Snowboard Kids

Overview

Though it never enjoyed the mass market success of kart racing franchises like Mario Kart or Diddy Kong Racing, Snowboard Kids polished game mechanics and stylish presentation ensured the game's status as a surprising cult hit.

Gameplay

Gameplay consists of four snowboarders racing down a mountain course. Racers can perform tricks and acquire power-ups through item/shot boxes to gain the upper hand. A lap is completed when a racer reaches the bottom of the course and goes through the lift gate. The racer is lifted back up to the start of the course to begin the next lap. The first racer who reaches the bottom of the course on the final lap wins the race.

Game Modes

Battle Race

The main game mode of Snowboard Kids where four snowboarders race each other down the course performing tricks and utilizing items and weapons. The first racer who reaches the bottom of the course on the final lap wins the race.

Skill Games

There are three skill games available to play in Snowboard Kids: speed, shot, and trick.

Speed: The speed skill game challenges the player to post the fastest time on the course. Fans are scattered throughout the race course for the players to acquire a temporary speed boost. This mode can only be played on Rookie Mountain, Big Snowman, and Sunset Rock.

Shot: The shot skill game challenges the player to shoot and destroy as many snowmen scattered on the course. The player has unlimited ammo to use, but shooting too many shots in a quick matter results in overheating and unable to shoot for a few seconds before they are able to shoot again. Only Rookie Mountain, Big Snowman, and Sunset Rock are the available courses to play this mode.

Trick: The trick mode challenges the player to accumulate as many trick points on the course for three minutes. A special course (Animal Land) is designated for this course that has particular features for players to performs numerous tricks on.

Time Attack

The time attack challenges players to post the fastest time on a course. Unlike the speed skill game mode, time attack mode can be played on all courses. Also, the player is limited to one fan which they can use at their discretion.

Local Battle Race Multiplayer (2 to 4 Players)

Local multiplayer in Snowboard Kids is limited to a battle race. All race courses, characters and boards unlocked from the single player modes can be used here.

Characters

Snowboard Kids has six total playable characters. Each character is rated out of three stars in three attributes: speed, turn, and trick.

Slash

An all-around character, Slash is a good choice for beginning players. He doesn't have any particular weaknesses, but nor does he have any specific strengths.

• Speed: 2
• Turn: 2
• Trick: 2

Nancy

Though she is the slowest character in the game, Nancy is superb both at tricks and at turning.

• Speed: 1
• Turn: 3
• Trick: 3

Jam

Jam is the character most similar to Nancy. He is slightly faster than her, though this comes at the cost of him being slightly worse at both tricks and turning.

• Speed: 1.5
• Turn: 2.5
• Trick: 2.5

Tommy

The fastest character in the game, the portly Tommy can easily achieve breakneck speeds, though this comes at the cost of extraordinarily poor tricks and turning ability.

• Speed: 3
• Turn: 1
• Trick: 1

Linda

Very similar to Tommy, Linda is a slightly slower version of him with minute improvements in her handling and tricks.

• Speed: 2.5
• Turn: 1.5
• Trick: 1.5

Shinobin

Shinobin is a ninja snowboarder that can be unlocked as a playable character once the player finishes first on the Ninja Land course. His turning and tricks are at Jam's level, while his speed is at Linda's. This effectively makes him an all-around balanced character like Slash, albeit better in every regard.

• Speed: 2.5
• Turn: 2.5
• Trick: 2.5

Tracks

Rookie Mountain

One of the shortest and easiest tracks in the game. A good beginner's course. Default 5 laps.

Big Snowman

The longest course in the game which features multiple high ramps where more difficult special tricks can be performed. Default 2 laps.

Sunset Rock

A course run the sunset which include penguins on course, a railing to grind on, and a big snowman in the middle of the course that shoots snowmen toward the racers. Default 3 laps.

Night Highway

A course run on an abandoned highway which features narrow sections, tricky jump gaps, and multiple shortcuts. Default 3 laps.

Grass Valley

This course goes through a mine shaft, farmland, and a small village. The first course without any snow. Default 3 laps.

Dizzy Land

Who doesn't want to snowboard through an amusement park? Not to be confused with Disneyland, this theme park features spinning tea cups that launch you backwards much like a pinball bumper. Default 3 laps.

