What must also be taken into account (for those that aren't aware) is that Sled Storm on PS2 follows up the sleeper hit of 1999 that was Sled Storm for PSX. When the original was released the market was really devoid of a decent snowmobile racer and it filled the gap very well at the time with its combination of flat-out racing and trick riding. The 2-player game in particular provided many fun-filled hours of ice-racing tussles that just never seemed to get tedious (for this reviewer anyway!).

The PS2 release in 2002 though, despite retaining the original's arcadey take on the sport, is a very different beast. PSX Sled Storm's slightly more believable feel has been replaced by EA Big's flashy, over-the-top SSX style which in many ways is obviously a good thing but in others might have some yearning for a slightly more back-to-basics approach. That aside it should be noted that Sled Storm is still much more a racing game that relies on break-neck speed and getting through corners efficiently than the SSX games which are much more heavily trick-based.

Perhaps the most enjoyable element that Sled Storm carries across from the SSX games is the level design and this is also where the closest comparisons can be drawn. They are huge and detailed with lots of special effects all done up in the trademark EA Big colour and lighting. Although there's only a total of 7 tracks they are so immense and challenging that they'll keep you busy for hours on end.

One of the most notable differences here is the inclusion of uphill sections of track that your 2-stroke beast is more than capable of roaring up. This adds a nice twist in many areas as quite often you'll be flying blind into massive jumps after racing up a steep incline only to see everything open up below as you descend through the haze of powder and constantly falling snow. Combine that with heaps of shortcuts that open up lots more 'off-course' terrain or new sections of track that thrust you ahead of the opposition and you end up with some breathtaking racing experiences that are different every race and keep things interesting.

There are several different game modes in Sled Storm including Single Race and Time Attack but the mode where you'll spend most of your time is Championship which is where you'll progress up through the ranks unlocking additional levels, sleds and characters. When you start you only get to choose one of three available characters from the 8 visible and you can unlock the extra five as you progress. Each has different skill and trick attributes and different models of sleds to choose from. Each sled can be upgraded with progress too but to start with you can only choose the 'bottom-of-the-barrel' model for each player.

As Championship Mode is progressive you will be presented with certain goals to achieve in each race in order to keep going and to unlock the hidden stuff. First of all in order to unlock further tracks and sleds you will need to simply win or place in the top bunch in every race. This is harder than it sounds though so be warned and expect to race over and over on some levels before you master them! Your other goal is to try and unlock the 5 hidden characters. The way to achieve this is to score above a certain minimum points level while winning or placing in a race. This can be tricky (and frustrating!) as going for high-scoring tricks has the potential for many crashes which will result in a poor race placing. You may well find that it's easier to win all the tracks first and then go back to levels you've mastered to unlock the players as it can definitely be a challenging and probably not so well implemented element of the game.

Controls in Sled Storm are fairly straightforward with the defaults being – X for accelerate, circle for brake/reverse, square for 'storm boost', triangle for trick (tweaking), L1 and R1 for leaning or powersliding, L2 and R2 for tricks and the left analogue stick for turning. 'Big Air' style tricks are performed by pressing a combination of the trick buttons (triangle, L1, L2, R1 and R2) while flying through the air. Powersliding, which is performed using the top shoulder buttons while accelerating around corners is an important technique to learn and will contribute towards your winning races but it's a little tricky to master. Over-enthusiasm here or pressing those shoulder buttons for slightly longer than necessary can lead to you going wildly off-course or crashes that require you to restart your sled.