Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage Review

There’s always been a warm spot in my heart for the icy exhilaration a snowboarding game can bring. SSX Tricky, 1080, Amped 2, and even Cool Borders 2 have all brought their own signature interpretations of the sport into my home, each title skillfully blending speed with a hearty dose of hyper-realistic stunts. Last season, I obtained a lift pass for Shaun White’s HD playground. While the game was competent and offered a bit of glacial gratification, many claimed White’s Wii iteration was the superior diversion.  This year, gamers have a truncated choice of destinations- the sequel is headed only onto Nintendo’s console.

Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage opens as the Flying Tomato, along with a group of a dozen aspiring amateurs, head towards a nondescript airport. Upon their arrival, the game’s luminary departs, becoming unplayable until players complete the game’s main campaign. The air terminal becomes the player’s base of operations as they choose to tackle the game’s 75 challenges, or inspect a myriad of personal statistics. Events range from scored trick exhibitions, half-pipe courses and races, presenting gamers with a nice variety of tasks.

Players may use one of two input methods as they are hurtling down the title’s slopes. Gamers that opt for ‘Wiimote control’ guide their snowboarder with a gentle twist of the device. Between World Stage’s precise turning and its wide courses, navigation never becomes problematic. To initiate an ollie, player flick their Wiimote’s skyward, while tricks are instigated with a press of the “A” or “B” buttons along with the rotation of the controller. Nailing some of the title’s 27 air stunts can be challenging, as precise timing is required upon landing. Rail tricks are handled similarly, with players twisting the controller to maintain a snowboarder’s balance, as they perform one of 7 different grinds. World Stage would have benefited from an additional non-gesture control mode; as an old-school purist, I would have liked to use my Classic Controller.

Additionally, players that own a Balance Board can use the peripheral to guide their character across the virtual snow. Gamers stand on the board sideways with their feet apart, adjusting their balance to steer. After taking a few minutes to adjust to the control scheme, World Stage becomes delightfully immersive, and players will be carving with professional precision. It’s too bad the experience isn’t completely hands-free; players still need to hold a Wiimote to perform air stunts.

Visually, World Stage is a proficient title, with a robust sense of speed elevated by a fluid framerate. The game wisely opts for a caricatured aesthetic, drawing each of the game’s boarders with broad shapes and vibrant colors. Each of the game’s six mountains incorporates real-world landmarks as backdrops. While downhill skiing near the level terrain around the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben doesn’t make much sense, it helps convey a sense of global travel. The title’s selection of licensed music is diverse, with upbeat songs from artists that range from Blondie to Kiss. However, players will likely hear the same tune multiple times through the game’s four-hour campaign.