DESCRIPTION

Cool Boarders 2001 is the fifth entry in the series of snowboarding titles that began in 1997 and the second of the series to be developed by Idol Minds. Building upon the originals, Cool Boarders 2001 features all of the action and gameplay a fan of the series would expect plus a few new additions. The 10 real boarders that can be found in Cool Boarders 2001 are: Todd Richards, Barrett Christy, Tara Dakides, Michele Taggart, Nate Cole, Scotty Wittlake, Jeremy Jones, Kevin Jones, Jussi Oksanen, and Travis Parker.

There are eight events in the game: Downhill Gates, Downhill Checkpoint, Half Pipe, Big Air, CBX, Board Park, Trickmaster, and Pro Challenge. Downhill Gates is a speed race that requires players to go through gates as well as perform tricks as they pass through blue gates. Downhill Checkpoint features a timer that counts down and checkpoints that players need to pass through in order to add more time to the clock. The Half Pipe is the place to do tricks but players also must reach the finish area before time expires. Big Air is a course that allows riders to get some major air on and perform tricks.

CBX is a downhill race with flags that must be passed on the way down. Board Park features a number of objects for tricks to be performed on and off of. In Trickmaster tricks will be announced on-screen right before a player reaches a jump. The player must then perform the correct trick to add more seconds onto the timer. Pro Challenge is an event that must be unlocked; this is where players get to go against the real boarders who are featured in the game. When a real rider is defeated in Career Mode a special board will be unlocked and that rider will become available for use in other modes of play.

The modes of play included are Quick Race, Multi-player Games, and the previously mentioned Career Mode. Quick Race is for one or two players and consists of players taking part in any one of the available events. Additional events, riders, and courses will have to be unlocked in the Career Mode before they can be used in Quick Race. Multi-player Games has two players challenging each other in a series of events. Career Mode is for one player and features competition in every event against the computer.

In Career Mode players will play as a rider that they create. Up to 10 riders can be created and selections that must be made when creating a rider include: gender, head, face, outfit, eyewear, gloves, boots, height, and stance. A newly created character will have low skill ratings and be weaker than the overall competition. Their abilities will increase over time as players win competitions and advance through Career Mode. ~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide