Amped 2

Last updated
Amped 2
Amped 2 Coverart.png
Developer(s) Salt Lake Games Studio
Publisher(s) Microsoft Game Studios
Designer(s) Carl Schnurr
Platform(s) Xbox
Release
  • NA: October 28, 2003
  • EU: November 14, 2003
Genre(s) Snowboarding
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer

Amped 2 is a sequel to Microsoft's snowboarding game Amped , which was an Xbox launch title. The game was introduced as part of the XSN Sports lineup, which included such games as NFL Fever 2004 , Links 2004 , NBA Inside Drive 2004 , NHL Rivals 2004 , Top Spin and RalliSport Challenge 2 . A sequel, Amped 3 , was released in 2005.

Contents

Career Mode

The career mode in Amped 2 is much like other extreme sport games such as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater in which each level has goals for the player to complete. Each level or mountain has a high score and media score to break, which entails accumulating the most points in one run of the mountain and performing tricks for photographers or the media who are scattered throughout the mountain. The player must also find eight snowmen on each run as well as complete five tricks and gap locations that earn the player skill points. Skill points are used to upgrade stats such as "spin/flip", "big air", "ollie", "balance", and "switch".

In addition to these challenges, as the player progress through their career, they will be invited to events in which they compete for a top three finish which yields both fame and skill points. As the player's fame rises they gain different titles which are (from lowest to highest): "Local Rider", "Shop Rider", "Pro", "Superstar", and "#1". Once the player reaches number one in the world they are able to become a legend by completing each legend challenge on each mountain.

In addition to snowboarding, the player has the opportunity to snow skate. Snow skate adds different gameplay elements to the game which is more representative of skateboarding than snowboarding.

A character's physical features, such as clothing, goggles, and boots, can be edited.

Tricks and game points

Amped 2 features 14 top snowboarding pros, including Jeremy Jones, Mikey LeBlanc, Travis Parker, Torah Bright and Janna Meyen. [1]

The game provides a wide variety of performable tricks. There are also point multipliers which increase points when performing a difficult or stylish move.

General tricks include spins, flips, off-axes, butters, jibs, railslides, ollies, jumps, grabs, lip tricks, and tweaks. The player can also perform "combos". For example, a multiple flip + a 360 spin. Grabs can be achieved while airborne by moving the right thumbstick in any direction.

Additionally, the player can perform "style moves", which adds extra points and point multipliers to increase the player's score.

Multiplayer

Amped 2 supports up to eight players on System Link or Xbox Live and allows split-screen on both.

On Xbox Live there were five different game types such as, "Just Ride", "Trick Race", "High Score", "Best Trick", and "King of the Mountain".

There are seven different courses which include, Breckenridge, Bear Mountain, Mount Hood, Laax, Mount Buller, Millicent, and New Zealand, and each course has at least two different drop points.

Amped 2's multiplayer on Xbox Live brought a number of new features not seen in any other on-line game at the time. For instance, it was the first game on Xbox Live to integrate a player's career mode character to that of their Xbox Live character. During career mode, as the player completes tasks, they gain skill points which increase their character's abilities. This then translates to the player's Xbox Live character, therefore, giving individuals who have completed the career mode an advantage over those who have not.

Many Xbox Live titles had a single host who controls the game options, but if that player were to quit their session, the entire game session would expire. However, in Amped 2, the host can choose to have either the winner, loser, or a random player of a session select the options for the following game. Also, if the host quits, the player with the next best connection gains hosting abilities rather than ending the game session.

While Xbox Live for the original Xbox was shut down in 2010, Amped 2 is now playable online using replacement online servers for the Xbox called Insignia. [2] [3]

Soundtrack

Amped 2 has an abundant soundtrack of over 300 songs, including various underground and indie groups such as Hudson River School, Time Spent Driving, Acumen Nation, and The Peripheral Visionaries. In addition to the in-game soundtrack, players can choose to use custom soundtracks as well.

Reception

The game received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [4] IGN said that "if you're a fan of the original Amped, then you should feel right at home with this game", praising the game's presentation, graphics, sound and lasting appeal, but stating that while they liked the gameplay, there was still room for improvement. [14] In Japan, where the game was ported for release as Tenku 2 (天空 2, Tenku Tsu), Famitsu gave it a score of all four eights for a total of 32 out of 40. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Midnight Club II</i> 2003 video game

Midnight Club II is a 2003 racing video game developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sequel to Midnight Club: Street Racing, published for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows and first in series to feature motorcycles. Players can race through cities such as Los Angeles, Paris, and Tokyo. It is the second game in Midnight Club franchise, followed by Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition.

