Hit the virtual slopes with 'We Ski & Snowboard'

— -- If you get the sensation of deja vu after booting up Namco Bandai's We Ski & Snowboard for the Nintendo Wii, you're not alone. Despite a few new tricks, it's virtually the same game as last May's We Ski.

While it's certainly a fun ride for the entire family, those who bought last year's game need not shred down the mountain a second time around.

We Ski & Snowboard lets you first select an avatar to represent you on the hill, before tweaking his or her physical traits, gear (clothes and equipment) and stance (e.g. left foot forward). Alternatively, you can import your existing Mii character that lives on your Nintendo Wii, but you'll be unable to dress your Mii up with accessories for his or her head such as hats, goggles or masks. The characters are very cartoonlike, which should appeal to younger rather than older players.

Similar to with its predecessor, in this game you can then select from a number of modes, including mountain races, slalom events, moguls, half-pipes and an album mode where you can take pictures of your fancy midair stunts and view them in a slideshow. The game also lists a number of challenges you can compete in and vie to be top dog in the Records screen.

As the name suggests, this time around you can strap on a snowboard instead of skis, if desired, though the two don't feel too different. Namco Bandai did improve the controls quite a bit, making it easier and more natural to tackle the slopes using either the two-handed Wii remote and nunchuk method or the option to stand on the Wii Balance Board peripheral (which ships with Wii Fit) to shift your weight by leaning side to side. With a little practice (including a visit to the ski or snowboard "school"), you can pull off moves such as flips, twists, helicopters and backward-riding. Impressive moves earn you a "thumbs up" notification.

The game includes more than a dozen runs (some of which are now longer than last year's offerings), ranging from bunny slopes to challenging cliffs to a new trick park to show off your snow stunts on rails and boxes. Graphics are about as good as last year's version, featuring 7,000 vertical meters of powder to explore between the two mountains (and you can choose the time of day to ski or snowboard, too).