Snowboard Kids 2

Overview

The true sequel to Snowboard Kids (Snowboard Kids Plus for the Playstation is an expansion to Snowboard Kids), Snowboard Kids 2 updates the first game with new characters, tracks, items, and revamped single player. The revamped single player involves a story between Damien, a rather silly demon, and the Snowboard Kids. The story is told through a number of in game cut scenes.

Gameplay

The main gameplay of Snowboard Kids 2 remains the same from the original. Four racers race from the top of the course to the bottom. During the race, the racers can perform tricks and collect coins on course to acquire power-ups to use against their opponents. A lap is completed when the racer reaches the bottom of the course and goes through the gate to the lift. The racer is then lifted back at the top of the course to begin the next lap. The first race who reaches the bottom of the course on the final lap wins the race.

Boss Battles

New to Snowboard Kids 2 and tied in with the game's story, boss battles pit one racer against the boss racer down the course. The goal in a boss battle is to deplete the boss's health before the boss reaches the bottom of the course. Power-ups are scattered throughout the race course to assist the player battle and defeat the boss.

Gameplay Changes

There are some significant gameplay made in Snowboard Kids 2 from the first game.

• Characters recover much faster when hit by items and the levels tend to be shorter than the original.
• Should you run into an item box and not have enough money, you will not hit the box like you hit a wall. Instead, you will run through it without obtaining an item.
• The special trick system is replaced by a more generic system in which the player determines how many tricks they are able to do in the air. There are no longer are special inputs needed to execute multiple spins.
• Characters have more than one outfit now, and are themed as Winter, Summer, Halloween and Space.

Characters

Slash Kamei

The all around snowboarder Slash is back. He has no real strengths or weaknesses.

Jam Kuehnemund

Jam went from the trickster type to an all around type this time around. Like Slash, he has no real strengths or weaknesses.

Tommy Parsy

Tommy is surprisingly not the fastest character this time around, but he is the fastest out of all the default characters. Compared to the last Snowboard Kids game, he actually can turn a little better this time, though not by much. He has poor trick and turning abilities.

Nancy Neil

Nancy now has the stats that Jam had the last game. Her trick ability is not quite as good as Wendy's.

Linda Maltinie

Linda is basically the same has the previous game. She has the second fastest speed out of the default characters and the second worst turning ability.

Wendy Rain

The new character out of all the default characters, she has the slowest speed out of all the default characters, but the best trick ability.

Unlockable Characters

These characters cannot be played in story mode.

Mr. Dog

The friendly board shop owner is now a playable character. He's even faster than Tommy, but his turning ability is next to none.

Coach

That blue penguin that is seen periodically in this game has the best tricking ability as well as turning ability in the game. He literally floats in the air while he jumps, but he also is the slowest character.

Damien

That blue demon that attempts to cause trouble is the last of the unlockable characters. He's an all around character with slightly better stats than Slash and Jam.

Tracks

Unlike its predecessor, Snowboard Kids 2's laps are always 3 by default.

Sunny Mountain

This is a straight forward beginner's course.

Turtle Island

The first in the list of unrealistic surfaces to snowboard on, snowboard through a tropical island...and underwater. Watch for a shortcut inside the pirate ship under the sea.

Jingle Town

Snowboard through a small Christmas themed village. Major landmarks involve a giant snowman, the village itself, and an onslaught of bunny rabbits that seem oblivious to the snowboarders. Avoid them with caution.

Jingle Town (Night)

The first boss fight course, it's basically the same as Jingle Town except it's at night and without the annoying bunnies and other hazardous obstacles.

Wendy's House

Honey I Shrunk the Snowboarders. Somehow, Wendy takes her snowboarding to the next level by making her own course in her own living room. Watch out for the giant pendulum on the grandfather clock in the center of the map, it's painful to run into.

Linda's Castle

Other than Wendy, rich kid Linda also has the funds to create her own course...through her entire house...er castle. Lots of tight corners, and a giant statue of Linda in the center of the the track.

Crazy Jungle

Snowboard through a tropical jungle this time. Best part of this map involves the giant waterfall to trick off of to your heart's content. Otherwise, there's a shortcut that involves the use of your board sliding skills, as well as a ruins where an angry idol wants to bomb you.

Crazy Jungle (Night)

The second boss battle of this game, it's basically the same as the original, but without the obstacles as well.

Starlight Highway

The first of the unlockable tracks, this brings the snowboard kids to space. Apparently, the gravity in space is the same as on Earth considering the jump height of the characters remain the same on this map. Watch out for the bumpers near the end of the track.

Haunted House

A track through a haunted house. Ghosts can haunt you to slow you down so be careful. Floating furniture also can get in the way as well.

Ice Land

No, this is not that European country, it's a track in the arctic. Some tight corners, and some places to push fellow boarders to their doom.

Ice Land (Night)

Your last boss battle occurs here. Due to the intense fog in this track, it makes it difficult to see anything more than a few feet in front of you. Be alert.

Battle Mode Only Tracks

These tracks can only be race in battle mode

Snowboard Street

Race through Snow Town, the Snowboard Kid's hometown. Not really a difficult course, but there are some 90 degree corners near the end.

Snowboard Street II

While not officially called Snowboard Street "II", there is no real difference from it's original counterpart other than the placement of the item boxes and the music.

X-Course

Although this course can be found in training mode, it is also raceable. The shortest track in the game, it is home to the largest jumps as well.

Power-Ups

Power-ups are divided up into two types: "Shots" and "Items". Shots are found in red boxes strewn around the course. They provide offensive power ups for the player and are always acquired in sets of 3. Items are found in blue boxes strewn around the course. They provide defensive, or the "trump card" like items.

