Sled Storm is a series of snowmobile racing video games published and developed by Electronic Arts and released in North America on July 31, 1999 and in Europe on August 11, 1999. It gained critical acclaim due to its original concept of being one of the first snowmobile racing titles. The series currently consists of two games, both of which are named simply Sled Storm. The game features snowmobiles (referred to as sleds), stunts and fourteen snow-covered courses consisting of slippery slopes, inclement weather and treacherous cliffs. Six racers were selectable from the outset and two more were unlockable, each of which had different snowmobile handling attributes.
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For the era this game is pretty good. Only annoying part was that the AI scales with you so if you get super fast the game just gets harder because it is harder to control where you are going.
Mostly putting this one down for now because requiring first place to progress in a championship format is REALLY annoying. But there’s some solid (if repetitive) track design and the racing itself is pretty fun! A neat little PS1 racing gem I think!
Rob Zombie
Review #5 - 2022
Played this on a whim with a friend of mine, for this was one of his favorite games to play as a kid. This was my first time playing this game, and it was cool seeing a game further down the console's line of releases as I trek through the PlayStation's history of US releases chronologically. Jumping from 1995 to 1999 shows much stride in terms of improvements through how they looked, played, and felt. Something I noticed from the get go, was the game's physics and particle engines (if those are the things at play here of course). The way the environment reacts to your sled as you bob and weave through the snow is satisfying to watch. Every movement you make feels heavy, yet smooth, which is what I imagine driving a sled feels like.
As for the gameplay itself, it's very simple. You have a course, you race other racers, and you do simple tricks on the way for points. We didn't dive into the different modes, but from the half hour we played, I got the gist of it. It's a pick up and play arcade racer, that's fun for a bit. I eventually got burnt out from seeing nothing but snow after awhile, and so, we moved on to something else.
Played this on a whim with a friend of mine, for this was one of his favorite games to play as a kid. This was my first time playing this game, and it was cool seeing a game further down the console's line of releases as I trek through the PlayStation's history of US releases chronologically. Jumping from 1995 to 1999 shows much stride in terms of improvements through how they looked, played, and felt. Something I noticed from the get go, was the game's physics and particle engines (if those are the things at play here of course). The way the environment reacts to your sled as you bob and weave through the snow is satisfying to watch. Every movement you make feels heavy, yet smooth, which is what I imagine driving a sled feels like.
As for the gameplay itself, it's very simple. You have a course, you race other racers, and you do simple tricks on the way for points. We didn't dive into the different modes, but from the half hour we played, I got the gist of it. It's a pick up and play arcade racer, that's fun for a bit. I eventually got burnt out from seeing nothing but snow after awhile, and so, we moved on to something else.
Not the other one that basically became a thinly veiled SSX clone - but this Sled Storm feels much more grounded in reality, and is home to some really good thrills when it comes to underrated racers on the Playstation.
The late 90’s was home to extreme sports on consoles. There was a huge boom in this genre and it led to many great games. Sled Storm is kind of an oddball as snowmobile racing isn’t a huge hit in the US. However, EA managed to pull off a responsive and fun little racing title.
Sled Storm is similar to most arcade racing games from its time. There are several modes such as championship, single race, and multiplayer. Championship has two different modes. One mode is an open circuit with natural courses and you can upgrade your ride. The second on is a snocross closed circuit event in which you just need to win. Sounds simple enough right?
Wrong. You need to get first place in every race to advance. There are 4 other racers on the track and the game is subject to frustrating rubber band AI. You can be ahead all through the race and on the final lap, everyone seems to zoom ahead of you. One crash and it’s restart time. The other annoying thing is that you only get 3 restarts and then have to restart the entire championship.
It’s rather annoying but tolerable. The crafts handle really well and the visuals are great. Powder flies up behind the vehicle into the camera every time you bounce or take a turn. There’s snow blowing toward you and the track is nicely detailed. The controls are what steal the show here. They feel smooth and very responsive and make you want to keep playing.
There is no fancy trick system here, but a point system is used for knocking down objects on the track and other reasons I couldn’t figure out. That’s about all there is to this game. The tracks actually vary, but after beating the championship there’s really no reason to come back. Think of this as a quick little 2-3 hour racing game and back on the shelf it goes.
Sled Storm is similar to most arcade racing games from its time. There are several modes such as championship, single race, and multiplayer. Championship has two different modes. One mode is an open circuit with natural courses and you can upgrade your ride. The second on is a snocross closed circuit event in which you just need to win. Sounds simple enough right?
Wrong. You need to get first place in every race to advance. There are 4 other racers on the track and the game is subject to frustrating rubber band AI. You can be ahead all through the race and on the final lap, everyone seems to zoom ahead of you. One crash and it’s restart time. The other annoying thing is that you only get 3 restarts and then have to restart the entire championship.
It’s rather annoying but tolerable. The crafts handle really well and the visuals are great. Powder flies up behind the vehicle into the camera every time you bounce or take a turn. There’s snow blowing toward you and the track is nicely detailed. The controls are what steal the show here. They feel smooth and very responsive and make you want to keep playing.
There is no fancy trick system here, but a point system is used for knocking down objects on the track and other reasons I couldn’t figure out. That’s about all there is to this game. The tracks actually vary, but after beating the championship there’s really no reason to come back. Think of this as a quick little 2-3 hour racing game and back on the shelf it goes.