Sports are about competition, and Amped 2 is no exception. Tutorials and single-player modes are all fine and dandy—for posers—but after you’re tired of the bunny hill, it might be time to bring some friends along for some white-knuckle action. Whether you’re having a few buddies over for a heated competition or you’re the guest of honor at a prestigious LAN party, there are tons of different ways to strut your moves. Plug in a few controllers and gear up for the mountain because Amped 2 gives you the chance to prove once and for all that you’re the king of the slopes.
Split Screen So you only have one Xbox and one TV to work with? Not a problem. Just hook up two controllers to your console and get going. In split-screen mode, players can use characters they’ve already created or make new ones on-the-fly. Choose between two main modes (Session and Just Ride) to get going. If organized competition is what you crave, the Session mode is where you want to be. Four game types are available to pick from: High Score, Best Trick, King of the Mountain, and Trick Race. Set a time limit, drop point, and scoring, and let the game begin. Starting at the top of the run, shredders go head-to-head. Max points are awarded for stylish combos, tricky grabs, and overall finesse. If you do your best in the time allowed, you might just come out on top. With all the tricks at your disposal, there’s no limit to what you can do. Practice your butter combos, because the more tricks you link together, the better your score.
Looking for a more realistic experience? Go with the Just Ride option. Rather than sketching the slopes with a single goal, you can freeride the course any way you see fit. If rail sliding is your specialty, try out some new tricks off logs, the lip of a half pipe, or anything else you can find. Don’t forget to take out the hidden snowmen. Not only does it rack up points, but it also makes for a stunning photo op. After all, what’s cooler than an exploding snowman?
System Link Perhaps your last name is Rockefeller, and you have a surplus of Xbox video game systems lying around. Or maybe you’ve decided to crash a LAN party and make new friends by kicking their heinies. In either case, you’re in luck, because Amped 2 not only supports split-screen mode, but system link as well. It’s easy: Just connect your systems with a crossover cable or through a hub, and select your modes. Piece of cake! The beauty of system link is that the screen is all yours … none of that “sharing” stuff to get in the way of you dominating the mountainside. This is, no doubt, the preferred way to play with your friendly neighborhood Xbox friends. But what about your friends in far-off places?
Xbox Live and XSN Sports In case you’ve been asleep or living in a cave for the past few months, I’ll reiterate the joys of online gaming with Xbox Live. Broadband only. No lag. Headset support. XSN Sports ranking. The list goes on. With each new sports title that joins the XSN Sports lineup, more and more players have the opportunity to participate in an online network where players can check their rankings from anywhere—via PC, PDA, or cell phone. True sports fans will want to harness the power of XSN Sports, and take their Amped 2 games online to compete with the best in the world.
With so many ways to catch air with your friends and competitors alike, Amped 2 is undoubtedly the best, most realistic, and most entertaining snowboarding game out there. Stock up on controllers, kids.
