Right from the getgo, it's very apparent that not too much was done to alter the overall presentation of CB3. The menu screens look practically the same, and the graphics engine isn't that much improved since last year. Mind you, a lot of the clipping problems from CB3 have been addressed, giving the game a sleeker look, but not making up for the total lack of ingenuity in the overall package. Even the boarder animations are practically carbon copies of last year, which is a negative since they were never that great to begin with. The boarders themselves do look good, but the trick animations have so few frames that it's almost painful to watch. Still, this is standard Playstation fare in terms of visual acuity, and the tracks aren't all that bad to look at. I wouldn't even bring this up if the game wasn't such a pain to play.

When I think of a good trick system, I think back to Cool Boarders 2, and I wish that Idol Minds would have looked back on that as well. Plain and simple, this game just isn't fun to play. While it's an improvement over last year, the trick system just isn't up to snuff when compared to something like 1080 on the N64. Even without comparing CB4 to other snowboarding games out there, the trick system isn't all that great. While it's not unbearable by any stretch of the imagination, it's still frustrating. A lot of times I felt like I was landing tricks more out of luck than actual skill.

One of the promising things about CB4 was the long overdue "create boarder" mode. It's a shame that IM has failed to deliver on this account as well. With little room for customization, save for colour, height, and girth changes, the mode lacks that certain something that actually makes you want to create your own character. Now what could that certain something possibly be? How about the inability to name your character, so in the tournament standings you're nothing more than "player 1". Or the fact that you have to choose from about 8 pre-made boarders, and THEN you can change their attributes. I was really excited at the prospect of getting to create my own boarder, but sadly, I'm left with a big feeling of disappointment.

On the audio end of things, CB4 features some forgetable tunes, repetitive crowd noises, and the same old boarder effects from last year. Why does Shaun White grunt like a 50 year old when he's only 14? Yes, these are very minute things, but you really begin to notice them when you realize that the gameplay just isn't cutting it.

I should also warn you about the lackluster 2 player mode. Don't even try any split screen racing since your viewing area is so small, it's like your boarder has no peripheral vision and can only see straight ahead. However, one of the better things of this mode is being able to challenge a buddy in either the half pipe, slope style, and big air modes. These are actually bearable since you take turns to see who can rack up the most points in 3 runs. Your lowest score is deducted to attain your final score. It's actually quite satisfying to tear up your friends high score and send him back to the lodge where he came from. But once again, when the tricks take more luck than skill to pull off, some of that fun is lost. I'd recommend a rental just to check out these modes alone, but make sure to invite a friend.