Ski Jumping Hands-On Impressions

The main difference between Bandai’s Ski Jumping and previous downhill titles is perspective. The viewpoint is a tight, lock-on view directly above the jumper as he or she moves down the ramp. The motif looks more Olympic than casual, with the detailed character wearing solid colors that seem like conscious choices. There also wasn’t any mention of extreme or wild, frothy graphics. The game is on the simple side, but it was somewhat compelling nonetheless.

The game nuances included wind navigation, speed control, and balance, the latter of which was manipulated by the keypad. The skier spends about 10 seconds on the slope and then leaps off the ramp, and we see a quick 3D animation of the skier taking air. Scores are based on the distance yielded.