Quicksand Valley

The first unlockable course and graded as the hardest course in the game. It is run through a hot desert and features quick sand, branching paths, and tricky/deceptive jump ramps. Default 3 laps.

Silver Mountain

The second unlockable course, this course's intense fog diminishes the racer's visibility to see the course's jumps and turns ahead. Default 3 laps.

Ninja Land

The last course to unlock. One of the shortest courses in the game, it is run through a feudal Japanese setting. Shinobin appears as a competing racer in this course. Default 9 laps.

Power-Ups

Power-ups are divided up into two types: "Shots" and "Items". Racers acquired either power-up type by running through a box on course at the cost of 100 coins. The racer will be knocked down if they attempt to acquire a power-up if they do not have 100 coins on hand.

Shots

Shots provide the racer an offensive weapon to use against other racers. They are indicated in red boxes on the race course and are acquired in a set-of-three.

Bombs: Bombs expel a large blast radius upon impact against a wall or hit racer. Other racers in the vicinity of the blast radius will be knocked down as well.

Slapstick: Slapsticks are giant hands hurled toward other racers where they knock down a racer if they are hit by it. They come out fast and tracks a racer like a homing missile.

Parachutes: Parachutes are chutes when a racer is hit, they are thrown up in the air then slowly fall back to the ground. This item is effective to use against others by jump ramps, as they'll lose valuable time and race position by waiting many seconds to fall back down to the ground.

Snowman: Snowman transforms a racer hit by this item into a snowman. While a snowman, you cannot turn and will keep going until a few seconds are up when you are free to move again, or you hit a wall and knocked down. Snowman are able to bounce off walls.

Freeze Shot: Freeze shots will freeze the racer hit by it. Other racers who run into the frozen racer will hit the character like they've hit a wall.

Items

Items provide defensive or trump-card like items to use against other racers. They are indicated in blue boxes on the race course.

Pans: Probably the most comical item in this game, and usually given to the racer in last place. Pans target all other racers and squashes them with a pan overhead and are unavoidable to dodge. Only the invincibility item can prevent a targeted racer from being squashed.

Invisible: Invincibility provides a racer temporary protection from most items. Racers can lose invincibility early if they trip over a rock or they hit a wall. Invisible racers can be affected by ghosts and rats.

Speed Fan: The speed fan provides a racer a speed boost for a short length of time.

Rat: The rat steals ALL the money that the leading player has. If the leading player acquires and uses this item, it'll steal all the money of whomever is in second place.

Rock: The rock trips any character who comes in contact with it. It is fairly small so it is difficult to see on the race course.

Ghost: The ghost slows down the leading player. The leading player can be affected with multiple ghosts from trailing racers. If the leading racer uses ghost, the racer in second place gets affected.

Boards

Main Boards

There are three main types of snowboards racers can select. These boards can be upgraded to three levels, each one slightly better than the last.

All-Around: All-around boards have equal speed, turning and trick stats.

Alpine: Alpine boards have the highest speed, but lowest turning and trick ability.

Freestyle: Freestyle boards have the lowest speed, but highest turn and trick abilities.

Special Boards

Once the game has been completed, players may earn new "Special Boards". The three special boards include the Star Board, the Feather Board, and the Ice Board. Shinobin is the only character that cannot equip these boards.

The Star Board has the speed of an Alpine board, but has the turning of a freestyle board.

The Feather Board has the best trick ability in the game as it is able to stay in the air much longer than other boards.

The Ice Board is a "joke board" where its turning abilities are negligent, despite its decent speed and trick abilities.

Shinobin

Shinobin is an exception with this own "Shinobin" brand boards. For example, his Alpine board is shaped like a Kunai and is essentially called Shinobin Board 3.

Tricks

All racers can perform a number of tricks to earn currency in turn to purchase power-up items on the course and purchase new boards at the board shop.

Grabs: Racers can perform a grab by grabbing a hand to a particular side of their board in the air. Only one grab can be performed, but the grab can be held as long as the racer is airborne.

Spins: Racers can perform spins or flips off jump ramps. Only one spin/flip move is permitted for a racer in the air.

Signature Tricks: Each character has a number of special tricks that nets large amounts of money if done successfully. The player can perform a racer's special trick by inputting a sequence of directional inputs as the racer is in its crouching state. The racer will emit blue sparkles to indicate a special trick was performed.