ESPN International Winter Sports 2002 (GameCube)
	Developer Konami Publisher Konami Reviewed by Erik "Bondo" Bondurant [Feedback] [Author Bio] Review Date March 22, 2002

Rating (out of 5.0) 3.5 out of 5.0*

Judge for yourself

Strengths Large selection of events Creativity on controls Two-player fun Weaknesses Not enough depth Some events nearly impossible to win or medal Steep learning curve

* Notes Gaming Voice ratings are based on the technical and/or gameplay merits of a given product as well as the developer's choice of features and delivery of same. Our rating is not an endorsement of the thematic content of a given title. Gamers and parents are cautioned to determine if such content conflicts or coincides with their values and beliefs.

I struggle to recommend ESPN International Winter Sports 2002 as a purchase worthy title.

While some button-mashing techniques are still necessary, it is used sparingly with skill elements added. More often than not, clever timing is more useful than quick fingers. In truth, I cannot find anything more critical to say of the controls but they are so creative, it takes a long while to figure them out.

Winter Sports 2002 has ten events: two alpine skiing, two ski jumping, moguls, halfpipe, bobsled, speedskating, curling, and figure skating. While the number of events is satisfactory, each event lacks depth. Each event can be played separately or in a decathlon of sorts featuring a select number of the events in one competition. I would have liked to have seen each event have its own world cup season with numerous courses or competitions. Sure it may take more work, but with that extra effort the game would likely jump up to a higher rating and become a definite purchase. As it stands there is really not much to accomplish.

Additionally, playing against the computer becomes dull very fast as there are no skill levels making you either much better or much worse than the competition. Thankfully you can play all the events against a friend. However, in an odd choice, you compete in a split-screen on most events sharing the same course. This certainly makes the bobsled event more exciting but it takes away from the realism that is present in the rest of the game. Either way, it is enjoyable, as human competition will likely present a more level playing field.

I struggle to recommend ESPN International Winter Sports 2002 as a purchase worthy title due to its short replay value. But despite that I still think the game deserves consideration. This is definitely one to rent and maybe some will like it enough to buy.