Ski-Doo Snowmobile Challenge Game Review- Sony PS3

Published by: Valcon Games
Developed by: ColdWood Interactive
Genre: Racing
Number of Players: 1-12
Release Date:
US: March 10, 2009
MSRP: $29.99

ESRB Content Descriptors: Mild Violence
Also Available On: Xbox 360

The first thing I would like to note about Ski-Doo is the fact that it retails for $5 at any GameStop in the country. For $5 you can't expect much, but this game exceeded every expectation I had for the title.

Ski-Doo Snowmobile Challenge is the latest in a long list of racing titles from Valcon Games. While they didn't produce an instant classic, this game is worth the price and much better than anyone probably expected. In this ice-covered racing game, you have quite a few tracks to test your skills on. While the game feels polished and fun, it's simply not up to par with the rest of the "next-gen" racers. The game simply lacks the overall charm and entertainment we have seen with other games. In many ways, this game still feels "last-gen".

While racing is the biggest part of the game, much of your experience will include pulling off rather simple stunts. Power boosts can be obtained once you pull off enough stunts or knock other players off their snowmobiles. Most tracks are too "twisty" to use the boost effectively. Outside of standard racing events, there are a handful of stunt events that are actually more fun than racing. While they aren't impossible, some of these events offer a degree of challenge. Points accumulate slowly, so you are required to take advantage of every possible stunt.

The game also offers and online mode, but you will probably not find anyone playing. This will make it difficult or impossible to achieve platinum status. Most trophies are very easy to acquire and can be picked up in a few hours of gameplay. Two trophies require online play and the odds are slim that you will find anyone else to race with.

In the end, this game surprised me. It was more fun than I expected from a $5 investment. At the original $29.99 price, it wouldn't have been worth it. The current price is certainly right and worth it for anyone who enjoys racing.

Graphics & Audio (13/25)

The graphics in Ski-Doo don't look too bad, but still aren't equal to other racers on the PS3 or Xbox 360. The graphics will not blow your mind in any way, but there's nothing to really complain about either. The engine sounds during races are terrible and the soundtrack is a bit boring and repetitive. The songs included seem like generic "driving" songs.

Gameplay (20/25)

I have no major complaints concerning gameplay. The controls are simple and do what they are supposed to do, with the exception of back-flips. Certain flips are extremely hard to land due to the fact that you lose focus on where the ground is. Had this game been a little longer, gameplay would have been more exciting. You can do everything there is to do in less than 10 hours. Customization was also very bare bones.

Creativity (10/25)

Unfortunately, this game wasn't very creative. It felt like a "last-gen" title and didn't offer anything new.

Fun (16/25)

This game was surprisingly fun, although short. Had there been more tracks and more creativity, the fun factor would have been much higher. As things are, this is a very enjoyable game for a short period of time.