Shots

Bombs: Bombs are fairly power items as they have a large blast radius upon impact. Unfortunately, that means you can blow yourself up as well. It is much safer to use this from a distance, and never at point blank. Unlike the first game, these items can be shot backwards. In fact, it's the only item you can shoot backwards.

Slapstick: These giant hands are fast. They basically are able to hit the person with utmost accuracy and speed. Compared to the original game, the slapstick will also make the target lose a small about of gold they are carrying upon impact.

Parachutes: One of the items many dread, when hit by one, the player will be shot up into the sky and then slowly drift back down to the ground. That said, they are most effective while going off jumps as the target will drift from the top of the jump to the bottom, wasting valuable racing time.

Snowman: When hit by this projectile, you will be turned into a snowman. While a snowman, you cannot turn and will keep going until a few seconds are up, or you hit a wall. This projectile, along with the tornado, are the only shots in the game that bounce off walls, so watch out to make sure you don't get hit by your own snowman. One of the big differences between SBK and SBK2's snowman is what happens when you hit a wall while being a snowman. In this iteration, if you hit the wall, you won't fall over. This means less time trying to recover.

Freeze Shot: Freeze shots will freeze whoever is unlucky to be hit by it. Anyone who runs into a player while frozen will hit the character like they've hit a wall. Do not use this at point blank for said reason.

Tornado: New to this game this item is much like a snowman, however on contact, the target will be shot up into the air, and lose whatever items they may be carrying.

Items

Pans: Probably the most comical item in this game, and is usually used by characters in last place. This item, when shot, will automatically target everyone else and squash them...with a pan. When squashed, you cannot move, and it takes a few seconds to recover from it.

Feather: New to this game, this item will allow you to jump higher so you'll be able to do more tricks. It makes it easier to dodge shots that have been shot at you this way.

Invisible: While invisible, you will not be harmed by any items except ghosts and rocks. Take care not to hit walls or trip on rocks while invisible as you'll lose the invisibility this way.

Rocket: New to this game, the rocket is a shorter version of the speed boost that the speed fan gives. It's much faster, but also shorter.

Speed Fan: The speed fan give a short speed boost for a short length of time.

Rat: The rat steals ALL the money that the leading player has. Should you be the leading player and you get this item, it'll steal all the money of whomever is in second place.Super RatThe super rat steals ALL the gold of all the players, excluding the character who used this item.

Rock: The rock trips any character who comes in contact with it. It is fairly small so it is difficult to see. Best used before the chairlifts or behind item boxes.

Ghost: The ghost slows down the leading player.

Super Ghost: The super ghost slows down all character excluding the character who used this item.

Boards

The snowboards in this game look more like snowboards. Gone are the days where you must worry about going in reverse on the speed boards as that has been eliminated. In this iteration, there are many more snowboards, especially in the special snowboard departments.

Regular Boards

Regular boards are divided into three types: Trick, Balance, and Speed Boards. Trick boards are good for turning and tricks, and speed is just good for speed. Balance boards have no real weaknesses as it is balanced. Special boards have additional functions other than the stats itself.

Trick

• Level 1 - Speed: 2, Turn: 2, Jump: 5
• Level 2 - Speed: 4, Turn: 4, Jump: 5
• Level 3 - Speed: 6, Turn: 5, Jump: 5

Balance

• Level 1 - Speed: 3, Turn: 4, Jump: 4
• Level 2 - Speed: 5, Turn: 4, Jump: 4
• Level 3 - Speed: 7, Turn: 4, Jump: 4

Speed

• Level 1 - Speed: 4, Turn: 3, Jump: 3
• Level 2 - Speed: 6, Turn: 3, Jump: 3
• Level 3 - Speed: 8, Turn: 3, Jump: 3

Special Boards

Special boards are boards that have unique attributes when equipped for a race.

Poverty: With this board, you will continuously lose gold while racing. It sounds rather silly, and it is. The stats on this board aren't even impressive either.

• Speed: 3, Turn: 4, Jump: 4

Feather: The feather board has an extremely trick rating meaning that you are able to literally float around the stage. Rather easy to avoid getting shot by items this way, however while you're in the air, you can't turn very well.

• Speed: 6, Turn: 5, Jump: 10

Ice: By far the hardest board to use in the game, this board has the worst turning stat in the game. When you attempt to turn, this board will slip and slide like its namesake.

• Speed: 7, Turn: 1, Jump: 4

Star: The best all around board in the game, this board has the turning and jump abilities of a trick board with the speed abilities of a speed board.

• Speed: 8, Turn: 5, Jump: 5

Rich: With this board, you will continuously gain gold while racing.

• Speed: 7, Turn: 4, Jump: 4

Dragon: With this board, you will gain a continuous rocket boost with the same trick ability as a feather board. So not only can you jump high, you're also going really fast. Probably the hardest board to unlock in the game.

• Speed: 10, Turn: 1, Jump: 10

Ninja: While in use, the ninja board will give you permanent invisibility...at the cost of speed. This board has the slowest speed in the game.

• Speed: 1, Turn: 5, Jump: 5

Charm: With the charm board, you will no longer need to worry about ghosts as they do not affect you.

• Speed: 7, Turn: 4, Jump: 4

High Tech: The High Tech board will give you infinite speed fan boost.

• Speed: 9, Turn: 4, Jump: 4

Trick System

The trick system in this game is generally, the same as the original Snowboard Kids, however there are a few changes. The most noticeable change is the removal of special tricks. So you cannot do Slash's Bonzai Bash anymore, even if you really want to. Instead, this has been replaced with the ability to do as many grabs and spins in the air as you want to. You are now able to do multiple grabs in the air, however you cannot hold them anymore. You are now able to spin and flip as many times as desired in the air by tapping the A button as you hold a direction that is desired.