PlayStation 2 Critic Reviews

While "SSX" offers more arcade-style gameplay, Konami wants to slam you into the snowboarder's world harder than a botched Frontside Indy.

"SSX" is a zany, fun and arcadey snowboard stunt-racer, and Konami's ESPN X Games Snowboarding is a realistic and beautifully presented simulator, one that will probably have massive appeal to hardcore snowboarders.

This one made me work quite a bit, and the last time I checked, work isn't synonymous with fun.

X-Games doesn't have quite the graphics flare that SSX has, though in my opinion X-Games is the better looking of the two titles. It also has considerably faster load-times.

A solid, safe and hard-as-hell choice for all your snowboarding needs.

While the learning curve is as steep as some of the game's slopes, patience does pay off in this game, which should appeal to snowboarding fans. Unfortunately, the rest of us will find the game's strict guidelines to reality a detriment.

Even snowboarding fans will find the game's steep learning curve frustrating more than anything else.

To speak plainly the action is DULL with a pace which only ever reaches the giddy heights of ''sedate'' ensuring that you'll soon share your character''s apparent lethargy - hardly befitting of the game''s extreme-sport pretensions.

Those who may be looking for another "SSX" will certainly be disappointed by X-Games' sim-styled approach, but those who are looking for a true-to-life snowboarding experience will be overjoyed.

Should have been an A-list title. But the steep learning curve combined with the touchy controls and unforgiving physics make what's supposed to be fun just plain infuriating.