There's a good range of things to grind on or jump over, such as cars, sheds, and power lines, as well as the more traditional metal rails and snow drifts. Courses consist of a variety of terrain, with ice, powder and rocks all wreaking havoc on your speed and balance. Still, the game does have a way of reminding you of the inherent limitations of the PS, as too often you'll bump into force fields that look like trees, and black holes that leave your little rider flickering spastically in a corner, unable to get out and face downhill. There's a new method of customizing your rider in CoolBoarders 2001 . Instead of choosing an outfit and then choosing colors from an infinite palette, this year's game has only pre-designed outfits to choose from.
Riders have many new physical characteristics.
My team consisted of a girl with pigtails, a guy with a red Mohawk and blue suit of armor, and a dreadlocked Rasta wearing flannel and jeans. 989 did scale back on the amount of initially available snowboards. The custom paint jobs are gone and you have to unlock most of the decks in the career mode. Sounds in the game are pretty decent. Presentation is slick, too.