<i>Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding</i> 2001 video game

Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding is an snowboarding video game developed by Salt Lake Games Studio and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It is the first of the Amped video game series and was released as a launch title for the Xbox.

<i>Tony Hawks Underground</i> 2003 video game

Tony Hawk's Underground is a 2003 skateboarding video game and the fifth entry in the Tony Hawk's series, following Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Game Boy Advance. In 2004, it was published for Windows in Australia and New Zealand as a budget release.

<i>MechAssault</i> 2002 video game

MechAssault is a video game released for the Xbox notable for being one of the first games to support Xbox Live online multiplayer. Developed by Day 1 Studios and FASA Studio and published by Microsoft, MechAssault was initiated when Denny Thorley of Day 1 Studios approached Jon Kimmich of Microsoft about developing an original BattleTech game built from the ground up to support console play. "MechAssault" was released in November 2002. A sequel, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, was released on December 28, 2004. Both games are set in the BattleTech fictional universe.

<i>Tony Hawks Underground 2</i> 2004 video game

Tony Hawk's Underground 2 is a 2004 skateboarding video game from Activision, the sixth entry in the Tony Hawk's series after Tony Hawk's Underground (2003). It was developed by Neversoft released on October 4, 2004 in the U.S. for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, and Game Boy Advance platforms. Mobile phone versions for BREW and J2ME devices was also released, as well as a PlayStation Portable version the following year subtitled Remix, which includes extra levels and characters.

<i>1080° Snowboarding</i> 1998 video game

1080° Snowboarding is a snowboarding video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 in 1998. In the game, players control one of five snowboarders from a third-person perspective, using a combination of buttons to jump and perform tricks across eight levels.

<i>SSX 3</i> 2003 snowboarding video game by EA Canada

SSX 3 is a 2003 snowboarding video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label. It is the third installment in the SSX series. The game was originally released on October 21, 2003, for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube, and was later ported to the Game Boy Advance by Visual Impact on November 11, 2003, and to the Gizmondo by Exient Entertainment on August 31, 2005, as a launch title.

<i>SSX Tricky</i> 2001 video game by EA Canada

SSX Tricky, also known as SSX 2 or SSX 2: Tricky, is a snowboarding video game, the second game in the SSX series published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label and developed by EA Canada. A direct sequel to SSX, the game was originally released in 2001 for PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox, It was later ported to the Game Boy Advance in October 2002. SSX 3 followed in 2003.

<i>Aggressive Inline</i> (video game) 2002 video game

Aggressive Inline is a 2002 sports video game developed by Z-Axis and published by AKA Acclaim. The game simulates aggressive inline skating, with players completing tricks and objectives in open-ended levels. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2 on May 29, 2002, followed by GameCube and Xbox versions in August. A Game Boy Advance version was released by Full Fat in August 2002. The developers of Aggressive Inline aimed to innovate upon the formula of the Tony Hawk's series of extreme sports games, building on the engine and tools of the developer's previous title, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2. The developers experimented with gameplay features, including the inclusion of open-ended level design and greater environmental interaction, an organic skill progression system, and the removal of fixed time limits, many of which had not been implemented in an extreme sports game before.

<i>Mat Hoffmans Pro BMX 2</i> 2002 video game

Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 is a 2002 BMX video game developed by Rainbow Studios and published by Activision under the Activision O2 label. The game, which serves as a sequel to Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX, was released on August 13, 2002 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. A Game Boy Advance port was developed by HotGen and released the same day as the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions. A GameCube port was developed by Gratuitous Games and was released on October 8, 2002. It received "favorable" reviews.

<i>Amped 3</i> 2005 video game

Amped 3 is a snowboarding video game, the third and final installment of the Amped sports game franchise, developed by Indie Built published by 2K and released exclusively for the Xbox 360 in 2005. It expands on previous versions of the Xbox exclusive games. It has also been noted for taking a more irreverent tone than previous installments, such as the inclusion of challenges in which two players compete to amass the most injuries, and for its unique cut-scenes using different visual media, from hand puppets to anime.

<i>Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2</i> 2001 video game

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 is a 2001 BMX video game developed by Z-Axis and published by Acclaim Entertainment under their Acclaim Max Sports label. It is the sequel to Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX. It was released for the PlayStation 2 in August 2001, and in the following months it was ported to the GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Xbox video game systems. Both the GameCube and Xbox ports featured two extra levels that were not present in the PS2 version.

