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Post by xDerekRx on Jan 2, 2016 19:02:38 GMT
When it snows outside I always start to feel like playing snowboarding games.
I always wanted to give SSS a go back in the day. Loved the graphic/color style of the game. Had a very earthy feel to it. I always liked reading the high praise review Gamepro gave it to look at the screenshots. But I ended up later in 1998 with Cool Boarders 3 (my all time favorite) and 1080 for N64. Always wanted to give the Saturns effort a try since however.
Well just like a handful of other games, after 18 years I finally popped it in today.
I really like the graphics and art style of the game. I like how they added little nuances like the dog running after you, the motorcycles at the end of the NZ map, and other random moving parts or even the chruch at the start of the Italy level. They did a very good job overall. As a skiier myself I like these type of games to have more of an earthy tone look as opposed to the overall colorful games. SSS nails is there. Even some thought went into the menu screens. The level select has a moving ski lift behind it. The player select screen has the boarders spread out in a natural way. The camera fly bys before the run are nice and look pretty good. I always like seeing the Saturn do polygons and combined with the backgrounds the game has a good feel to it.
The soundtrack is all over the place but I like it. Feels like late 90s. I really like the 2 vocal tracks even though they dont necessarily fit with the rest of the tracks. Like I said it feels like a late 90s extreme game soundtrack. I like it.
Ive given each track a couple playthroughs. I like the variety so far. Like akuma mentioned in another post, Im struggling with the flow of the game and the tracks overall. I remember Cool Boarders 3 having a ton of variety to pull off tricks. You felt rewarded by the layouts. So far after a couple runs Im not 100% used to the spotting of the jumps or rails. They seem to be a bit harder to reach than they should be. Im assuming I just need to master the controls a bit better. I got that feeling on my 3rd run of the Italy course. I had a fairly clean run and felt some satisfaction from it. While I havent gotten a good feel for steering my way around the maps, I feel the controls overall are very tight. This is important for a snowboard title. I feel good control over my character with a combination of the Dpad and L/R triggers.
The tricks are pretty fair to pull off overall. Seems the game is more forgiving than most. I was expecting to wipe out and have my score for a trick lost on a few runs but the game seems to allow some leeway.
I recall some of the main complaints with the game from people back then were the lack of 2 player mode and overall options. I can see that. Doesn't bother me too much. I suppose they could have made the characters a bit deeper as far stats go on the selection screen but thats a minor gripe.
So far my only issue is perhaps the course layouts not allowing you to get a sense of flow. One of the best moments in any snowboarding game is when you finally master a clean run. Although I do feel with time I can get there.
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Post by MIK on Jan 3, 2016 13:36:21 GMT
As I said before it's more a thinking man's snow boarding game, or put another way think of it as a sim for snow boarding. It was one of the first snow boarding games so you have to allow for that a little, but also keeping in mind with that simulation idea I found snow boarding games that came after it were more in the realm of Tony Hawks Pro Skater, as in a lot more easier to get into as a beginner...
One thing I will say and I'm sure you have noticed is that the mountain your going down can look flat or look as if it's going up hill at times which slightly messes with your mind a little. This can cause you to be slower than you should be until you realize you are still going down hill even though it looks flat-ish. That's something else you need to get a feel for.
Obviously your get more out of it the more you put in and that down hill skate boarding level is a good place to practice air stunts which can help on the bigger stages. But yeah I know what you mean when you try to grind on something like a car and you crash into it instead... Again practice is the key but it's more pixel perfect than luck truth be told.
If my memory serves, there was a second game released on PSone?
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Post by xDerekRx on Jan 3, 2016 15:11:43 GMT
Yeah it makes sense its a little more raw and harder as an early snowboarding title. Im excited to start mastering it because it has so many things that I like. They did a great job with all the little visual touches in the levels as I mentioned before.
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Post by xDerekRx on Jan 3, 2016 19:33:08 GMT
Ok and just like that my 2nd sit down with the game Ive started to find my rhythm with SSS. Ive mastered most of the courses now. (I havent unlocked any of the bonus ones yet) Im a big snowboarding game fan as I mentioned so Im glad that SSS started to deliver for me. At this point it has earned a spot in my yearly rotation with Cool Boarders 3, 1080, and Amped for Xbox. And Ill even say that the graphics are my favorite out of all of them at this point. No idea why it took me this long to play since it was a game I loved reading about back when it was released.
MIK I do have a question for you (or anyone). Am I missing something with the rails and grind polls? I jumped on them but are you able to use them for points? The game doesn't seem to have a grind button or anything like that. Youll have to fill me in on their purpose as far scoring goes. I guess Im just used to the other games using that a scoring mechanism.
Getting back to the graphics I actually never knew this was an arcade game that used the Titan board. Now I know why I like the graphics so much.
