10 Best Snowboarding Games Of All Time, Ranked

Highlights

• The article discusses the best snowboarding games of all time, including SSX On Tour, Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip, and Steep.
• These games offer a range of experiences, from realistic visuals and mechanics to over-the-top arcade action.
• Each game has its own unique features, such as customizable characters in SSX On Tour, immersive motion controls in Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip, and a wide range of extreme sports in Steep.

When people think about extreme sports video games, most minds are drawn to the skateboarding series Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. However, there has also been a wide range of excellent snowboarding games released over the years that let players descend the slopes in style.

Whether it’s visual and mechanical realism or over-the-top arcade action that players want, the best snowboarding games of all time have it all and let players descend freezing cold slopes at lightning speeds and pull off crazy tricks from the comfort of their homes.

Updated on December 6, 2023 by Mark Sammut: The specifications have been added for every included snowboarding game. *A video version of the article has also been added, showcasing all ten snowboarding games from this list.

10 SSX On Tour

Metascore: 80

SSX On Tour is the first of many games from EA’s SSX franchise. SSX On Tour‘s core gameplay is similar to SSX 3, though changes were made to other aspects of the franchise, such as the addition of customizable characters.

While the gameplay is not far removed from the rest of the series, SSX On Tour‘s main selling point at the time of its release was its visual style, which set it apart from its predecessors. Although it could be an acquired taste, the game’s graphics still look pretty good today.

9 Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip

Metascore: 72

Shaun White Snowboarding was released in 2008 on a plethora of consoles, including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. Like many games in the late 2000s, a Nintendo Wii edition was also released but was completely reworked to accommodate the console’s popular motion controls.

The Wii version is titled Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip and does an excellent job of implementing the Wii’s Balance Board, which offers an immersive way to play the game. It is a fairly short experience that does not have too much replay value; however, Road Trip‘s unique accessory sets it apart from the crowd in a positive way.

8 Steep

Metascore: 72

Steep is the most recent release on this list, having hit stores in December 2016. New sports IPs have been rare in the last decade, as licensed franchises like FIFA and NBA 2K have a stranglehold on the sports genre. Consequently, the announcement of Steep was welcomed by the many sports fans who are desperate for new sports franchises.

Steep differentiates itself from the other games with its wide range of extreme sports, as along with snowboarding, there is also skiing, wingsuit flying, and paragliding to keep players busy. Fans of Ubisoft’s game should also check out Riders Republic, which basically a spiritual successor to Steep.

7 Amped 2

Metascore: 80

Amped 2 was developed by Indie Built and released exclusively on Xbox in October 2003. The game’s career mode has a similar level structure to the aforementioned Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, with players having various objectives to complete in each one.

Along with high scores to aim for, players are also tasked with doing tricks for photographers and finding hidden snowmen throughout the stages. The Amped series utilizes a unique control scheme that can take some getting used to, but it works well for games that prioritize tricks and flips.

6 SSX (2012)

Metascore: 82

In February 2012, EA Sports delighted snowboarding fans by releasing a reboot of its classic series. Unlike previous games in the series, SSX (2012) implemented courses from real locations, such as Antarctica and the Himalayas, which gave the title a different feel from its predecessors.

The rebooted game also reworked the control scheme from previous SSX titles but retained the popular “Tricky” mode from SSX: Tricky (more on that game later). With good visuals, fun gameplay, and replayability thanks to Explore mode, SSX holds up as one of the better entries in EA’s franchise.

5 SSX (2000)

Metascore: 93

SSX (2000) was the first entry in the iconic SSX series and was released exclusively on the PlayStation 2. The game was published by EA Sports BIG, a label used by EA throughout the 2000s, which specialized in extreme sports games like FIFA Street and NBA Street.

SSX (2000) was a huge hit with critics upon release, exemplified by its whopping 93 Metascore. However, the game hasn’t aged particularly well, and later SSX games improved upon the original formula.

4 1080° Snowboarding

Metascore: 70

1080° Snowboarding is the oldest game to make the cut, having been released in 1998. 3D video games were still a relatively new concept in the late ’90s, but that didn’t stop Nintendo from developing a game that is still to this day considered to be one of the best snowboarding titles of all time.

1080° Snowboarding may not look like much by modern standards, but its gameplay is just as enjoyable as it was in 1998. Also, the game has a killer soundtrack.

3 Alto’s Adventure

Metascore: 92

Alto’s Adventure sticks out like a sore thumb on this list for several reasons. Not only was the game originally released exclusively on iOS, but it’s also an endless runner played from a side-scrolling perspective. While the latter might not sound as impressive as a full 3D experience, Alto’s Adventure is arguably among the most visually gorgeous skateboarding games on the market. The backdrops are constantly jaw-dropping.

The 2015 title was a surprise hit with critics, exemplified by its 92 Metascore. Following the game’s critical acclaim, it was released on numerous other systems, including Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.

2 SSX 3

Metascore: 93

SSX 3 was released in October 2003 on GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Game Boy Advance. Among the new additions to the series was the game’s open world, which was ahead of its time in 2003. The game also added a Freeride mode that lets players explore the open world, offering a nice change of pace to the series’ usual over-the-top action.

While not knocking everything out of the park, SSX 3 represented a leap forward for the series as a whole, and it is one of those games that holds a lot of nostalgia. Compared to the original SSX, the third entry is still very enjoyable to play in this day and age.

1 SSX Tricky

Metascore: 92

SSX: Tricky was released in 2001 on the same consoles as SSX 3. While the name may suggest that the game is a spin-off to the SSX series, it was actually just the second entry in the franchise. The game’s name is a reference to the Run-D.M.C. track “It’s Tricky,” which is heavily featured, as well as the game’s trick mechanics.

Although SSX: Tricky lacks the open world of SSX 3, it remains the series’ best game to revisit today, thanks to its wonderfully well-balanced gameplay and fun characters. Still, very little separates Tricky and SSX 3.

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