GENRE
	Extreme-Sports
	DEVELOPER
	Nintendo
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	no
	WII EXCLUSIVE
	only-gcn
	EXPECTED RELEASE DATE
	TBD
	BUY NOW AT

Nintendo's popular snowboarding series returns. Promising breathtaking visuals and deep mechanics, this is a title that sports fans will want to keep an eye out for.

Media

Hands-On Impressions
By Nathan Heckel

Ten-Eighty, like Wave Race: Blue Storm before it, is the GameCube version of a Nintendo 64 sports racing classic. And like Blue Storm, it has very big shoes to fill. The tracks in Avalanche are long and varied, replete with the minute details and shortcuts that its predecessor was known for. When sliding down the mountain at high speeds, the adrenaline rush creeps back in. Skiers and bystanders occasionally litter the course, and can be knocked down by our snowboarders in rather hilarious fashion. I’m afraid to report that there are some noticeable pop-up issues with some of the surfaces on the slopes, but nothing horribly glaring. Winterborn and Hayami are back, as doubtless will be the other regulars of Nintendo’s sports racers. The variety of gameplay modes is promising, with the standard one-on-one versus computer race, slalom, time attack, trick mode, and of course, four-player race, which promises to be a great party game should there be enough tracks – something from which Blue Storm suffered.

From the Horse's Mouth

• Race through realistic natural environments, complete with powder drifts, ice patches and groomed hardpack ... but don't get comfortable. You will have to contend with massive avalanches, rockslides, cave-ins, bridge collapses and environments teeming with wildlife and other skiers.
• Experience the unique character-balancing system, which allows you to keep the on-screen character on his or her board. Take advantage of a deep trick system, which lets you flip, spin, grab, grind and tweak your way to glory.
• Master a big catalogue of crazy tricks as you experience the speed rush of big mountain racing. Slalom skills better be tuned as you go head-to-head with CPU-controlled masters or other players.

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