Interestingly enough, snowboarding was invented in 1965 by Sherman Poppen when he tied two skis together and added a rope to the end to give him and his daughter stability. The history of snowboarding is short in comparison to other Olympic sports. Snowboarding first appeared in the Olympics in 1998, but the sport appeared in video games years before that.
For their grinding mechanics and fast, thrilling races, snowboarding games have the power to amaze. One can’t forget heart-racing snowboarding franchises like Amped and SSX. They are two of the biggest names in winter sports games. For those with snow being a problem or a lack thereof, playing snowboarding games is the next best thing. These are the 10 best snowboarding games of all time.
17 Transworld Snowboarding
Transworld Snowboarding, which was a spinoff of the magazine of the same name, was released back in 2002 as an original Xbox exclusive, and interestingly was developed by Housemarque, yes, the same team behind Returnal on PlayStation 5. Transworld Snowboarding is full of fast-paced arcade action set in and around real-world resorts in some iconic locations.
The game allowed you to explore a variety of creative locations while pulling off some insane tricks. Along the way you could complete fun objectives to help keep the gameplay fresh. While it didn’t receive the best of reviews at the time of release, it still managed to appeal to the hardcore snowboarding community with its emphasis on real-world locales and professional boarders.
16 Cool Boarders
How is it that the iconic snowboarding franchise Cool Boarders hasn’t made its way back into the mainstream with a modern release or a remake? While the original PlayStation 1 game doesn’t really hold up today, it’s still a game that needs to be experienced since it was one of the first actual 3d snowboarding games of its kind.
While the polygonal and janky graphics might be off-putting in comparison to modern extreme sports titles, the game still manages to provide a thrilling arcade snowboarding experience with plenty of speed along the way. Learning to carve and trick were crucial elements to success in the original Cool Boarders.
15 Alto’s Adventure
When it comes to epic, fast-paced snowboarding romps, it’s typically not sidescrolling mobile games that come to mind. Yet, studio Snowman defies conventions and puts a charming, stylish twist on the genre with this simple-yet-fun runner from 2015.
The game is as much a basic platformer as it is an exhilarating extreme sports romp. Players will guide a snowboarder as they coast, leap, and glide through cell-shaded areas and atmospheric backdrops. Despite its passive nature, Alto’s Adventure excels with accessible mechanics and a fluid sense of movement.
14 Mark McMorris Infinite Air
Snowboarding games have spanned different styles, from arcade-style simplicity to nuanced sim-like gameplay. This 2016 release by HB Studios definitely leans on the latter, with its detailed mechanics and in-depth locales.
A variety of moves and challenges, as well as customizable options, round out this vast snowboarding game. Its sleek, vibrant visuals keep the player immersed, as does some smooth, detailed animation. Though it may not capture all of the magic of some old classics like SSX, it certainly outshines them presentation-wise.
13 Snowboard Kids
If Mario Kart is the kid-friendly version of racers, this title from Racdym can be considered the equivalent for snowboarding games. The game even plays fairly similarly, tossing various hazards, ramps, items, and even coins at the player.
This blocky racer offers nine colorful courses, which are traversed by various colorful characters and livened up by jaunty tunes. The experience can be described as a blend of arcade-style racing and extreme sports stunts sprinkled in. Even if it’s a bit rough around the edges, 1998’s Snowboard Kids brings out the player’s inner-child with some delightful gameplay.
12 1080°Avalanche
Nintendo fans have touted the groundbreaking nature and nostalgic charm of the original 1080° classic on N64, and for good reason. Still, it’s hard to deny the more refined, streamlined gameplay with this GameCube sequel.
This game comes directly from the snowboarding-heavy era of the mid-2000s — and stands out despite other hits like SSX and Shaun White thriving at the time. It emphasizes speed through time trials and thrilling bouts of fleeing from avalanches. But of course, there are still plenty of satisfying tricks to perform — despite the learning curve involved in some of the timing and balancing prompts.
Addictive split-screen multiplayer options further flesh out this enjoyable romp.
11 Shaun Palmer’s Pro Snowboarder
It’s not the strongest snowboarding entry on this list, yet Shaun Palmer’s Pro Snowboarder has its enlivening moments. It’s a game that is made by the same developers as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, so naturally, Shaun Palmer’s Pro Snowboarder bears many similarities.
Although it had its moments, Shaun Palmer’s Pro Snowboarder failed to distinguish itself from THPS in a meaningful way. It did, however, do a heck of a job of copying THPS with similar grinding and trick mechanics. Play this game if you like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater but be warned that it doesn’t raise the bar.
10 Amped 3
Playing as a nameless snowboarder in Amped 3’s single-player mode is one of the high points of the game. It wasn’t the most magnificent snowboarding game of its generation, but it did have replay value because of its emphasis on wild tricks.
