Game: Slopecrashers
Genre: Arcade, Action, Sports
System: Steam (Windows) (also available on Nintendo Switch & Xbox)
Developer|Publisher: byteparrot
Controller Support: No
Steam Deck: playable
Price: US $TBC | UK £TBC | EU € TBC
Release Date: December 4th, 2024
A review code was provided, and many thanks to Neon Hive.
Slopecrashers: Animals on Snowboards – Because Why Not?
Slopecrashers is a delightfully chaotic snowboarding game that captures the arcade magic of classics like SSX and Mario Kart. It’s an entertaining pick-up-and-play title with fast-paced gameplay and a roster of quirky animal characters hitting the slopes. While it stumbles here and there (a bit like your first time on a real snowboard), it’s a solid choice for fans of sporty racing games with a nostalgic twist.
The Premise
Imagine if a group of overly enthusiastic animals decided to ditch the zoo and conquer the slopes because, sure, that makes sense. That’s the vibe of Slopecrashers. You’ll find yourself racing, performing tricks, and using ahem “creative” weaponry against opponents in what feels like a snowboarding version of a Looney Tunes sketch.
The tutorial is simple and breezy, perfect for showing your friends how to play before they inevitably try to ruin your race with a well-timed firework or a snowball to the face. Need more guidance? There’s a detailed in-game manual that offers extra quick reference tips at the click of a few buttons. A nice feature for more casual players is a ‘safe trick’ mode where the player can take risks trying a snowboard trick without the worry of crashing.
Campaign Chaos
The campaign mode offers a buffet of missions, including races, time trials, score attacks, and a few surprises that keep things fresh. You don’t always need to win to progress, which is great because, let’s be honest, sometimes the AI scores a cheap win.
Medals are your ticket to the next campaign trail, and you can earn them by completing events and objectives like “glide for X seconds” or pulling off insane combos. It’s a flexible system that rewards both casual players and those obsessive 100%-ers who need every single medal, yes, even that one.
Levelling up unlocks new boards and cosmetics, but here’s the kicker: it’s all in-game currency. No microtransactions! Remember the good ol’ days when unlocking cool stuff didn’t involve real-world spending? Well, Slopecrashers remembers.
The animal characters, while cute, don’t exactly ooze personality beyond the snazzy outfits you dress them in. I mean, who doesn’t want a parrot in a bow tie and a posh hat bombing down a hill? But it would’ve been nice if they had a bit more flair or personality.
Event Highlights
Races are where the action heats up. You’ll boost down slopes, pull off tricks to fill your turbo meter, and unleash chaos with wacky items like rockets, snowballs, and… bees? Yes, bees. Because nothing screams “high-altitude snowboarding” like a swarm of angry bees ruining the lead player’s day.
While the items add a Mario Kart-style layer of unpredictability, they can also feel frustratingly cheap at times. Thankfully, some races ditch the items entirely, making it all about skill and sweet tricks, which are my personal favourites.
For those who love a bit of variety, there’s also Grand Prix and arcade modes, where you get to tinker with various modes and settings to your liking. These can be played alone or in split screen with a buddy. Online is available again, where you can customize game modes, but here, it doesn’t appear a buddy can join you in split screen, which is kind of a shame.
Crash-Test Graphics
Visually, the game is simple but charming. Little touches like snow trails behind your board add a nice layer of polish. That said, it doesn’t quite have the “wow” factor of SSX Tricky or other legendary snowboarding games. Unlike other snowboarding games, you do at least visit other locations not related to snow, such as sandy deserts, which makes for a change from the norm.
The soundtrack is cheerful, though not exactly memorable, and the in-game commentator is… fine. Think of them as the overly cheerful party guest who tries too hard to hype up a board game. It’s cute for a while, but you might mute them after the 50th “Nice trick!”
Conclusion: Slopes of Fun
Slopecrashers is a love letter to the arcade-style snowboarding games of yesteryear. It’s accessible, fun, and packed with options for solo players and multiplayer chaos, local or online. While it doesn’t reinvent the snowboard, it’s a nostalgic ride down memory lane with a modern twist.
Sure, it has a few rough edges, some modes are hit-or-miss, and the visuals aren’t groundbreaking, but the gameplay is engaging enough to keep you coming back for “just one more race.” A lot of hard work has clearly gone into this game from the developer, and it shows. I highly recommend it. A free demo is available on Steam, so you’ve got nothing to lose but a few hours of snowy shenanigans.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot! 
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