After countless “extreme” video game releases, the thought of yet another snowboarding title is about as annoying as a loose boot strap. However, after spending the migraine-inducing amount of time it takes to master the controls, “1080§ Avalanche” isn’t a bad little snowboarding game after all.

The game makes use of nearly every button on the Nintendo GameCube’s controller, but the button function assignments make the controls seem horribly awkward for a while. Once the mechanics have been mastered, however, the game actually becomes quite fun, and gamers can almost hear the ice-covered slopes of some faraway snow-capped peak calling out to them.

There are several modes of gameplay, including match races, time trials, trick attacks and a few others.

Better snowboards can be unlocked by collecting coin pieces (which, for some reason closely resemble pizza slices) found at various hidden spots throughout the slopes. Quite a few of these are secret — finding all five of them in each level requires navigation skills as daft as Capt. Jack Sparrow.

Graphically, the game suffers. Nintendo could have put a lot more time into the character polygons. The backgrounds are fine and trickles of white fluffy snow spatter everywhere in perfect time as the character’s snowboard slushes along the cold whiteness; however, the characters look jagged.

The worst feature in the game is the balance meter. After performing some outlandish and humanly impossible trick, a character might lose his or her balance. To get back to equilibrium, gamers must rotate the control stick with great speed in whatever direction the balance meter shows. More often than not, characters hit the snow teeth first, drenching their bodies in snow and ultimately costing them the race.

Once a character falls or loses its position, he or she must hold down the crouch button, which allows for more speed but results in a turning radius no better than a car with two flat front tires.

If extra speed doesn’t work, players must either finish devilishly impossible tasks or hope the technically flawless opponent wipes out for 30 seconds or more.

If gamers are willing to overlook these few mistakes, they will realize that “1080§ Avalanche” is an extremely enjoyable game.

One of the best elements of the game comes into play during match race mode. Along with outracing the computer-controlled characters and performing killer stunts, gamers also have to avoid numerous pedestrian skiers, a plethora of trees, and randomly placed buildings throughout the slopes.

If you can’t avoid them, boarding through them becomes a fun-filled option. One of the best elements in “Avalanche” is the ability to knock over innocent skiers during brutal, football-type collisions. However, pedestrians can cause the snowboarders to do a face plant if the player is lacking in speed before the collision occurs.

There are five characters, each with his or her own unique characteristics to go along with the unlockable boards which give them super snowboarding powers.

“1080§ Avalanche” is a good game, despite a few flaws. But if all you care about is options up the wazoo, superb graphics and ridiculously easy gameplay, buy “SSX” and be content with your not-as-fun snowboarding game.