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Post by MIK on Jan 3, 2016 20:52:41 GMT
I'll have to fire it up Derek as it's been a while since I last played it to remember properly. Reason being as I'm sure I played it more for times in the end, treating it more as a Sega Rally for Snow Boarding. I thought I was going crazy as I couldn't find anything about the game on PSone, (might be rare) as I'm sure it was on the system in PAL Land. Form what I can make out it might of been renamed to Tricky Sliders. Just found this which might be of interest: users.telenet.be/twin-dreams/PSone/Steep_Slope_Sliders_2.html
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Post by xDerekRx on Jan 3, 2016 20:56:12 GMT
I found it interesting that Capcom released it in Arcades in JPN. I hadnt known that before. Make sense to release it as a different name. Despite the same company, I think Steep Slope stands on it own as a Saturn title with the Titan hardware behind it PSX is also a tough platform to break into with snowboarding with Cool Boarders being so darn good. I dont mind SSS as a time attack game either. The game has a good enough feel while boarding to make it fun just going downhill (The L R carving buttons along with the left right on the dpad having a nice feel and look just going side to side.) These are little things that make the experience for me as a person who skis and boards casually in real life.
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Post by Anthaemia. on Jan 7, 2016 18:29:04 GMT
Steep Slope Sliders became one of my favourite games of all time from the moment I played the (quite generous) demo on Sega Flash Vol. 6, and I remember several friends borrowing my copy for lengthy periods long after 1080 and Cool Boarders had supposedly surpassed Cave's effort. Curiously, I never realised there was an arcade version as this didn't appear to be mentioned in any contemporary magazines, so it was years later when I got to sample this via ST-V emulation. Apart from the wealth of extras, including the retro-styled Steep Slope Shooters, I absolutely love the soundtrack to this title, and again it was only more recently I learned who many of the featured artists were thanks to reading about it online. Speaking of information that wasn't common knowledge before, was anyone else aware that a sequel appeared on the PlayStation? Released by Capcom as Trick'N Snowboarder or Tricky Sliders in Japan, it didn't get a coin-operated counterpart, but does have unlockable characters from BioHazard/Resident Evil 2: Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield and a zombified RPD officer. Also, it contains a challenge mode and long-overdue split screen multiplayer options, so comes highly recommended!
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Post by MIK on Jan 7, 2016 20:23:35 GMT
I remember seeing it in GAME (UK) and could swear it was Step Slope Sliders 2, mad isn't it. Maybe the screens on the back of a Tricky Sliders made me think that. Not sure why that game has stuck in the back of my mind though, I guess what ever it was I should of picked it up!
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Post by xDerekRx on Jan 7, 2016 22:29:56 GMT
Steep Slope Sliders became one of my favourite games of all time from the moment I played the (quite generous) demo on Sega Flash Vol. 6, and I remember several friends borrowing my copy for lengthy periods long after 1080 and Cool Boarders had supposedly surpassed Cave's effort. Curiously, I never realised there was an arcade version as this didn't appear to be mentioned in any contemporary magazines, so it was years later when I got to sample this via ST-V emulation. Apart from the wealth of extras, including the retro-styled Steep Slope Shooters, I absolutely love the soundtrack to this title, and again it was only more recently I learned who many of the featured artists were thanks to reading about it online. Speaking of information that wasn't common knowledge before, was anyone else aware that a sequel appeared on the PlayStation? Released by Capcom as Trick'N Snowboarder or Tricky Sliders in Japan, it didn't get a coin-operated counterpart, but does have unlockable characters from BioHazard/Resident Evil 2: Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield and a zombified RPD officer. Also, it contains a challenge mode and long-overdue split screen multiplayer options, so comes highly recommended! Ever since I found out it was an arcade title, I look at it slightly different. Doesn't change the game overall but I now add SSS into the long list of solid arcade titles Sega brought to the Saturn. Ive done runs on 1080 and Cool Boarders 3 recently and SSS stands up just fine against them. Although CB3 is quite a bit deeper. Its probably more fair to compare CB2 and not CB3 but even more so SSS holds up. Its safe to say all 3 systems had a snowboarding game worthy of your $$. Still kinda regret not grabbing SSS right near the end before getting my N64/PSX just to have experienced all 3 games at the time of their release. Anthaemia Ive been meaning to research the vocal track artists. Its an interesting soundtrack but fits the game well.
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Post by tempest on Jan 8, 2016 9:13:58 GMT
Steep Slope Sliders became one of my favourite games of all time from the moment I played the (quite generous) demo on Sega Flash Vol. 6, and I remember several friends borrowing my copy for lengthy periods long after 1080 and Cool Boarders had supposedly surpassed Cave's effort. I too fell in love with the demo of SSS from the demo of SEGA Flash Volume 6. However, it wasn't until years later that I purchased the full game (due to lack of availability in my area) and found it to be just as good, if not better, than 1080, which I'd played on the N64. To be honest, they are different games. I need to track down another copy one day soon.
