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SBK-Snowboard-Kids-DS

North America Box Art for SBK: Snowboard Kids

SBK: Snowboard Kids, released in Japan as Snowboard Kids Party (スノボキッズパーティー sunobo kizzu pātī), is a snowboarding video game for the Nintendo DS released on November 22, 2005 in North America. It is the fourth in the Snowboard Kids series following three previous games released on the Nintendo 64 and the PlayStation. Up to four people can play wirelessly with one game card. Though the name is the same as the other games, the characters are teenagers in this installment.

Very notable is that Linda Maltinie, the character responsible for starting most of the competitions in the previous Snowboard Kids games, is absent and appears to have been replaced by Brad, who is related to her. Mr. Dog, Shinobin, and all the playable characters who have debuted in Snowboard Kids Plus and Snowboard Kids 2 are also absent. Koyuki is also a newcomer in the game who is the evolution of both Kaede and Wendy.

The characters' super deformed, large-nosed style has been discontinued, and in this game the characters take on an appearance that is much more standard anime-esque created by Hidekazu Miyajima. Some of the characters have undergone drastic personality changes, the two most noticeable being Nancy and Tommy. They were both mild-mannered, nice to everyone and kind but now, have become mean-spirited and even borderline antagonistic. There is also bad timing in the game as Slash, Nancy, Jam, and Tommy's ages are all different, while all 10 in the first games.

Other changes include the stat layout, introducing an individual shot stat. Also, the stats themselves have altered, such as Tommy being the fastest character in all previous games, now being one of the slowest, and Nancy doing the exact opposite.

Characters[]

Slash Kamei

Age: 15

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

Country: Japan

Hobbies: Pro Skateboarding / Basketball (JP Version)

Slash possesses natural athletic ability, and he joined a previous snowboarding tournament to show off his skill. He reached the finals with ease, but his overconfidence caused him to lose to Brad. Determined to redeem himself, Slash followed his new rival to this competition.

Slash's Skills (Average):

Type: Trick

Speed: 5/10

Turn: 4/10

Trick: 7/10

Shot: 7/10

Brad Maltinie

Age: 17

Height: 5'8" (173 cm)

Country: America

Hobbies: Reading, Baseball

Brad's family is one of the wealthiest in the United States, and his sibling is Linda, but he didn't pay to learn how to snowboard - he practiced on the mountains in his backyard. He was introduced to Nancy through his parents, and suddenly had a crush on her. Brad enters the tournament to keep an eye on her. His sibling has appeared in three games (Snowboard Kids 1, Snowboard Kids 2 and Snowboard Kids Plus).

Brad's Skills (Average):

Type: All-Round

Speed: 8/10

Turn: 5/10

Trick: 6/10

Shot: 6/10

Nancy Neil

Age: 16

Height: 5'4" (163 cm)

Country: England

Hobbies: Shopping / Nothing in Particular (JP Version)

Nancy is from a distinguished background, and she never passes up a chance to let everyone else know that. Luckily for her, she has the talent to back up those claims of superiority. Nancy's reason for entering the tournament is to emerge victorious and make her parents proud. She used to be sweet but became mean.

Nancy's Skills (Average):

Type: Speed

Speed: 7/10

Turn: 4/10

Trick: 5/10

Shot: 8/10

Jamjars "Jam" Kuehnemund

Age: 18

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

Country: Jamaica / America (JP Version)

Hobbies: Battle Rapping, Dancing

Jam is a national rap battle champion who is in constant search of the latest trends for the purpose of bolstering his ego. No matter what he is doing at the time, he goes all out to impress others. In fact, his only reason for entering the tournament is to prove himself to be the coolest.

Jam's Skills (Average):

Type: Trick

Speed: 3/10

Turn: 5/10

Trick: 8/10

Shot: 5/10

Koyuki Tanaka

Age: 15

Height: 5'3" (160 cm)

Country: Japan

Hobbies: Listening to Music / Afternoon Naps (JP Version)

After witnessing a snowboarding competition in Japan, Koyuki took interest and began training diligently in the mountains. Seeing her potential, her superiors gave her to the opportunity join a tournament. Koyuki gladly accepted this chance to put her skills to the test.

Koyuki's Skills (Average):

Type: Beginner

Speed: 3/10

Turn: 6/10

Trick: 6/10

Shot: 3/10

Thomas "Tommy" Parsy

Age: 18

Height: 6'2" (187 cm)

Country: Canada

Hobbies: Hanging Out / Bullying the Weak (JP Version)

Tommy met Nancy at his parents' company picnic and became smitten with her at first sight. Since then, he has made many attempts to win her over, but they all ended in failure. Desperate to convince Nancy of his worth, Tommy enters the tournament. Despite his lack of experience, he'll use every dirty trick or even hurt the others to get Nancy's attention.

Tommy's Skills (Average):

Type: Attacker

Speed: 4/10

Turn: 3/10

Trick: 5/10

Shot: 10/10

Max

Age: 5 (20 in Human Years)

Height: 4'11" (150 cm)

Country: Antarctica

Hobbies: Hunting for Fish, Pushing his Limits

Hailing from the South Pole, Max is a penguin with almost human intelligence. Becoming bored, he seized the opportunity to join a human competition in the hopes of finding a suitable rival.

Max's Skills (Average):

Type: Speed

Speed: 8/10

Turn: 3/10

Trick: 4/10

Shot: 4/10

Jack Frost/Black Frost

Age: Unknown

Height: 4'11" (150 cm)

Country: Unknown

Hobbies: Unknown

Jack Frost, mascot of Atlus and well-known demon in the Megami Tensei series, makes an appearance as a hidden character. His reasons for entry are unknown, but it's likely that he's just competing for fun. Black Frost is a more sinister version of Jack Frost with better stats.

Jack Frost's Skills (Average):

Type: Speed

Speed: 4/10

Turn: 7/10

Trick: 5/10

Shot: 7/10

Black Frost's Skills (Average):

Type: Speed

Speed: 8/10

Turn: 7/10

Trick: 8/10

Shot: 7/10

Reception[]

Reviews of SBK: Snowboard Kids were mostly mixed. With a 63 out of 100 score on Metacritic. GameSpot gave the game a 6.7 out of 10. Praising the game for their lengthy courses and being like an SSX and Mario Kart mix, but criticized the game for having less personality than the previous two games in the series.[1] IGN had also given the game a mixed review, giving it a 6.2 out of 10. Praising the game for the time trials and the slalom missions, yet criticizing it for its lack of focus on real arcade racing balance.[2] Nintendo Power however gave it a positive review giving it a 7.5 out of 10, calling it "Mario Kart on ice."

Gallery[]

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