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AMPED: FREESTYLE SNOWBOARDING
review | XBOX
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Publisher: Microsoft.
Developer: Salt Lake Games Studio. Released: March 2002 (Europe). Genre: Snowboarding. Posted 4th May 2026. By Shane Battams © 2026 |
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As Microsoft’s counter to SSX which headlined the PlayStation 2’s launch, Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding would ride towards the Xbox’s launch. It marked Salt Lake Studio’s (formerly Access Software) console debut, though certainly not their first foray into sports games, having developed a number of PC Links titles throughout the 1990s. However, it seemed this was perhaps rushed to get ready for a newly launched console, as while it’s not the worst in its class, a lot of oddly missed issues sap the fun out of the game. You’ll find yourself switching between cheerily entertained and immensely frustrated, unfortunately.
The goal of Amped is to become the best snowboarder out there, climbing the ranks through the Career mode. After creating your own character, courses are available, each providing four tasks. Along with a general score challenge, showing Amped’s focus on tricking, there are also Media score challenges, with cameramen standing at certain points on the slope, and scoring within their vicinity adds to both totals. Once you start making headway, Pro challenges become available, which see you shadowing the elite boarders of each location, and at key points, you must outscore them, with only four errors allowed. Sponsor challenges task you with placating them by performing certain styles of tricks and scoring high. Lastly, eight snowmen are dotted around each level, waiting to be smashed. Every completion moves you up a rank, and the lengthy career setup is certainly robust.
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Amped released alongside the Xbox in Europe, where it would face tough competition in the form of SSX
Boarding in Amped is equal parts fun and frustrating. When everything comes together, and you perform a clean run and clear challenges, you’ll find plenty of enjoyment, even if the thrills aren’t anything standout. However, two key issues dog the experience at nearly every turn. The controls prove unintuitive and sluggish, with odd mappings such as the bewildering decision to put one of three grabs on the same button as the ollie, while performing spins required for higher scores feels as slow as molasses. The physics prove a bigger problem, as they’re pretty poor. Simple actions like ollying into a grind, tricking up a halfpipe and even just moving can feel like a crapshoot, forcing a restart more often than not. Later stages become very challenging, with lofty score requirements and more precision needed to compete with the Pros, but the gameplay simply doesn’t keep up. This means the game becomes progressively more frustrating, especially once you reach the higher ranks.
It’s worth mentioning the cooler parts of Amped, though. The course design is more grounded next to competing games, and benefits from a flexible approach that lets you start at multiple points on the track, while weaving between different sections, depending on your play style. You can also customise your character’s appearance, but more importantly, changing gear (which is often unlocked through Sponsor events) can improve your stats along with points earned through progression, making it more worthwhile, if a bit limited. Technically, there is multiplayer present, but it lacks split-screen functionality and instead requires passing of the controller between players in modes such as King of the Hill, which seems pretty baffling considering the console lets you use four controllers out the box. Still, it’s better than nothing.
It’s worth mentioning the cooler parts of Amped, though. The course design is more grounded next to competing games, and benefits from a flexible approach that lets you start at multiple points on the track, while weaving between different sections, depending on your play style. You can also customise your character’s appearance, but more importantly, changing gear (which is often unlocked through Sponsor events) can improve your stats along with points earned through progression, making it more worthwhile, if a bit limited. Technically, there is multiplayer present, but it lacks split-screen functionality and instead requires passing of the controller between players in modes such as King of the Hill, which seems pretty baffling considering the console lets you use four controllers out the box. Still, it’s better than nothing.
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While not quite as eye-catching as Halo or Dead or Alive 3 from the same launch, there’s still some impressive stuff here. Levels are free of fogging, letting you scope the track ahead for what comes next with ease. Characters look better than most of its contemporaries, with solid animations and some neat elements such as clothing fluttering in the wind. It’s a shame it lacks a little personality, with no real flair or standout features, except perhaps for the cutesy cardboard creations that appear after media challenges. The menus are also oddly slow, sometimes taking a while to progress to the next screen. The audio features a big soundtrack, with genres including pop, punk, and metal. It’s good, and individual genres can even be turned off if you have a preference. The crunching crashes hit quite hard, though the NPC’s lines are a drag by comparison.
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Sadly, Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding features enough missteps to leave it some way short of the genre’s best. Though there’s fun to be had in short bursts and plenty of areas to explore, the awkward physics and lack of fluidity mean you’ll find yourself frustrated more often than not. For every challenge you complete without breaking a sweat, the next will test you in ways which feel cheap and unsatisfying. Combine that with a drab atmosphere, and it’s a game most will be happy to skip. Die-hard snowboarders may wade through the issues and discover some enjoyment, but even then, the journey will be heavy-going.
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VERDICT
"Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding may deliver fun in short bursts, but awkward physics and a lack of fluidity will leave most players frustrated." OVERALL: 5/10 |
OTHER WINTER SPORTS GAMES REVIEWED
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Curling World Cup (2018, PC)
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