Just a few weeks before the release of 1080: Avalanche, and days after the game wrapped up production, Nintendo of America hosted a conference call for the media to learn more about the game’s finer points. Attending were several members of the development team, including Shigeki Yamashiro, president of NST and producer for the game, and Vivek Melwani, director and lead game designer for the game.

The team emphasized that their goal in creating 1080: Avalanche was to preserve the feel of the original and beloved 1080 Snowboarding, while making it more accessible to casual players. And, of course, they wanted to create many new experiences of racing down a mountain. They began by researching the original game and later taking trips to real mountains to try out the sport for themselves. The controls were identified as the heart of 1080, so the team concentrated on preserving and improving that aspect first. Basic movement has not been altered very much, but in response to feedback from gamers and focus groups, the trick system has been redesigned so that simple tricks are easier to pull off, while more complex tricks still present a challenge.

The original 1080 was one of the very first 3D snowboarding games, but the genre has filled up rapidly in the years since. When asked how Avalanche will stack up to games like SSX3 and Amped 2, the dev team said that 1080 takes a more realistic, racing-focused approach to snowboarding compared to its competitors. One element that probably stretches the limit of realism is the game’s avalanches. There are a few teasers of the coming onslaught throughout the game, but players will have to reach the end of the game to experience the full-blown avalanche level, something never really attempted in a snowboarding game before.

Avalanche’s graphics are showcased by the snow particle effects and other wonders of the mountain, as well as the game’s blistering sense of speed. The audio is fully interactive, and apparently the avalanche is a real treat to hear. A mixture of in-house and licensed rock music makes up the soundtrack, and the team hopes players won’t be able to tell the difference between the tracks recorded at NST and those supplied by up-and-coming bands. The game supports progressive scan, Dolby Pro Logic II, and LAN or split-screen multiplayer for up to four players.

Last updated: 05/21/2002 by Mike Orlando

With a new developer in NST, the sequel to this hit N64 snowboarding game will be hitting the GameCube full force early next year. Recent footage demonstrated excellent effects, ranging from varying weather conditions, beautiful lighting, and scrupulously detailed rippling of the boarder's clothes. 1080: White Storm will feature multiple modes that fans of the original will immediately recognize, including match races, time and trick attacks, and the classic half-pipe contest.

The video Nintendo provided at their E3 media briefing exemplified how the series will be improved with vastly superior hardware. Courses will feature real time alterations to the environment, with everything from rockslides to surprise avalanches! Also new to the series is the inclusion of (non-competitive) NPCs, including downhill skiers which can maliciously be bowled over should they get in your way. And of course crisp, detailed textures, a nice long draw distance, and real-time lighting effects also beautifully accentuate the downhill areas. Fans of 1080 will also be happy to hear that the sequel looks to retain the same, methodical game mechanics and pace of the original, while introducing a faster sense of speed.

Last updated: 08/24/2001 by Michael "TYP" Cole

1080 GC (currently the official title for the game) is coming along nicely, thanks to the talented designers at Left Field. The still photos of the game circulating around the net really don’t do the game justice at all. Some proclaim the graphics to be marginally better than the N64 original—this is very untrue. From the brief video shown at the SW conference, the game features detailed lighting and shadows with wonderfully modeled boarders. The game, though fairly early in development, has a very fast frame rate and should stay that way as the models and textures are improved on.

The first part of the video shows a snowboarder zooming down a dense forest. Unlike the N64 courses, this new level appears to provide a more free-for-all environment. Though it is in a U shaped valley, the edges look to provide places to weave in and out of the trees, just like in real life! The second area shown on the video looks to be a remake of Crystal Lake, from the N64 original. The section shown is the segment where the track becomes narrow, surrounded by overhanging cliffs. The design looks just like the original, but now has some very cool shadows and better textures. The final area looks reminiscent of Deadly Fall, but it is not as recognizable as Crystal Lake. Three snowboarders make their way through deep powder, approaching a steep slope.

The backgrounds look a little blurry as of right now, but this seems to be because they were ripped from the N64 version. Expect these to be replaced with better versions once development comes further along.

