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Thread: 1080 Avalanche (GCN)

  1. Nintendo GameCube 1080 Avalanche (GCN)



    Title: 1080 Avalanche
    Developer: NST
    Genre: Racing
    Platform: Gamecube
    Players: 1-4 (LAN Enabled)




    Ready...Set...

    1080 was a benchmark title for the Nintendo 64. It was the first extreme sports game for the system and an extremely well designed game at the time. There weren't too many snowboarding games at the time of the N64/PSX era but 1080 provided players with a polished and very playable game. Shortly after though next gen games such as SSX and Amped came onto the scene providing players with smoother controls and physics, leaving 1080 in the darkness. Reviving this game was the last thing on Nintendo's mind after all they still had Mario Sunshine, and Super Smash Bros Melee to create but they handed over the duty to NST to create the sequel for the Gamecube. NST also worked on Wave Race: Blue Storm, one of the launch titles on the Gamecube, which was the successor to the original Wave Race 64, on the N64. Another racing title created by Nintendo, it got great feedback from players and reviewers, so did NST work their magic over 1080 Avalanche?



    GO!

    Let's start with how the game looks, and boy does this game look good, the tracks are bristling with life, there are all sorts of little details dotted around each course, antelopes galloping around the place, NPC's and skiers populating some of the more industrial courses, and neat show effects that follow with certain movements of your character or collisions, choppers fly overhead, speed blur appears when reaching the peak of your speed. This sort of stuff is great, and adds a realistic edge to the game, it looks like your actually in a mountain range with things going on around you, not just a lone character with miles and miles of snow in front of him/her. Moving on to the character models, they really are a mixed bag, they're quite detailed, but their faces kind of look like dummies from the front, but you'll usually only see them from the back so it doesn't matter that much, it's the detail on the characters attire that really stands out though. Snow will stick to their clothes when reaching high speeds, clothes will rustle and life, especially when jumping off a rather high jump. It's the little details that make 1080 look great, and NTS has manage to implement enough of these small features to make a snowboarding game that looks very nice despite the fact that a lot of it's just ice and snow. Great stuff all around. The only problem is that the frame rate does drop quite often, not too much to let the game down, but it's certainly noticeable.

    The sound on the other hand, really is a mixed bag, the sound effects are really really good. The SFX compliments the graphics perfectly, everything feels really authentic and unique, each individual piece of moving scenery makes it's own distinct noise, and the overall effect sounds really really good. Combine this with Dolby Pro Logic 2 support and you have a great treat for your ears. Now the music for the most part is very disappointing, the majority of the soundtrack sounds like it was tacked on at the very last minute, in contrast with the SFX it really does fall flat. The vocal tunes sound good though, with the likes of Cauterize, and Finger Eleven fitting the bill rather nicely, but the 10+ other tracks are bland and boring, so low marks when it comes to music.



    Don't eat the yellow snow

    1080 Avalanche doesn't play like any other snowboard game, it concentrates more on an arcadey, racing experience, tricks play an important part too but it plays second fiddle to the actual racing. Instead of pitting you off against a whole roster of racers, the game throws you multiple short courses with one other racer. So it's a head to head race to the finish to see who crosses the line first. The title is pick up and play, it isn't too complex or deep, it doesn't bother with strenuous amounts of extra routes and winding paths, it's just one slope, a few jumps, and a set of minor obstacles and the odd shortcut. People who like their snowboarding games to be long and deep will most likely find no enjoyment here.

    Races are split into four different classes, from easy to extreme, at the end of each set of courses comes a special stage, these stages are large expansive runs with various hazards to avoid, be it falling trees, falling icicles, or avalanches, there is always something to keep you on your toes. These are by far, the best parts of the game as each one is exhilarating and challenging to play through. It makes playing through the normal races worthwhile.

    The controls go with the simplicity of the game. It's a basic layout. Controls stick is used to move. Pressing the control stick directly left and right will result in a sharp turn which is perfect to use when going round tight turns, and pressing the stick diagonally makes for a more sudden turn that should be used for tight corners, and for hugging the inside of the corners. Holding down the A button allows you to crouch, letting go will result in a small jump. But if you keep A held down your jump will charge up, resulting with a circular bar filling up, if you let go as the bar fills up all the way you'll pull off a really high jump, this really goes well with the arcade feel of the game, as timing is essential and a lot more care must be taken before executing a jump. The Y, X and B buttons (in conjunction with the analogue stick) are used for various grabs and tricks, the L button is used to gain speed and momentum, and tapping L at the right time makes for a smoother landing when coming off at a wrong angle from the jump or slope, it's a nice feature that relieves some frustration from mistiming a jump. The R button is used to spin around in midair after executing a jump, it's a strange way of doing things as most games use the analogue when performing spins, but after a few minutes you should adapt to pulling off tricks using this new scheme. It's a good control system, but it does feel a tad jerky to begin with and it may take you about half an hour, or even longer to truly grasp the controls. The controls could've been a tad more responsive as a lot of the time you may find yourself crashing into obvious structures that are right in front of you. Persevere and it will feel like second nature. It's far from perfect though.

    Multiplayer is a solid experience, but, much like games such as F Zero GX, each player has to have a fair knowledge of how the game plays, if not the experience can really feel one sided as the player who knows all the routes and controls can easily gain a huge lead within a matter of seconds. So it's best to play with a veteran, it's not newbie friendly. 1080 also boasts three trick modes, Trick Park, where the player must get the highest possible score while tearing down the rail and slope filled run before the time runs out, Half Pipe, where the player must get as high a score as possible on a 2 tiered halfpipe, and a big jump where you must jump off a massive suspended slope pulling off the largest mid air combo as possible. The trick attack modes are a nice distraction but aren't as polished as the racing parts of the game. Time Trial and Gate challenge are by far the best modes in the games, they're really addictive and provide a much better distraction than trick attack.

    It has a lot of replay value, despite how short it is, the race mode can easily be completed in way under a day, but it's the extra modes and time trial that will bring players back to the game at regular intervals. 1080 if far from a perfect ride, it has it's faults, and the initial length isn't exactly great but it's a title that, if you want to come back to and play for short intervals of time, is perfect for doing so. It's far from greatness, but it is a good title. Rent before you buy.



    Graphics: 9.0
    Really nice, with little touches that makes a rather bland looking genre look great, the attention to detail is astounding, the odd framerate drop knocks it back slightly. It never reaches a constant 60FPS.

    Sound: 8.0
    Great SFX mixes in with the visuals well, but the music is far from inspiring and is rather dull in comparison to the sound effects. Sound great in Dolby surround though. A mix of good and bad.

    Lifespan: 7.9
    You may pick up and play the game from time to time but the game never really keeps you hooked for days, it's pick up and play, depending on what you think makes a game last, will decide the outcome of how long it'll last.

    Gameplay: 7.8
    The game controls are not perfect, it feels quite jerky at times but the game is never far too frustrating, multiplayer needs to players to really get into it and practice, if you want the matches to be fair.

    Score: 7.9
    Never too deep or complex, the games shortcoming is that the game may not last long for you, the game is fairly accessible; it’ll ease you in gently, and then throw you in at the deep end rather quickly. It's rewarding in it's own way. It just needs the right player to get the most out of it.

  2. Thanks for a good review. To me this game was a big let-down from the glory of 1080 on N64. I don't feel they kept the simplistic freeflow snowboarding feel from the original. As far as your observations about the sounds; the music was turned off completely when I played it. I also felt highly annoyed with the framerate. I tried trading it in at EB-games, but they didn't want it. The original is still a great game though, and much better than its sequel.
    nocturne:
    "I view terrorists as freedom fighters."

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