We Ski & Snowboard

What’s the Story?

Namco Bandai's latest arcade sports game for the entire family lets gamers soar down a mountain using the Wii Remote or Wii Balance Board peripheral (which ships with Wii Fit) to see who is the fastest or most daring with tricks. If this sounds like deja vu, it's because Namco Bandai launched We Ski about nine months ago. This time, however, they've tweaked the controls, added snowboarding and a couple of extras, too.

The game includes more than a dozen runs (some of which are now longer), ranging from bunny slopes to challenging cliffs and a new trick park thrown in to show off your midair moves. Other activities available include freestyle challenges, race modes, moguls, and a ski school for beginners. The game retains the same cute graphics as the original, though older players might write this off as a kiddie game. If you have a Mii character you can import it and map the face to your skiier or boarder's body.

Is It Any Good?

While the game is fun for up to four players on the same television, it's hard to justify this purchase for those who shelled out $30 on last year's game (and this sequel is $10 more, too). It's really not that different given the snowboarding element doesn't really add much to the experience and the new areas and tweaks aren't too noticeable. But for those who didn't pick up the 2008 game, they might enjoy this family-friendly follow-up.