Graphics
The visuals are a bit of a mixed bag. The overall design does not look bad, but the graphics are not a huge leap in improvement. While the game does indeed portray the sense of speed as boarders whip down the courses, there are elements of blocky textures and low polygon counts. Again these are not very noticeable unless you come to a stop and get stuck in a corner which unfortunately happens more often then we would have liked. Regardless, the game mostly maintains a 60 frames per second refresh rate. The course designs have been done quite well. While not as colorful as those found in SSX, Cool Boarders 2001 has gone for more of the realistic look than the imaginary look. Some courses resemble those found in SSX but do not have the same interactivity. Lastly, the boarders themselves look pretty good. A few more polygons per model would have been nice to go for that extra authenticity.

Sound
The developer Idol Minds and Sony CEA really went out of their way to hire on some great bands for the soundtrack. Many people may not be familiar with all of these bands, but they do represent some great indie labels and some will make their way to the big recording labels very soon. The soundtrack includes such notables as Stone Temple Pilots, Fear Factory, Fu Manchu, Zakk Wylde and Blind Dog. My only complaint here is how the music is not loud enough during gameplay. I wanted to crank it on many occasions to give me a more on the edge experience. The chatter between characters has been done pretty well but could have used more variety.

Gameplay
The success of any snow boarding game is dependent on its controls and responsiveness. With Cool Boarders 2001 you will either enjoy the control mechanism or despise it. Instead of taking the SSX approach where tricks and combos are performed while in the air, CB 2001 opted out for something a little different. To pull of special moves you must enter s string or button presses before executing the jump. In effect some will complain that they feel like spectators instead of competitors. In response, just give it a chance. It takes some getting used to but once mastered, you will become creative in how you approach jumps and trick combinations. Still, I enjoy pulling off extra moves in mid-air which is not possible with this control set up.
Controlling the boarders themselves down the slopes tend to be a bit stiff. They need a little more freedom in movement in order to avoid numerous obstacles and give the game more of an edge of your seat experience.

Value
CB 2001 mainly consists of two player games and a very extensive one player career mode. In the career mode, one player must go against the computer in Downhill Gates, Downhill Checkpoint, Half Pipe, CBX, Board Park, Big Air Challenge Event and Vans Triple Crown of Snowboarding contests. Throughout the career mode you are able to win and unlock new events for 2 player competition, winning a Challenge event opens the next tier of riders with better stats, and winning Half Pipe, Big Air or Board Park Challenge events opens special moves and boosts stats. Winning any other event boosts stats only.
Choose up to 20 unique riders (10 pros and 10 amateurs) outfitted with gear from top sponsors in the industry. Each rider has his or her own performance characteristics, such as speed and agility. Take any of these riders and carve it up on more than 20 massive, branching courses over the 9 events described above.

Final Word
Cool Boarders 2001 is not SSX. The game has tried to follow what has been done well in boarding games before. There are familiar raising ramps, moving bumpers and rolling dodgeballs. It would appear Idol Minds wanted to create something unique but ended up trying to shadow what made SSX successful. The result is a franchise that needs some fresh air breathed into it for next year. Regardless, give this game a try before deciding on which snow boarding game is best for you. Many will be pleasantly surprised.