X Games Snowboarder Officially Released; Shipping Now

This bit of news is actually a couple of weeks old…and it probably would have made the most sense to share it on Winter Solstice….better late than never, I’ve been too busy, etc., etc.

Unveiled shortly before IAAPA 2017, Raw Thrills has begun shipping their latest title, X Games Snowboarder to arcades & locations throughout Western Civilization. Distributors have been listing and selling the game since earlier this month so that operators could have it just in time for Winter to kick in. It is a pseudo-sequel to Winter X Games Snocross (2012) and is another arcade exclusive:

I was able to spend a little time playing this one at IAAPA 2017 – if I was to describe how it plays I would say it feels like Top Skater on the control side while it feels like Super Alpine Racer on the software side. It certainly looks nicer than both; only gripe I could have is that from my height and position, I couldn’t feel the wind blowing effect very well. If you’re unable or unwilling to hit real slopes though, this provides the next best alternative. As previously mentioned, it is also the first time in a long while since we’ve seen a board style control scheme and one of the very few arcade games designed around the sport. Here’s my look at it from IAAPA, available in glorious 4K resolution 😛

Raw Thrills has also added this game to their website, although it doesn’t have many details at the moment; those should be coming before too long.

If you have had the chance to play this one, what did you think about it?