1080° Snowboarding
| 1080° Snowboarding | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Shigeru Miyamoto (producer)[3] Hiroshi Yamauchi (executive producer) [3] Giles Goddard (main programmer)[3] Colin Reed (programmer)[3] |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 |
| Release | JAP February 28, 1998[1] NA April 1, 1998[2] EU November 30, 1998[2] |
| Genre(s) | Racing/Extreme sports |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
1080° Snowboarding (テン・エイティ) is a one-on-one or single player snowboarding racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 and first released in Japan on February 22, 1998.[2] The game plays by controlling a snowboarder from the third-person perspective, and uses a combination of buttons to jump and to perform tricks.
The game features five playable snowboarders representing four countries and contains eight levels. 1080° garnered critical acclaim and won an Interactive Achievement Award from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.[4][5] The game spawned one sequel, 1080° Avalanche.[6]
Gameplay
1080° is an extreme sports snowboarding video game. The objective of the game varies from situation to situation, but achieved by either reaching the finish line of a level first or receiving maximum points for trick combinations. There are six modes of play: match race, time attack, trick attack, contest, multiplayer, and training. Trick performance is available in every mode, including races such as match race, time attack, or multiplayer, but do not benefit toward victory in these modes.[7] However, in trick attack and contest, completed tricks compile into a final score which determines victory.[8] Victory in race modes can be achieved by taking separate routes within a course and balancing the snowboarder after a jump to avoid speed loss.[7][9]
Modes
There are a total of seven modes in 1080° including training and options.
In match race mode, the player competes in a series of races against AI-controlled snowboarders. The game times the player throughout the level, and players receive a life meter which fills if the snowboarder falls down or is knocked over.
The three difficulty modes in match race are easy, medium, and hard. Each subsequent difficulty mode increases in complexity and number of races. Time attack involves beating a par time set in the game, with available ghosts demonstrating the fastest time of a certain track.[8]
The trick attack mode requires players to perform a series of tricks throughout a designated level, whether that is a half pipe or an entire track. The game features a total of 25 tricks, all of which are performed by using a combination of circular positions of the control stick, the R button, and the B button, and total different point values based on complexity and required time.[8] Tricks break down into grab tricks, where the board is grabbed in a specific way, or spin tricks, where the snowboarder spins the board a certain number of degrees.[9] Of every trick, the 1080° spin requires nine actions, the most in the game.[10]
Contest mode involves players performing tricks and snowboarding past flags for points, and training mode consists of a repeating level for practicing tricks and techniques. Finally, 1080° features a two player horizontal split screen race.[7]
Characters
Initially, the player chooses from five different snowboarders, who hail from different parts of the world: one each from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and two from Japan. Each snowboarder has different abilities, and is suited for different levels and modes.[11] Three additional snowboarders are unlocked by completing certain levels and modes throughout the game. Eight snowboards are initially available for every character, with one additional unlockable one available later on. Each board excels in different situations.[12]
Development
The announcement of 1080°s release came on November 21, 1997 at Nintendo's SpaceWorld trade show as the name Vertical Edge Snowboarding.[13] It was one of a group of snowboarding games released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, others being Big Mountain 2000 and Snowboard Kids.[13] 1080° made an appearance at the Nintendo Gamer's Summit in January 1998, flaunting an in-depth control scheme apparent before it was released or fully developed.[14]
Englishmen Giles Goddard and Colin Reed programmed 1080°, Nintendo developed and published it, and Shigeru Miyamoto produced the project .[3] Goddard and Reed had previously programmed Wave Race 64,[15] a commercial success with over a million copies sold. Its sequel, Wave Race: Blue Storm, featured characters from 1080°.[16]
For the development of 1080°, the programmers used a process where the characters are "skinned", meaning that no joints stick out between the polygons that compose the characters. The character animations use a combination of standard animation and inverse kinematics. The result is collision effects of a character are affected by what object is hit, what direction the collision occurs in, and what speed the collision takes place at.[17] Tommy Hilfiger outfits and Lamar snowboards endorsed 1080° with product placement.[9][18]
Work on 1080° was completed in nine months, starting in April or May 1997 and finishing in March 1998.[17] After its release in Japan and North America in the first half of 1998, the European release date of 1080° was pushed back to late 1998 to boost sales by releasing the game during the winter.[19] 1080° was eventually released in November of 1998 in Europe and the PAL region.[2]
Reception and legacy
Critical reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
1080° received praise by the critical community, with an average score of 88 out of 100 according to Metacritic and a 90 percent average on Game Rankings.[4][26] IGN's commented "there is a lot of fun to be had with this game."[9] Gamespot asserted that 1080° is "one of the best values in both sports and racing gaming."[25]
The game's graphics were of the highest quality for the Nintendo 64 at the time, with positive comments made about weather, camera use, snow effects, frame rate, and unique characters.[9] Critics such as IGN found minor faults in the graphics; specifically, "Because each track offers loads of depth and visibility, pop-up is occasional, but not a problem. Also, sometimes a character will give-off a shadow where there should be none."[9] Gamebits commented "The graphics are crisp and detailed. Fluffy snow will slow you down, and has a distinct appearance from packed snow. The mountainsides rush by smoothly, the white sun above casting a slick reflection on the snow below."[23] GameSpot noted "Graphically, 1080 delivers smooth, evenly scrolling downhill tracks and half pipes. There's little, if any, polygon dropout in the riders, the backgrounds, or the tracks."[25]
