by Russ Fischer
Need some help navigating the twists and turns of Shaun White's game? Skip the bunny slopes and check out these handy tips.
Go Galileo!
This may be a game about snowboarding, but don't be afraid to unstrap the bindings and hike off the trail. In fact, do it regularly. Some of the best spots in the game are off the beaten path and you'll have to walk to find them. It might seem odd at first to be wandering around like Niko Bellic lost in the Alps, but the effort will pay off as you discover new gaps to span, cliffs to leap from and ice floes to skid across.
Mark Your Territory
The only downside to exploring the mountains is that there is no central, reliable map system. Sure, you'll see trail boards near some of the lifts on each peak, but they're not the world's most useful landmarks. Believe it or not, having another boarder pee a diagram into the snow is probably a more reliable way of finding new points. A flick of the D-pad brings up the marker option, and once you've set one you can warp there at any time. So when looking for some elusive hotspot, set a marker at the highest point you've achieved, then warp back there as often as you like to explore. Just don't eat the yellow snow.
Like Butter, Baby
There isn't as much instruction here as you might find in other sports games, so some of the basics are easy to forget. The "butter" is a key ground move where you ride with weight forward or back on the board to bring the nose or tail up. It's just like the classic combo linking move in games like Tony Hawk, and can do the same here. Just tilt forward or back on the right stick to butter and keep your session going; soon you'll be adding style with spins.
This Ain't An Arcade
In snowboarding games like SSX, the first thing everyone wants to do is a 2200-degree backflip with six grabs, all at once. Not going to happen here. Master ground moves and jibs (tricks done on structures like rails) and the aerial grabs before trying to spin and flip your way into oblivion. With those basics mastered, you'll be able to build up speedy runs that will push your jumps to new heights, allowing those fancy highlights everyone loves on ESPN2.
Apply Retail Therapy
Competitions and tricks earn money, and there's no reason to hoard it. The boards look expensive (even early ones go for $4k) but you'll soon have a stock of cash, and buying new boards is the best way to maintain a competitive edge as you take on the game's Ultimate Competitions. The nice thing is, you won't have to go back to some hotel room to swap boards; just pause the game and switch to new gear at any time. So when you're about to drop into a run and realize you're strapped to the wrong board, swap it out! Or even buy a new one right there for the win.
Shaun White Gallery
Posted: 14 Nov 2008
