Electronics Arts hit it big with their first two offers under their hyper-realistic EA BIG series. Both SSX iterations and the fresh NBA Street opened up a whole new genre and alternative to the usual sports simulation offerings that gamers had come to expect. The problem in creating a new label distinctive from the EA Sports brand is the ability and creative integrity to come up with additional titles that are feasible and fresh at the same time. EA BIG's latest offering Sled Storm lacks ingenuity and ultimately feels like an unpolished hybrid mix of the successful SSX series.

The visual outing here is similar in design to the tracks found in both SSX titles, perhaps a little too close. While there is nothing wrong with the courses when it came to snowboarding, the same structure does not seem to fit right with snowmobile sleds. Rich and colourful design aside, there is nothing new in the game that we have not seen in recent months. What does separate the tracks from SSX is the insane number of shortcuts that have been added to the courses found in Sled Storm. There are so many that are mind boggling that it will take a number of replay hours to locate them all. While the courses are on par with the SSX series, the character and sled design leave a lot to be desired. The sleds are feeble and look boxy like they have been squeezed onto the screen. The look resembles a pan and scan image versus a widescreen shot. The sleds appear to be stretched too much in a vertical sense to a point where some look absolutely ridiculous.

The gameplay is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand the game plays very fast and times perhaps a tad too fast. On the other hand the course design lacks the originality found in the SSX titles. Instead, Sled Storm presents tracks that feel way too arcady for the home experience. Driving the sleds is easy enough for anyone to pick up but it will take some time to truly master the somewhat sloppy control mechanism. The combination of insane speed and loose controls results in a feeling that you character is out of control. Get past this nuance and the game has something to sink your teeth into. The problem is that it ends much too quickly and lacks the depth found in EA BIG's previous efforts. Perhaps another nuance is the auto-catch-up feature because no matter how well you are doing against opponents, they will always be right behind you. Even if you are winning most of the race and you make one wrong move, you usually end up in last place. What happened to my auto-catch-up? Frustrating to say the least.

Sled Storm is not a total loss by any means. There is some entertaining value to the speed and limited character in the final product. The lack of depth hurts the overall experience. Definitely take Sled Storm for a weekend spin and determine if you want to go any further. As for EA BIG, this title beckons the question: Have we run out of juice?