Product reviewsCool Boarders 2001 (Sony PlayStation 2, 2001)

Cool Boarders 2001 (PlayStation 2) Review

Cool Boarders 2001 was released late last year for the PlayStation and was the worst installment of the series yet. Its multitude of gameplay modes was depleted of all fun due to its inexcusably flawed controls that made it impossible to navigate the terrain. Thankfully, Cool Boarders 2001 for the PlayStation 2 is a vast improvement over its PSOne sibling and offers a nice alternative to the competition.

Todd Richards, Michele Taggart, Kevin Jones, and Tara Dakides are just a sample of the 10 professional riders included in Cool Boarders 2001. Idol Minds has also added plenty of its own fantasy riders who would be right at home in SSX. This wealth of riders to unlock somewhat remedies the lack of a create-a-rider option that has been a part of the series for some time. Each rider has two licensed boards to choose from and feature the same graphics, dimensions, and characteristics as the real thing. Billboards from the likes of DC Shoe Co., Burton, Billabong, Vans, and Forum litter the courses and provide an air of authenticity to the game.

Once out on the mountain, it becomes immediately apparent that the jerky, unpredictable controls of the PSOne game have been completely revamped. Gently carving to line up for a big hit is a breeze, and while different from most snowboarding games, the trick system is pretty solid. Performing grabs, flips, and spins are accomplished with a single button press, and the different permutations can produce some interesting results. Strategically placed pipes, downed trees, ski lift cables, and other objects are ripe for grinding. Each rider has several special moves that may be performed by inputting shoulder button sequences while holding the jump button. The controls tend to lag a bit when attempting combos or sequences of tricks, but once the timing is mastered and the moves are memorized, flying down the mountain is a blast.

If you're looking for a variety of events in your snowboarding games, you can't go wrong with the Cool Boarders franchise. Various developers have been piling on the modes for years now--so much so that you begin to wonder just what else could be added. There are nine events included in the career mode, which is broken up into five different categories. The CBX events are reminiscent of SSX in that you must fend off other riders while finding the quickest way down courses with chutes, loops, and death-defying cliff jumps. The downhill events represent the biggest chunk of gameplay. They include a checkpoint mode that asks you to accumulate as many points as possible while racing against a clock and a typical slalom course (against three other riders) called gate run. Boardpark lets you tackle the obstacle-laden stunt courses in search of a high score or hidden sequences. Hidden sequences take a variety of forms, including linked tricks over multiple obstacles and enormous gap jumps. The trickmaster events pit you against one of the game's pros and ask you to duplicate complicated trick combos. The trick events include both the half-pipe and big-air modes.

In each of the five categories, there are frustratingly difficult challenge competitions to complete. Similar to the trickmaster mode, they ask you to mimic one of the real pros as he or she goes through a series of trick combinations on multiple obstacles. The list of combinations can be lengthy, and you're allowed just three failed attempts before you're forced to start again from the beginning.Read full review...

Fun snowboarding game still looks decent in 2020

Game worked as expected ! Love it!

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: hollabaugh_coll...

Low Quality

Game glitches making it hard to see the screen and came in a cd case not the game case

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: lukiegames

Very Cool Game , Works Great Thank You...

Very Cool Game
, Works Great
Thank You

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: joswri_1346

Cool Boarders is Great!!!!

the grandkids love this...they couldnt wait for it to get here....I dont think they stop playing it only for school and meals...It seems to be a fantastic game for the young players as well as older onesRead full review...

cool boarders

I really like it it's one of my favorite games in the world that I ever see I'm going to keep my game forever