if you are looking for frosty fun going about 60 miles an hour down powdery white mountains, this is your best bet. from the moment it starts, amped has you in a bunny suit, carving with your crew of buddies to the stellar manfred mann tune, "blinded by the light". i can't make this up. it is, quite possibly; the best beginning and one of the most memorable gaming moments i've ever experienced.

sadly, it's all downhill from here (pun intended). during the rest of my playtime, i performed pant-wetting tricks, switched from my board to a sled to a snowmobile on the fly, and hell, the cutscenes might have squeezed out a giggle or two, but nothing else blew my mind. this doesn't mean this is a bad game. not by a long shot! in fact, it's worn my thumbs down to a pink soreness that only call of duty 2's campaign and perfect dark's multiplayer acheived. my only issue with the game is that it's a huge one, that starts with the punchline, and leaves you hanging.

verdict: 07/10; rent, purchase when price goes down

This entry was posted on Friday, December 09, 2005 at 5:00 PM.