• Site: Drop Point Alaska
• Publisher: MacSoft
• Developer: Bongfish
• Genre: Sports

By Brad Cook

A frigid wind whips across your face, but it’s not causing the shiver in your lips. And that thump-thump-thump you hear isn’t the blades of the helicopter you’re sitting in — it’s the sound of your heart as you gaze down on the drop point known as The Eyrie. It’s the highest spot on the mountain from which you can start your snowboarding run, and you have yet to tackle it.

You take a deep breath and fall from the copter, your board hitting the powder with a satisfying crunch. You pick up speed as you head downhill, swerving around trees and other obstacles. You jump off a couple small drifts, performing a few nose grabs and tail grabs to get warmed up. Then you bend your knees, accelerating rapidly as you approach a steep drop-off —

— and you’re airborne, at least 100 feet up, feeling the adrenaline surge as you twist through the air. With your back hand, you grab the edge of your board between the bindings, pulling off an indy that you combine with a backflip. As the ground rushes toward you, a nose grab angles the board up for the perfect landing. You continue down the Alaskan mountainside, confident you can handle any obstacles it throws in your path.

A Mountain Full of Challenges

Drop Point Alaska challenges you to master the mountain’s ten drop points, starting with the low-elevation one known as Kindergarten. Variable time-of-day and weather ensure a unique experience each time you set out to explore one of the largest virtual peaks found in a snowboarding game. Master each drop point’s challenges, such as pulling off a 5,000-point flip and staying airborne for six seconds, to unlock higher elevations.

You access each drop point by helicopter, and once you’ve unlocked all the challenges, you’ll be able to pilot it to any location on the mountain and bail out. Miles of terrain offer plenty of natural features for pulling off tricks, and you’ll also find pipes and other manmade structures for grinding, skateboard-style. String together tricks for high-point combos and see how long you can hold them.

While snowboarding, you’ll come across 100 mini-challenges broken into two categories: Stick a Trick and Trick or Die. In each one, you try to own the challenge by exceeding another rider’s accomplishments, which you view as a replay before you start. In Stick a Trick, your goal is to match the current trick and go one better to assume ownership. Trick or Die tasks you with holding a combo longer than the previous rider.

Oftentimes, the riders you must beat are other gamers, assuming you’re connected to the Internet while playing Drop Point Alaska. The game also features an online leader board, so you can see how your high scores match up against riders around the world.

More Surprises in Store

There’s plenty more to uncover in Drop Point Alaska, including new clothing and snowboards to unlock. And when you’re able to pilot the helicopter anywhere on the mountain, don’t be surprised if you come across hidden features that were previously inaccessible.

So bundle up and get ready for the downhill ride of your life.

And Away We Go! Experienced snowboarders can pilot the helicopter to any spot on the mountain and find hidden areas.

Flying High. Pull off as many stunts as you can before gravity takes over.

Use the Environment. If you can jump on it, you can pull off tricks on it too.

If you liked this game, check out:

• Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4
• Wakeboarding Unleashed

System Requirements:

• Mac OS X version 10.4.10
• Intel processor
• 512MB of RAM
• 64MB of video RAM (or Intel integrated graphics)