Slalom
System: NES
Release Date: March 1987
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Racing
We’re on to Slalom on NES. I don’t really have a whole lot to say about this game. You ski down a mountain and try to beat the time to beat the level. Hold up on the d-pad to speed up. Hold down on the d-pad to brake. Steer by pressing left and right. You can jump with the A or B button, but I didn’t find much use for it. You choose from three mountains and each has eight courses on them.
Like a normal slalom, you have to go to the right of some flags and left of others, or in between a pair of them. If you miss the side you’re supposed to go, you slow down, which makes it hard to meet the time. The flags aren’t the only obstacle, though. You also have to keep an eye out for other things that will either cause you to stumble or fall if you run into them. There are trees, which can show up in chunks. There are other skiers, which shouldn’t be there if I’m doing a slalom course. There are snowmen in rows. And there are sledders, which scoot back and forth across the course.
You can also ski over moguls, which cause you to catch some air. If you hold the control pad down after hitting the mogul, you will earn freestyle points that you gain at the end of the race. Reading the manual, it says that these points turn into solo racing time on the next race, which eliminates the drone skiers.
Graphics: 1.0
The graphics are pretty poor. I mean, it’s snow, so expect a lot of gray.
Sound: 1.0
The music and sound effects didn’t impress me.
Gameplay: 1.0
The steering is WAY too floaty and slippery. The obstacles on the courses are dumb.
Difficulty: 1.0
I got tired of this one before I got any good at it, but I died by the fourth course on each mountain.
Fun Factor: 0.5
I don’t really see much fun coming out of this game. It’s pretty poor.
Overall Grade: 0.9
Slalom earns a D. It’s not any good. You can skip this one.