It was a laudable snowboarding title for the Xbox 360, but Amped 3 failed to improve on more reputable franchises like SSX.
9 Dark Summit
Dark Summit is not the most polished game. Players will often move through objects without colliding with them. The game certainly has its fair share of bugs, but it still remains to be a great snowboarding game worth a playthrough.
Released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube, Dark Summit is commendable for having genuinely enjoyable gameplay that will take players on average 7 hours to complete. It doesn’t do much to surprise players, but there are few ways to criticize the ingenuity of Dark Summit.
8 1080° Snowboarding
Before there were games like SSX and Steep, people had to get their snowboarding fix by playing games like 1080° Snowboarding. It didn’t have the most advanced gameplay mechanics, but for its time, it was sublime.
It’s highly recommended to play this game because of its wild tricks and arduous point-to-point speed runs. Expect to go fast in 1080° Snowboarding, one of the top sports games for the Nintendo 64. This game inspired later snowboarding games and is a classic worth playing for snowboarding fanatics.
7 SSX Blur
The combination of Wii’s motion controls and SSX’s snowboarding could have made SSX Blur one of the most disastrous of the series. With stellar execution, SSX Blur stands as one of the best SSX games to date.
SSX Blur provides a different experience than other snowboarding games. Motion controls like drawing to perform Uber Tricks distinguish SSX Blur. Using the Wii Nunchuk to control the player in combination with a Wii Mote works well in the game. Flinging the Wii Mote allows players to perform spins and tricks intuitively.
6 Amped 2
Back when Microsoft made a variety of sports games, Amped 2 was one of the leading snowboarding games. As part of the same lineup as Amped 2, Microsft released games such as NHL Rivals 2004, Top Spin, NFL Fever 2004, and NBA Inside Drive 2004. These sports games were some of the first to be Xbox Live enabled.
Amped 2 stands as one of the leading snowboarding titles. Like many others, players start from the bottom and must work their way to the top. Becoming a seasoned professional athlete is a thrilling experience. Amp 2 will forever be remembered for being one of the best snowboarding games of its time.
5 SSX Tricky
Without a doubt, SSX (2001) was a fun snowboarding game, but SSX Tricky built on the original concept adding layers of excitement. Being able to max out the “Tricky Meter” allows players to pull off even more advanced snowboarding tricks and accumulate a ton of points.
Different from its predecessor which was an exclusive for PlayStation 2, SSX Tricky was available on most platforms of the time, including Xbox, GameCube, GameBoy Advance, and PlayStation 2. Even by today’s standards, this game offers an incredible experience.
4 Steep
Bold and ambitious, the development team behind Steep went the distance by adding skiing, wingsuit gliding, and snowboarding to their extreme sports video game. Steep is one of the lesser-known gems of today’s consoles.
Being able to free roam in an open world, race competitively, or perform in competitions is why Steep is so highly regarded. For those seeking ample gameplay variation, Steep is a good place to start. Ubisoft should be proud of this game, and anyone who is a fan of mountainous sports will likely enjoy Steep.
3 SSX 3
The level of detail and polish put into SSX 3 makes it an exceptional game in a crowded snowboarding market. The life-like movements in SSX 3 are a snowboarder’s dream come to life. Doing tricks will increase one’s speed to help towards finishing faster in SSX 3’s races.
SSX 3 thinks outside the box with a wide array of tricks. The gameplay still stays true to the SSX franchise but executes it in a highly enjoyable way. SSX 3 is a game worth playing for hours on end.
2 Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip
In the mid-2000s, Ubisoft seemed set to make Shaun White a household name for snowboarding romps the same way Tony Hawk was for skateboarding games. And while this series didn’t quite reach the lofty heights of that hit, the few titles released proved solid enough for most.
This is particularly the case with the Wii rendition of 2008’s Shaun White Snowboarding. The game draws upon the arcade-style traits of SSX while utilizing the Wii’s motion control to its advantage. The game also marks a rare instance where the Wii’s Balance Board is well utilized outside of Wii Fit, adding a dynamic, immersive feel.
Intuitive controls, reliable mechanics, and a slew of distinct events round out this memorable downhill journey.
1 SSX
With a radical soundtrack and a wide variety of levels to ride, SSX (2012) stands as the best snowboarding game thus far. An SSX game has never looked so polished, and Electronic Arts really swung this one out of the park. Combo chains are for both beginner and advanced players.
The grinding is fun beyond words. It’s an exhilarating game that must be experienced to gain a sense of its brilliance. As a game that was released for the Xbox 360, it is backward compatible for the Xbox One. Even today, the game stands as a worthwhile purchase that’s aged gracefully.
NEXT: 10 Best Arcade Sports Games Ever, Ranked
