Whether you've actually done it or not, everybody knows snowboarding is immense fun, and has a somewhat extreme image associated with it. The previous two SSX games concentrated on this aspect rather than being realistic simulations, and now the third title comes blazing down an icy black run of fun onto Xbox.

An all-new feature is the Conquer the Mountain mode. Three huge environments (peaks) are available, but have to be unlocked in numerical order. Each peak is divided into Race, Freestyle and Freeride disciplines, which are split into a further four different routes to, once again, complete in numerical order to unlock the next.

Far from lycra-clad funboys slaloming through poles, the Race sections involve breath-taking rides down sheer faces incorporating jumps, gaps and rails. Freestyle is pretty much the same sort of deal, only you're up against the clock to amass astronomical amounts of points through amazing combos. Yep, that's right, the crazy cats with the even crazier moves are back with a vengeance and, as we said before, the emphasis here is clearly on over-the-top, totally unrealistic tricks.

Pull off several good combos in a row, and your Special meter will fill up. Once this reservoir of radness is complete, hold the boost button for a quick burst of speed - vital for a sprint finish or to get bigger air off the enormous jumps. Perform several consecutive special moves and you'll fill up the Uber-meter, which allows you to pull off mad moves for big points.

Freeride is exactly that; explore each environment and complete tasks to unlock more costumes and earn cash. Pop into the mountain lodge to upgrade your stats and buy clobber - it's all standard fare for extreme sports titles.

So how does it differ from its predecessors? Well, it doesn't. The races are searingly fast, and whilst the exploration aspect does add a bit to the gameplay, you're far too limited as to where you can and can’t go on the mountain. There's a decent amount of stuff to unlock, including special tricks individual to each character, but it still feels like we're just re-treading the same old territory. There are only so many tricks you can pull before it feels repetitive, and although there are only three environments, the difficulty curve on the races is considerably steep.

If you don't own any of the previous SSX titles, this is definitely worth checking out but, at the end of the day, it's just a glossy remale of its predecessor.

1. Blisteringly fast
2. Ace uber-moves
3. Lots of characters and upgrades

1. Repetitive gameplay
2. Steep learning curve
3. Pretty limited environments

Power
Lush visuals and a breakneck pace ensure the Xbox is put through its paces.

Style
Funky soundtrack and the looks of a supermodel make this one cool cat.

Immersion
Jump right in and get shredding Various paths down each route keep things fresh.

Lifespan
Loads of stuff to find and unlock, but the novelty may wear off sooner than you think.

Summary
This is one small step for snowboarding titles, unfortunately, instead of one giant leap for the SSX series.