The new tree-weaving level should capture a lot of fun found in real snow sports, and hopefully Left Field will be able to design more levels in the same vein. Multiple racers on the screen also suggest a mode of play with many opponents at one time. If more modes and more courses are available, 1080 GC could be very popular in multiple regions, avoiding the label of a mindless sequel.

In the same vein as Wave Race: Blue Storm's weather effects, we're hoping for artic storms or avalanches to make it into the game to increase challenge...

Last updated: 07/30/2001 by Max Lake

Our sources have informed us that the 1080 sequel is expected to debut at SpaceWorld and should be playable. Characters from the first 1080 Snowboarding have popped up in Wave Race: Blue Storm making it very likely they’ll pop-up in this game too.

Last updated: 06/10/2001 by Jonathan Metts

Despite our previous update to this preview, Nintendo Power magazine has confirmed that the 1080 Snowboarding 2 title confirmed in game lists during E3 is, in fact, being developed at Left Field Studios. Not really a huge surprise...it goes along with NCL's massive effort of late to farm out existing franchises so that they can concentrate on new projects. Left Field is currently not commenting at all on 1080 2 (we've called!), but hopefully something will be revealed towards Spaceworld. You can throw away your hopes for a 1080 game at launch, but SSX Tricky should be out before the end of the year, and many people consider its PS2 predecessor to be even better than 1080 on N64. It should be fun comparing Tricky to Left Field's new 1080 game...

Last updated: 05/07/2001 by Max Lake

It turns out that snowboarding game billed as a sequel to the N64 classic 1080 snowboarding will not be called “1080 2.” Instead an all-new name will be used.

We’ve heard some insider info saying that the “1080 2” name may have described the project but was by new means the final name. Not too long ago, lists of potential names were being circulated and name suggestions were apparently being asked for.

In the end, it’s up to Left Field. What the game is being called has yet to be disclosed but it’s likely they will have settled on this when it makes its expected E3 appearance. Hmmm, maybe we'll wait to rename this sucker till then.

Last updated: 01/28/2001

Any good Nintendophile can recall 1080 Snowboarding for the N64. Made by EAD and produced by the great Shigeru himself, the game was—and is—fantastic. It’s hard to believe, but the graphics were good for its time, and the soundtrack was very appropriate. Different modes of play and comfortable, yet challenging controls made the game come to life. The tracks were very ingenious, for they were decidedly non-linear, and the plethora of stunts made screwing around worthwhile. As if the game was not impressive enough, it was completed in under a year!

Although a great game, 1080 was hardly perfect. The biggest problem was probably the game’s length. With only 6 courses, one can only play so much before calling it quits. Also, the 2-player maximum often inhibited the game’s replay value, leaving people hungry for more. Fortunately, Nintendo noticed these pleas and asked EAD to get cracking on a sequel. However, Nintendo decided to cancel the N64 game due to the system's lack of flexibility. Shigeru Miyamoto stated, "1080 2 was cancelled in the early planning stages and the team responsible for 1080 has started researching new hardware." Nintendo was silent about the title after that, and the gaming public never heard anything of it... Until now!

Seeming pretty confident in their sources, the folks at IGN recently posted a story stating that Left Field Productions is working on a snowboarding game for the release of GameCube. It is possible that the game will not be a sequel to 1080, but it very likely will: Nintendo gave Metroid to Retro and Waverace to NST. Although Left Field isn’t EAD, they have shown great ability to update Nintendo sports franchises. If they could convert the NES classic Excitebike into a great 3D game, they shouldn’t have any problem building upon 1080.

But what will the powder-packed game include? Unfortunately, IGN did not state anything specific about the game. With SSX: SE coming out on the GCN, Left Field’s game will need a lot of pizzazz to compete. It is fun to speculate what the new game could have in store for us. The team that developed Excitebike 64 is working on 1080 2, and chances are that they will carry over the 4-player support, mini-games, and track editing found in the dirtbike game. (Just imagine what a 64MB SD card could hold!) We can only wait until E3 to see what goodies Left Field will bring forth from their Southern Californian castle, but whatever lies behind the company’s stone walls, I can guarantee that it will include fast-paced gameplay, plenty of stunts, and a LOT of variety.