Mini Review: Xtreme Sports – A Switch Return For Some Gnarly But Limited GBC Minigames

California dreaming.

2D sports titles have had their place since Konami’s Track & Field rattled arcade screws loose with its fiercely competitive button rapping. WayForward’s Xtreme Sports draws influence from California Games, a summery seaside boardwalk of hip events and addictive tap-a-thons. You have two characters to choose from, dude or girlfriend dudette, who face off in various tricky sporting events that scream early ’00s gnarlyness.

Xtreme Sports, originally a 2000 Game Boy Color title, was graphically impressive for Nintendo’s colour handheld, and the portrait and character art will be familiar to anyone ingratiated with WayForward’s pirate platformer, Shantae. The visuals are bold, colourful, and cleanly arranged, each minigame functioning well around a two-button control scheme. As well as a piecemeal practice mode, the story game features an island over-world with various NPCs who shape your bid for podium gold, and energy drinks that offer a competitive advantage. To enter the tournament proper where the challenge is increased, you first need to complete the training rounds. There are five events to tackle: skateboarding, in-line skating, street luge, surfing, and skyboarding.

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