Before the world fell for serious snowboarding simulators, there was a title that shrugged off realism entirely and offered a colourful carnival on the slopes instead. Snowboard Kids is proof that winter sports can be every bit as crazy as kart racing, and on the Nintendo 64 it built a reputation as a cult treasure that collectors now chase with open wallets.
The game came from Racdym (later known as Racjin) and built on the success of the original entry on the Super Nintendo. The premise is simple: a bunch of adorably cartoonish kids hurtle down the mountainside, but it isn't only about speed. Snowboard Kids borrows its DNA from Mario Kart and drops it into a snowy world, so as you ride you collect money, buy weapons and knock each other out with rockets, boulders or scarecrows.
The courses are designed with tremendous imagination, often abandoning any logic of a real ski slope and winding through fantastical landscapes, loops and ramps. Between rounds you also ride a lift back to the top, which adds a tactical dimension: whoever finished last gets a better starting position, so the battle never really ends. The trick mechanic on jumps then rewards daring players who don't just settle for a safe run.
Where the game truly blossoms is, once again, in multiplayer. The split screen turns the living room into a battlefield full of dirty tricks and gleeful grins, and it's precisely this social energy that made it a hidden gem of the console. Characters like Slash, Nancy or the annoying Damien are still fondly remembered by fans, and their distinctive cartoon design gave the game an unmistakable face.
Snowboard Kids was never a commercial blockbuster, and in Europe it was moreover hard to find, which turned the original cartridges into coveted collector's items. The series saw sequels and a later move to handhelds, but for many this N64 game remains the true, heart-warming peak of nostalgia. It's a title that proved fun isn't decided by budget, but by an idea.
Why play: For its crazy blend of snowboarding and kart racing, which in multiplayer still reliably kicks off friendly battles full of laughter.
Game 50 of 77 for Nintendo 64