The speed effects in 1080° were well received, but had minor shortcomings. According to GameSpot, "The most striking visual element of the game is the undeniable sensation of speed...The track really blurs by, and you feel every turn. The only visual shortcoming is in the slowdown that occurs when you race through on-track trees, which is a great effect and a hair-raising test of skill, but causes a noticeable lag."[25]
Critics considered the control scheme of 1080° involving, but one of the game's strengths. According to All Game Guide, "While the presentation is nice, the control is the game's biggest strength. It's highly technical and takes some time to get the hang of, but it's worth it."[20] GameSpot stated "Control is thoroughly involving. The crouch move alone - which makes for supertight turns - makes this fun to play. The physics model is very solid throughout."[25] According to Nintendo Power (owned by Nintendo, who published the game) "1080°'s high point, though, may be its jaw-dropping play control."[27]
1080° sold well, with a total of 1,147,000 units.[28] However, it did not sell more copies than the programmers' first game, Wave Race 64, which sold a total of 1,950,000 units.[29]
Audio
Kenta Nagata composed the music composition for 1080°,[3] who composed music for other Nintendo games, notably Mario Kart 64.[30]
The game's music differed from other Nintendo games for having "techno and rappy beats" with "thrashy, foozed-out vocals" which "compliment the action of the game continuously", according to IGN.[9] All Game Guide stated "This is also one of the best N64 soundtracks to date. All the tunes are enjoyable and some even feature lyrics."[20] This enthusiasm was not shared by Gamebits, who countered "The background music is minimal. With the proper environment, a good racing title can become a great one, but 1080 doesn't provide."[23]
Sound effects were highly praised, with comments such as "sound effects are nice as well",[20] "the swishing of a board...or the rush of air...make for some perfect sound effects",[23] and "this title really represents Nintendo's second-generation of high quality cartridge music and sound effects."[9]
Awards and legacy
1080° won one award, an Interactive Achievement Award from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences for Console Sports Game of the Year, awarded at the Academy's 2nd annual award ceremony in 1999.[5]
1080° made a small appearance as a trophy in Super Smash Brothers Melee.[31] The trophy featured Kensuke Kimachi, one of the snowboarders from 1080°.[31]
The game was followed in 2003 by 1080° Avalanche for the Nintendo GameCube. Avalanche received a harsher reception due to "frame rate issues and limited gameplay" according to GameSpot,[6] and averaged 73 out of 100 on Metacritic.[32] Compared to its sequel, 1080° Snowboarding was "as good as snowboarding games got."[33] Andrew Reiner of Game Informer remembered, "Looking back, I gave the original 1080° title a 9.25 out of 10 and can fondly remember many sleepless nights with it."[22]
References
- ^ "Offical website" (in Japanese). Nintendo of Japan. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- ^ a b c d "1080: TenEighty Snowboarding". GameSpot. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e f "1080: TenEighty Snowboarding Tech Info". GameSpot. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b c "1080 Snowboarding". Game Rankings. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b "Console Sports Game of the Year". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b Kasavin, Greg (2003-12-03). "1080 Avalanche". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d "1080 Snowboarding - N64". Game Revolution. 2004-06-06. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c "1080° Snowboarding". All Game Guide. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h i Casamassina, Matt (1998-04-02). "1080° Snowboarding". IGN. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Operation Card for 1080° Snowboarding. Nintendo Co., Ltd. 1998.
- ^ "1080 Snowboarding (n64)". G4. 1999-04-20. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "1080° Snowboarding". Prima Games. 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
- ^ a b IGN Staff (1997-11-21). "Head for the Slopes". IGN. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ IGN Staff (1998-01-30). "1080 Shreds the Competition". IGN. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "1080 Snowboarding". Rotten Tomatoes. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ "Wave Race: Blude Storm Characters". IGN. 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b IGN Staff (1998-03-19). "1080 Snowboarding Interview". IGN. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "1080 Snowboarding (N64)". GameSpy. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ IGN Staff (1998-03-26). "1080 Delayed in Europe". IGN. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d Sackenheim, Shawn (2007). "1080° Snowboarding". All Game Guide. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ "1080º SNOWBOARDING". Edge. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
- ^ a b Reiner, Andrew (2007). "1080: Avalanche". Game Informer. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b c d Gagne, Ken (1998-05-11). "1080 SNOWBOARDING". Gamebits. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ AIRHENDRIX (2004-04-23). "Review: 1080 Snowboarding". GamePro. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e Smith, Josh (1998-05-25). "1080:TenEighty Snowboarding". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "1080° Snowboarding". Metacritic. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ "1080° Snowboarding". Nintendo. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ "All time top US game sales". Swivel. 2007-03-09. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "US Platinum Videogame Chart". The Magic Box. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ "Mario Kart 64 Tech Info". GameSpot. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b FryGuy64 (2001-06-28). "Super Smash Bros. Melee Cameo Appearances Feature". Nintendo Database. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "1080° Avalanche". Metacritic. 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Casamassina, Matt (2003-12-01). "1080: Avalanche". IGN. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)