The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
For our latest entry, we go dashing down the slopes in the classic PSOne outing, Coolboarders.
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Developer: UEP Systems
Region(s) available: North America
Players: 1
Excuse me for a second, but I’m experiencing an unavoidable compulsion to yell a hearty “Coooool boooooarrdeeerrs!!” from the rafters. There, that’s much better. If this has raised any eyebrows, then I apologise, but rest assured – I’m clinically sane. However, the unmistakable title call of the Cold Boarders series’ eponymous debut should resonate with anyone who grew up with Sony’s grey box of tricks in the middle-late 90s, and remains firmly embedded on my consciousness to this very day. Long before SSX came hurtling down the slopes, Cool Boarders entertained millions of gamers over five snow-filled outings, calving out a substantial following in the process.
The game caters to varying skill levels, so newbie and badass boarders alike should have no problem taking to the slopes from the get-go. Those of you who need a little hand-holding will be able to take advantage of the beginner setting, giving you the skinny on the basic game controls. Once you’ve got up to speed with this, you advance beyond the rudimentary mechanics and start to show off your skills by performing some flashy tricks. Plummet down the precarious snowy slopes in record time, meanwhile, and you’ll unlock a fresh batch of courses to tackle.
Speaking of time, the perpetual ticking of the clock is the game’s sole whiff of competition, with no other boarders accompanying your downhill antics. Just Cool Boarders gently nudges you further up the difficulty ladder, the game also offers up a myriad of different board times to accommodate your preferred style. Got fiddly fingers that haven’t quite mustered up the dexterity required of those show-stopping tricks? Better plump for the all-around boards, then. Then again, perhaps you fancy yourself as a bit of a snowboarding supremo, in which case the alpine board should be right up your street.
Fresh boards are unlocked by meeting certain requirements on each course, namely finishing in a specific time and racking in points by executing tricks. The Ghost mode is pretty useful for the inherent ram-this-course-layout-into-your-brain style grinding associated with beating time records, letting you see where you muck up along the way. Yep, it’s all about trial and error, a process that would remain true of the series’ core recipee for years to come. Now Sony, where’s our long-awaited PS3 Cool Boarders revival?
Stay tuned for more digital delights from Inside PlayStation Network same time tomorrow.