Software:Sled Storm (2002 video game)

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Sled Storm
North American version cover art
Developer(s)EA Canada
Publisher(s)EA Sports BIG
Director(s)Stefan Posthuma
Heidi Ernest
Eric Lau
Producer(s)Steven Rechtschaffner, Kirby Leung, Scott Speirs, Jules Burt, Conor Lumpkin
Artist(s)Terry Chui, Nicholas Tay, Tony Lee, Clint Hanson, Tristan Brett, Gordon Durity, Tim McKenzie
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • NA: March 12, 2002[1]
  • PAL: March 22, 2002
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Sled Storm, sometimes mislabeled as Sled Storm 2,[2] is a snowmobile racing video game for the PlayStation 2 developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label. Released in 2002, it is a sequel to the PlayStation game of the same name. The gameplay is more similar to SSX, even featuring characters from that series as playable guest characters.

Gameplay

Sled Storm combines the ability to perform aerial tricks with arcade-style racing down a series of seven snow- and ice-covered courses. As in previous games branded under the EA Sports BIG name, performing tricks earns players points used to unlock characters and acquire speed boosts. The eight male and female characters have varying trick abilities and they each have distinct snowmobiles, or "sleds", individually rated in acceleration, top speed, handling, and stability. New sleds for each character can be earned by placing first on the majority of courses.

Modes of play include Single Race on any of the unlocked courses, Multi-Player for a split-screen challenge against a friend, Time Trial, Practice, Championship, and Rival Challenge. Championship is the primary mode which allows players to unlock courses, characters, and up to five classes of sleds. Each course is raced against five computer opponents in a series of three laps. Players need to finish in a specific position to advance to the next track or achieve a certain point total to unlock one of the characters (only three of which are initially playable). Once a character completes the Championship, the Rival Challenge mode is revealed.

Rival Challenge allows players an opportunity to win another character's sled by racing for it. If victorious in the one-on-one race, the player can add another sled type to a character's roster, otherwise the sled used in the one-on-one race is forfeited as collateral. To win back a lost sled, the player has to complete the same objective in the Championship mode. The computer randomly selects the course to ensure an even match for each Rival Challenge. Players can toggle the number of opponents and laps for non-Championship races, and unlocked courses, sleds, and characters can all be saved to memory card.

Sled Storm features a total of eight playable characters, including Tracey, who is technically the only returning character from the 1999 PlayStation game, and Zoe and Psymon from SSX.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic73/100[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStar[4]
EGM5.33/10[5]
Eurogamer6/10[6]
Game Informer7/10[7]
GameProStarStarStarStar[8]
GameSpot7.6/10[9]
GameSpy81%[2]
GameZone7/10[10]
IGN8.5/10[11]
OPM (US)StarStarStarHalf star[12]

Reception of the game was positive. Some felt it expanded on the original Sled Storm and contained enough fresh content to be a worthy expansion of the game, while some others criticized the game for its lack of innovation. The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3]

Scott Alan Marriott of AllGame considered that the game offered "simple controls, fast action, and inventive courses with shortcuts so long they almost qualify as completely new tracks" and stated: "Sled Storm may not offer an avalanche of features or a gust of realism, but it won't leave thrill-seeking players, especially those burned by Arctic Thunder, out in the cold with its high-powered action".[4]

Martin Taylor of Eurogamer was quite critical of the game and even claimed the game "never becomes really particularly interesting or unpredictable", adding that the game gradually becomes "ridiculous and occasionally downright frustrating"; he also criticized the design of the game, saying that the environments of the tracks "would be more suited to a game like Toon Car" and that "the more sensible tracks have some irritating quirks". He concluded the review: "What starts off to be a fun little arcade racer turns out to be a sadly wasted opportunity in the wake of far superior alternatives".[6]

Giancarlo Varanini of GameSpot cited how "purists will undoubtedly become frustrated with Sled Storm's unrealistic AI and collision detection issues"; however, he later noted that, despite the problems with the game's mechanics, "it's still quite fun to drive through Sled Storm's unique tracks, which become progressively more insane as you go through the championship mode". He later claimed that "for the most part, Sled Storm looks a lot like SSX" and concluded: "Sled Storm uses the SSX formula well, and anyone who enjoys a challenging arcade-style racer should have fun with the game".[9]

David Smith of IGN noted in the review that "EA's artists still have the touch when it comes to interface design, and Sled Storm carries off its over-the-top personality pretty well". He also saw the multiplayer as "great", the graphics "looking very good, with environments comparable to SSX", good rider animation and a solid frame rate in single-player and split-screen. Criticism towards the gameplay claimed it "isn't as integrated into the racing as in SSX", but he still felt the game was "great to drive". He later criticized the soundtrack, claiming it "doesn't seem to have as complex a mix as SSX" but later said it is "still a slickly-produced package". He ended the review saying that "in the end, it's still an evolution of the PlayStation game, rather than the revolution that was SSX".[11]

References

  1. ↑ I. G. N. Staff (2002-03-12). "Sled Storm Ships Today" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/03/12/sled-storm-ships-today. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Brooks, Mark (May 14, 2002). "Sled Storm 2 [sic (PS2)"]. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 23, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050223214739/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/may02/sledstormps2/. Retrieved May 7, 2020. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Sled Storm for PlayStation 2 Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/sled-storm/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved September 17, 2010. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Marriott, Scott Alan. "Sled Storm (PS2) - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115184010/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=33102&tab=review. Retrieved May 7, 2020. 
  5. ↑ EGM staff (May 2002). "Sled Storm (PS2)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (154): 109. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Taylor, Martin (April 14, 2002). "Sled Storm". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_sledstorm_ps2. Retrieved September 17, 2010. 
  7. ↑ McNamara, Andy (April 2002). "Sled Storm (PS2)". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (108): 75. Archived from the original on August 24, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040824215430/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200204/R03.0804.1211.25480.htm. Retrieved May 8, 2020. 
  8. ↑ Four-Eyed Dragon (March 12, 2002). "SledStorm [sic Review for PS2 on GamePro.com"]. GamePro (IDG Entertainment). Archived from the original on April 4, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050404200958/http://gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/21520.shtml. Retrieved August 3, 2019. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Varanini, Giancarlo (March 13, 2002). "Sled Storm Review (PS2)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sled-storm-review/1900-2854497/. Retrieved May 7, 2020. 
  10. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (March 25, 2002). "Sled Storm Review". Archived from the original on January 23, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080123071945/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r16879.htm. Retrieved May 7, 2020. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Smith, David (March 12, 2002). "Sled Storm (PS2)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/03/12/sled-storm. Retrieved May 7, 2020. 
  12. ↑ "Sled Storm (PS2)". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (55): 106. April 2002. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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