<i>Top Spin</i> (video game) 2003 tennis video game

Top Spin is a 2003 tennis video game developed by Salt Lake Games Studio and PAM Development and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox in October 2003. The game was later published by Atari Europe for Windows in 2004 and by 2K for the PlayStation 2 in 2005. It is a simulation tennis game in which players compete in singles and doubles tennis matches and exhibition tournaments. Gameplay modes include a career mode in which players develop skills and rise through the ranks of an international league. Top Spin featured an expanded control scheme compared to its contemporaries, and introduced several innovations including 'risk shots', in which players can execute more difficult serves and shots.

<i>Dark Summit</i> 2001 snowboarding video game

Dark Summit is a 2001 snowboarding video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by THQ. It was released for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

Tony Hawk's is a series of skateboarding video games published by Activision and endorsed by the American professional skateboarder Tony Hawk. From 1999 to 2007, the series was primarily developed for home consoles by Neversoft with generally annual releases. In 2008, Activision transferred the franchise to Robomodo, which released several additions before Activision and Hawk's license expired in 2015, leaving the future of the series uncertain. In 2020, the series returned under Activision with a remake of the original two games in the series developed by Vicarious Visions.

<i>SSX</i> Video game series by EA Sports

SSX is a series of snowboarding video games published by EA Sports, created by Steve Rechtschaffner, who is the inventor of the Olympic snowboarding event boardercross. The SSX series are arcade-style racing games with larger-than-life courses, characters, and tricks. The general focus of the series is racing and performing tricks on snowboards. Players earn speed boosts based on tricks they perform. The player generally has to perform tricks in each race in order to gain speed and successfully take the lead. The series introduced skiing with its fourth installment, SSX on Tour (2005).

<i>Skate 2</i> 2009 video game

Skate 2 is a 2009 skateboarding video game developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released worldwide in January 2009 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 after the spin-off title Skate It. It is the sequel to 2007's Skate and the third installment in the Skate series overall. A sequel, Skate 3, was released in May 2010.

<i>SSX</i> (2012 video game) 2012 video game

SSX is a 2012 snowboarding video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts. Released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in early 2012, it is a reboot of the SSX series and the sixth installment overall. The game was revealed at the Spike Video Game Awards in 2010 under the working title SSX: Deadly Descents, the game's trailer appeared to show a much darker direction to the series than previous entries, though later footage revealed a return to a lighter tone. SSX includes the use of real locations, rather than the fictional courses of past games.

<i>Tony Hawks Pro Skater HD</i> 2012 video game

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is a 2012 skateboarding video game in the Tony Hawk's series. Developed by Robomodo and published by Activision, Pro Skater HD is a high-definition remake of classic levels from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Pro Skater 2, and, via download, Pro Skater 3. It was released in 2012 for Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade on July 18, for PlayStation 3 through PlayStation Network on August 28 and Steam on September 18. The game was delisted from Steam and all other digital marketplaces on July 17, 2017.

<i>Cool Boarders: Code Alien</i> 2000 video game

Cool Boarders: Code Alien is a snowboarding video game developed and published by UEP Systems exclusively for the PlayStation 2 and is the only Cool Boarders title to be released exclusively in Japan.

References

  1. ↑ "Amped 2". Xbox.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Insignia - Amped 2". insignia.live. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  3. ↑ Xbox, Pure (2022-12-21). "Xbox Live 1.0 Replacement Adds More Supported Titles, 40 Games Now Playable". Pure Xbox. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  4. 1 2 "Amped 2 for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  5. ↑ Edge staff (December 25, 2003). "Amped 2". Edge . No. 131. p. 122.
  6. ↑ EGM staff (December 2003). "Amped 2". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 173. p. 222.
  7. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (November 26, 2003). "Amped 2". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  8. 1 2 "Februar (neu FAMITSU Wertungen)" (in German). Games Power World. February 18, 2004. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  9. ↑ Reiner, Andrew (November 2003). "Amped 2". Game Informer . No. 127. p. 164. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  10. ↑ Manny LaMancha (October 29, 2003). "Amped 2 Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro . Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  11. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (October 31, 2003). "Amped 2 Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  12. ↑ Padilla, Raymond (November 8, 2003). "GameSpy: Amped 2". GameSpy. Archived from the original on April 9, 2005. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  13. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (October 20, 2003). "Amped 2 - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  14. 1 2 Hwang, Kaiser (October 28, 2003). "Amped 2". IGN . Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Amped 2". Official Xbox Magazine . December 2003. p. 150.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.