It is quite possible that ESPN Winter X Games: Snowboarding 2002 has got some of the best graphics of any snowboarding game currently on the market. Player models look incredible, and can even be customized when you create a boarder for the career-style mode. The Create-A-Player could have certainly given you more options, but what's there is very well done graphically. And as you grace the mountainous terrain around you, you will notice that the snow itself even looks good, especially when combined with the path trailing your board.

ESPN: Snowboarding 2002 has different sound elements included. For starters, you have your basic grunts and groans when you take a major spill. Next, there's the presence of an announcer as you make your way down the slopes. He even tries to pump up the crowd to give you props when you get done with a run. But most notable is by far the outstanding musical beats from the likes of Offspring, AFI, The Damned, Powerman 5000, Money Mark, Static-X, The Vandals, Oleander, Saliva, Halfcocked, 311, Stefan Granberg, and Jurassic 5.

The backbone of any good sports game is always its gameplay, and ESPN: Snowboarding 2002 is no exception. Although there are only four main modes of play on the surface, there is a ton to do within. For starters, you can hit the slopes in the Tutorial mode. This is a great place to start for learning some basic controller commands. Also included is the two-player split-screen Dual mode. These are a great way to get a taste of what's to come in the real meat and potatoes of X Games: Snowboarding 2002.

To jump straight into the action, head over to the X Games mode. Inside you will find four real world events, and you will be able to choose your boarder from 13 pros including Peter Line, Todd Richards, Kevin Jones, and Victoria Jealouse. First off is the Slopestyle, where you'll encounter many obstacles like fences, rails, pipes, and trees, all able to give you that extra scoring potential. Think of the next mode, Snowboarder X, as the Super G of snowboarding. The most important thing here is speed as you race the competition through each gate on your way to the base of the hill. The Superpipe is probably the most entertaining of all events. Here you get a chance to really show off your skillz and trick ability. Finally, you get your chance to defy gravity in the Big Air event. Hit the ramps and mash your buttons to see how many stunts you can pull off. Of course, to practice up you can always take a Free Ride at any time too.

Even with all of these options, the real heart of the game lies within the Snowboarder mode. To start off, you will hit the slopes after creating a boarder with little to no talent. Your job is to build your rider's abilities by taking free rides, entering competitions, and buying new swag. ESPN Winter X Games: Snowboarding 2002 is so in-depth, that the monetary system even allows for decreasing funds due to hospital visits to fix wounds. (Now if there was only something to help fix your pride.) Earn some money by entering the competitions, and also take a shot at earning the rights to board all over the world (in 30 total courses), as well as becoming a star by earning film gigs.

Everything about ESPN: Snowboarding 2002 is outstanding, including the physics system, although you will still be able to get off some insane tricks. The part about the physics that makes the game tough is that it can be very hard to land tricks at times, whether you're hitting the half-pipe, or grabbing some big air off the ramps. The other thing I noticed with myself is that I tend to be a button-masher when playing X Games: Snowboarding 2002. Because of this, performing tricks seemed to be a bit more difficult than it should be (and has been in other games in the genre). But all in all, this game kicks major butt and is definitely worth trying out.

As stated above, ESPN Snowboarding 2002 really has only one major issue that you will need to address, and that is the difficulty of landing. For the most part, this difficulty happens when trying to bust some serious flips. To an extent it almost seems as though the biggest factor in whether or not you will land on your feet is not how you control your boarder, but rather how high above your landing space you end up at the peak of the jump. Too low, and you obviously crash. But too high, and you are likely to over rotate. Find the balance and the game will become easier.

Practice, practice, practice. You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again. It is ever important in X Games: Snowboarding 2002, as without it you will never increase your abilities (in Snowboarder mode) and learn the trick controls. Master them, and you should be able to become an all-star. In Snowboarder mode, you will also be able to move up in ranking and class. You will start off with the 'C' class, and must eventually make it to the 'A' class competitions to really master the game.

Menu controls and navigation are pretty in-depth, but highly workable. The biggest reason for concern in the game is by far your ability to perform tricks and then, ultimately, land them. I've never claimed to be a master of extreme games, so I'm sure other people out there won't have as much trouble as I have had. But for those out there thinking they will be able to just pop the game in and bust big tricks out of the shoot may be in for a surprise.

ESPN Winter X Games: Snowboarding 2002 has a long name as well as a long list of features and gameplay. The Snowboarder mode adds so much to the recent rash of snowboarding-style games that words can't describe it. Because of this mode, the replay value of the game is extremely high. ESPN Winter X Games: Snowboarding 2002 is definitely one of the best games of its kind on the market today, and fans of the sport will find that they may quickly fall in love.