1080º Avalanche. Gaming Age da sus impresiones sobre la version final!!

1080º Avalanche
18 tracks, split into four difficulty levels (Novice, Hard, Expert and Extreme). Extreme opens after getting Gold on Expert.

The last track on each difficulty isn't a race against another player - it's a race against the avalanche. Screens shakes violently and you have to use all your skill just to stay upright.

Five characters (Tara Hunter, Rob Haywood, Kemen Vasquez, Akari Hayami, Ricki Winterborne). Each has four boards but only one is available to start with. Others can be bought with Coins obtained from the Time Trial mode. In this mode there are five pieces of a Golden Coins hidden in each one of the 18 tracks. Find the five pieces to get one coin.

25 licensed music tracks from 8 bands. Really well sampled.

Gate Challenge is a slalom mode.

New additions to the gameplay:
Grinding: A balance meter comes up a la Tony Hawk's.
Stability: Lose your balance or hit a bump and you'll have to rotate the analogue stick like mad to regain your composure.
Power Bar: Pull of tricks to fill up your Power Bar. When full your character glows and has increased stats for a short period of time.
Short cuts: Open short-cuts by triggering events, e.g. smash barrels to set off an explosion and smash open an ice sheet that covers a cave entrance.

Multiplayer: 4-player split-screen, 8-player LAN
Framerate: Hangs around 50fps, does drop when there's lots going on but not so much that is bothers you
Graphics: Gorgeous, better than SSX3 and Amped 2

-Chandra Nair

Don't know about the secret stuff as we've only just gone through it the once.

This is different to even the ECTS version, its been polished since then and looks stunning. The lighting effects are especially good looking.

Bear in mind that this is 100% completed code.

Posted by Chandra on Gary's login...

Okay, just to clear a few things up:

I admit, Avalanche was looking well sketch. Thank God Nintendo gave it to NSTC 'cos Left Field had screwed it up big style.
NSTC did a great job of transforming it in the space of 12 months, but even the ECTS version wasn't as good as I would have liked.

I fully expected this finished version to be okay but nothing more. Thankfully this isn't the case. And just for the record, plaee don't judge the game on the current demo disc that's doing the rounds. The early courses on that demo ain't nothing compared to the Hard, Expert and Extreme courses. That's where it's really at.

Those later courses can get really exhilarating, especially when you're desperately trying to stay on a narrow powder snow-covered ledge, with 200 foot drops on either side.

To the people who still maintain it doesn't look all that... what can I say? I don't agree. Even the guys on our Xbox mags immediately said it looks better than SSX3 and Amped 2. All I can say is, I've played it for two days, you haven't. Ultimately I think that's what it comes down to.
I'm a huge SSX3 fan, and I wouldn't be able to choose between them both. They're both great and both very different games. I'd say that Avalanche is better than the original though... but so it should be after all these years.


Posted by Chandra on JetSetHero's login


1. Can you give us some track names or descriptions. Some of the cooler ones.

Novice:
Ski School, Tenderfoot Pass, Frosty Shadows

Hard:
Powder Treat, Tree-Top Trauma, Grits 'n' Gravy, Trestle Trouble

Expert:
Revolution Cliff, Midnigt City, Rotted Ridge, Diesel Disaster, No Way Out

Extreme:
Top Tree Mama, Treble Tussle, Evolution Riff, Sid's Night Midi, Dazzlin' Teaser, Wit's Thicket

Diesel Disaster: various landslides are causing havoc on the mountain roads, and as well as avoiding all the pile-ups, you also have cars skidding out of control at the most awkward moments.
Evolution Riff: At one point you are so high up that the camera zooms out above you so you can see the valley below you. The scenery draws out for miles.
No Way Out: The last track on Expert mode pits you against a huge avalanche. Worse still, the vibration is so intense that it sets off landslides all around you as you’re going along. The final set-piece requires you to jump off a cliff into the helicopter cockpit!


2. Hows the multiplayer?

Haven't touched it yet, sorry.


3. Which is your favorite boarder. Think there are any unlockable?

Using Ricki at the moment with his fourth board and alternative costume (he wears headphones and has a different set of clothes). There must be secret characters in there, we just haven't opened them yet. The code has to go back tomorrow though