Snowboarding just happens to be one of those sports that seems to be easily replicated with this generation of hardware, which just so happened to come along as the mountainside craze is hitting its peak. (Ho ho!)



Next-generation consoles have been literally flooded with snowboarding entries, some of them universally praised (like SSX and its Tricky sequel), some have been bashed (like Amped), and some have met with mixed reviews (like the recently-released TransWorld Snowboarding). Luckily, with three systems and a handful of different ways to take the sport on, there's still plenty of room for competition.



This is, of course, where Konami comes in, tossing their entry, Evolution Snowboarding, into the fray in an attempt to snag a share of the boarding cash cow. Rather than being a simple race from the top to bottom, Evo Snow (aren't we all hip with the abbreviations) tries to mix things up with mission-based objectives (a la Dark Summit) and an emphasis on combat. It's still snowboarding from what we can tell, but it's certainly a more varied take on it.



To keep the game grounded in reality, however, the developers have decided to introduce a little realism in the form of real boarders, including 2002 Olympic medal winner Danny Kass. They also tapped Roadrunner Records, the name behind acts like Stone Sour and Slipknot (both of which have songs in the game) for the soundtrack.



We'll no doubt have a full review of the game shortly, but for those that can't wait, the game has shipped as of today to retailers nationwide and should be available shortly for the tidy sum of about $40.