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Post by xDerekRx on Jan 9, 2016 6:32:32 GMT
I agree it compares more to 1080 almost than Cool Boarders. CB series was really high on the point chasing. 1080 had more of a sim like feel. Just you and the mountain with a good atmosphere. Its something SSS gives me when I play since there isn't a ton of scoring to be done on any given run.
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Post by Anthaemia. on Jan 9, 2016 20:22:27 GMT
I'm interested to see how you all compare Steep Slope Sliders to the two Zap! Snowboarding Trix games and Chill (for those who've played the leaked complete Saturn build of this), and let's not forget that Winter Heat also contained a snowboarding section. Considering that a France '98 World Cup themed variation of Victory Goal/Worldwide Soccer found its way onto Japanese shelves, it surprises me that Sega didn't get someone to produce a licensed tie-in with the Nagano Winter Olympics, as the Saturn had quite a good selection when it came to snow-based sporting titles... Oh, and of course there's that infamous mini game in Shinken Yu-Gi that has Segata Sanshiro running barefoot on ice!
P.S. On a releated note, I loved the Cool Boarders spin-off that found its way onto the Dreamcast, or Snow Surfers as I seem to recall it being retitled for over here. Unfortunately, that extreme sports game that featured on one of the DreamOn sampler discs looked amazing yet didn't play all that well from what I can remember - didn't it feature a novel way of hiding pop-up that saw background elements literally grow from nothing years before OutRun 2 used the same approach to its draw distance every time you changed stages?
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Post by MIK on Jan 10, 2016 13:06:10 GMT
Victory Goal/Sega World Wide Soccer was a Japanese game of course so made sense to release it one last time for them, just a shame in the wider world the Saturn was drying up as you know for a fact Sega Europe would of snapped it up other wise. Sega Extreme Sports for Dreamcast is neat and a must for any DC collection. It' doesn't take it's self too seriously and is just a fun time attack arcade style racing game at heart. The challenge beyond that is to maximize your speed related booster to get better times, it can also be used if you fall behind obviously. What makes it stand out is that the game has multiple events on the same course as normally these would be split up for other games. It also runs via VGA which is an extra plus. It's a great example of the DC in action any way. Don't be surprised if the game shows up in some DC hidden gem countdown video or something, it's worthy of that any way.
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Post by MIK on Jan 11, 2016 23:21:05 GMT
Derek, I've finally managed to find a bit of time to fire it back up now that XMAS & New Year are out of the way, going to see Star Wars with the kids (TWICE) ect... Yeah you can only score for your 5 best tricks. It doesn't mater if you have done your 5, you can still add to your score by bettering your worst scores of the 5 tricks you have been scored for. Why 5 tricks, to stop people whoring points I'm sure and to link it more to skill. The ramps and grinding stuff are mostly there to get in your way, but the useful ones can get you more air and it's the air where you score, making sure you try to hold the board as your doing your tricks. The bigger the air the more point of course. Being in the air can also make you faster if you land in the right place, like a steeper part of the course. I'm not sure if you do this but even though I can't prove if it's better to do so I can't help but do so... I carve the board left/right in a sweeping motion to help gain speed and to sort of maintain it in some places. Working the board more when your slower feels like your helping your self to go faster. Maybe you do it too, but if not give it a try and see what you make of it.. One silly thing you may not of noticed, if you go in the options, come back out and go back in to the options again the background picture changes, or changes colour. Proper anal and nothing much of course but a little something any way lol. A rusty couple of plays and I got this on Snow Board Park. Any good?
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Post by xDerekRx on Jan 12, 2016 6:22:03 GMT
Mik thats not bad, I believe I topped out at around 1300 on SnowBoard Park I like the 5 tricks thing and it took me a while to figure that out. Keeps the score honest and keeps you trying. Its not the end of the world that grinding doesnt award points but its still fun to do and I agree there are many spots where the grind helps you into more air. You mentioned the back/forth motion. I do this to and I agree it does work. The reason I did this from the start is as a snowboarder myself its just a mental thing seeing and feeling my character work back and forth in the game. And its one of the small graphical nuances that makes SSS stand out as a quality title. It feels right and the developers clearly knew this when building the game. Lastly I think my only gripe, small gripe, is the menu/options/ranking layout. The letters dont show up great on the 3D font. Its also hard to easily look at your records. Something simple like Nights, or really any other arcade leader board style would have fit best. Very small gripe since they did so many other minor details well.
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