Cool Boarders 4, the sequel to the franchise that has us all dreaming of winter sports while we’re stuck in a room the size of a shoebox, has come to grace the PlayStation. It’s vibrant, it’s snowy, and it boasts characters who might as well be dressed by your 11-year-old cousin who just discovered eBay. The game promises a fresh coat of snow over its predecessors, but does it deliver or simply slip on an icy patch?
Gameplay in Cool Boarders 4 is a mixed bag of things you want to do, and things you wonder if the developers thought anyone would actually enjoy. Players can take their pick from a bevy of tracks and a lineup of characters, each sporting their own level of 'coolness'—which, let’s be honest, is debatable. There's a mixture of slalom, time attack, and a pub quiz's worth of other modes. Multiplayer mode is available, which basically ensures that if you’re waiting to play with friends, prepare to hoof it outside—the North Face jacket might just have to come off if you're cold enough. Controls are intuitive enough; you can grind on rails or catch air off ramps, which all sounds fun until you crash, and your character awkwardly tumbles down an entire mountain like a ragged snowman in a blender.
Visually, Cool Boarders 4 is guilty of a crime. It portrays a winter wonderland reminiscent of what happens when a kid's crayon box gets spooked by the sun. The colors are vibrant, maybe even a little too vibrant. It’s like the snow is trying to grab your attention, demanding you look at it and its friends, the absurdly neon boarders. Character models are just slightly above a potato quality. Considering we had games with better graphics a few years prior, journeying through this pixelated panorama is like taking a lonely winter stroll with your old grandma's camera. Nostalgia glasses might do wonders here, but without them, the visuals leave much to be desired.
In the grand scheme of things, Cool Boarders 4 is not a bad experience; it’s just like getting a paper cut between your fingers. You might feel a bit of pleasure at first, but you might regret diving in headfirst beyond the tutorial. It attempts to capture the thrills of snowboarding and throw some adrenaline into the mix, but just like that first attempt at a double backflip in real life, it doesn’t always stick the landing. If you're lost in the winter landscape of retro gaming and want something light-hearted, grab your controller. But if your gaming palate is anything but nostalgic, brushing some frost off a more recent title might be the better decision. Would I recommend it? Sure! If you haven’t discovered the magic of Red Bull and snowboards yet, then welcome to Cool Boarders 4—where snow usually wins.
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