Ski Or Die
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Copyright/Publisher: Electronic Arts, Programmed by: Michael Abbot, Nana Chambers &
Michael Kosaka,
Release Year: 1990, Genre: Multi Events, Number Of Players: 1 to 6
After becoming the World's best skateboarder in Skate or Die, you've decided to take up a
sport with a bit more challenge to such an amazing sportsman as yourself. So it's off to
Rodney's Winter Wonderland to prove yourself the ultimate on skis...
The Game begins with that entreperneurial genius Rodney: once again he's got the hippest
shop around and it's here to choose which event to compete in. There are five events in all,
which can be entered individually orm once you think you're ready, as one massive
competition with five points for first place down to one point for third. Up to eight
players can participate, taking turns, although one event allows simlantaneous two-plater
action.
One of the most fun events is Snow Blast, an Operation Wolf-type game with snowballs
instead of bullets. It's first-person perspective and you've got a cursor to aim your
snowballs with. There are two fronts to defend on, north and south: different screens,
neither of which scroll. You flick between the screens by pressing space accordning to
where the most targets are. The enemy are the loathesome 'Snotheads', who run left and
right while throwing snowballs at you. Hits cover you with snow, which can be scraped away
if you collect a spade by shooting that icon.
Other icons include penguins (extra points), snowballs (extra snowballs) and stars
(unlimited snowballs for a short time).
After this you might go for an Innertube Thrash, a sorf of Arctic version of Toobin'.
One or two players can slide downhill in innertubes. Left/right rotates your tube, fire
allows you to jab at your opponent with a fork or knife -- if you're picked them up.
This causes the punctured tube to slow down, but can you reflate by running over an air
pump.
There's more downward, vertically- scrolling action in the Downhill Blitz. An individual
skier has to make his way down a mountain side. There are various paths, most interrupted by
deep ravines which have to be jumped. You can also do tricks, but speed is most important
here.
But tricks are all there is in Acro Aerial: you zoom down a ramp, waggling a joystick for
speed the lift off for stunts. The screen flips right, then scrolls upwards as you do your
stuff. You can also do tricks in the Snowboard Half-Pipe where you 'ski' into the screen.
The lengthy curved half-pipe has logs to avoid, plus stars to collect for extra points.
You can also get points by executing tricks such as leaping over bumps and doing aerials --
zooming up off the side of the Half-Pipe.
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PHIL'S COMMENTS: |
This is more than a bit disappointing for an Epyx game. Most of the events are very
simplistic and dull with only mediocre presentation and little sense of fun.
And unfortunately there's only one simultaneous two-palter event (Innertube Thrash) -
more of the same would have increased the sense of competition between the players.
As it is, the game still provides good variety if little quality. But all that snow's a
bit depressing in the middle of summer - what a strange time to release such a wintry game!
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ROBIN'S COMMENTS: |
What surprised me more than the fact that this is a rather limited package of snow events
was the fact that Rob Hubbard has come up with some unimaginative music, and this after
hearing the marvellous PC tunes (the Dowb Blitz is an 'off-the-wall' but particularly
grating piece). I'm a little worried about the minimal presence of simultaneous play in
the game - one out five events offering the two-player option is not a good sign and
should have offered good scrope for some wild and very funny events (the Snoball Blast
shows promise and the Acro Aerials could have been fun if it had a little more depth).
Instead the limited events just came out dull. Epyx, what went wrong?
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