on the steepness of the hill. Yes, we know that if you fall or collide with something, you can only accelerate off as gravity allows. WE KNOW THESE THINGS! But in a game where reality gets cast aside with wilful abandon at every opportunity, in the name of things good in gaming, why pick this one law of physics to stick to? In places – particularly after a fall on a flat section – Snowboard Kids 2 is so arse-bendingly slow. It really and truly, purely and simply, utterly and completely MAKES YOU WANT TO SCREAM.

James Ashton, N64 Magazine #28. Review Score: 86%

Remake or Remaster?

A remake with all the courses with a bit more speed would be great.

Official Ways to get the game

There’s no official way to play Snowboard Kids 2