Bode Miller Alpine Skiing (PS2) Quick Review
Winter is upon us! There's snow everywhere (well almost everywhere) so I figured why not swish around in it for a couple of reviews. First up, let's hit the slopes with Bodie Miller Alpine Skiing.
What's Good?
- First Of It's Kind. At the time, there were plenty of winter sports games, but none of them focused only on skiing. It was always an option in multi-sport games, but never did skiing get a chance to ride on it's own. That is until this game. Since it's release, there have been further games in this series, as well as snowboard/ski hybrid games such as Steep. It may not be a very popular area of winter sports, nor a very exciting one (although nowadays it is) but it is still nice to see it fronting it's own game cover.
- In Depth. One option in the game is a career mode, where you can either create a ski racer and work your own way through the ranks, or take on Bode Miller and play through his career. What's cool though is the inclusion of some extras in the career mode as well. Gameplay wise, you just travel to each event, make the run, and move on to the next one. If you place high enough you can earn rewards (aka money) which can be put to use for your training before other events. Between runs, you have options for doing some training, as well as waxing your skis. These can either be done on your own, or you can hire coaches specific to each area. Depending on who you hire, it will cost more money, but you'll also get someone who's more reliable and consistent at what they do. So a higher rated coach might have excellent stats for fitness training, but if he's inconsistent you won't always get the best improvement from him.
What's Bad?
- No Fun Modes. All you can do in this game is the competitions. Whether it's in career mode or arcade mode you can only choose from the four main game options : Downhill, Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Super-G. Four downhill events, two which focus on speed and two which focus on technique and precision. The events are different enough that it keeps things from being too stale, but it's still just a race against the clock each time, all by yourself. No mini games, no freestyle or trick mode, all you can do is pick a slope and ski down. Even in the more casual modes, there's no options on the pause menu except to unpause and to just drop out of the race.
Is it Worth it?
While it definitely could have benefited from having a bit more, Bode Miller Alpine Skiing is still enjoyable. It brings a focus to a winter sport that seems to be forgotten about most times. The controls are fun and simple to learn, with plenty of customization options for your racer and your equipment if you choose to make your own. It may not be the greatest game of all time, but for under $5 whether you pick this up loose or CIB, it's definitely worth it's value.
- First Of It's Kind. At the time, there were plenty of winter sports games, but none of them focused only on skiing. It was always an option in multi-sport games, but never did skiing get a chance to ride on it's own. That is until this game. Since it's release, there have been further games in this series, as well as snowboard/ski hybrid games such as Steep. It may not be a very popular area of winter sports, nor a very exciting one (although nowadays it is) but it is still nice to see it fronting it's own game cover.
- In Depth. One option in the game is a career mode, where you can either create a ski racer and work your own way through the ranks, or take on Bode Miller and play through his career. What's cool though is the inclusion of some extras in the career mode as well. Gameplay wise, you just travel to each event, make the run, and move on to the next one. If you place high enough you can earn rewards (aka money) which can be put to use for your training before other events. Between runs, you have options for doing some training, as well as waxing your skis. These can either be done on your own, or you can hire coaches specific to each area. Depending on who you hire, it will cost more money, but you'll also get someone who's more reliable and consistent at what they do. So a higher rated coach might have excellent stats for fitness training, but if he's inconsistent you won't always get the best improvement from him.
What's Bad?
- No Fun Modes. All you can do in this game is the competitions. Whether it's in career mode or arcade mode you can only choose from the four main game options : Downhill, Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Super-G. Four downhill events, two which focus on speed and two which focus on technique and precision. The events are different enough that it keeps things from being too stale, but it's still just a race against the clock each time, all by yourself. No mini games, no freestyle or trick mode, all you can do is pick a slope and ski down. Even in the more casual modes, there's no options on the pause menu except to unpause and to just drop out of the race.
Is it Worth it?
While it definitely could have benefited from having a bit more, Bode Miller Alpine Skiing is still enjoyable. It brings a focus to a winter sport that seems to be forgotten about most times. The controls are fun and simple to learn, with plenty of customization options for your racer and your equipment if you choose to make your own. It may not be the greatest game of all time, but for under $5 whether you pick this up loose or CIB, it's definitely worth it's value.
