Skiing

Name:	Skiing
Company:	Activision
Model #:	AG-005
Programmer:	Bob Whitehead
Year:	1980
Released?	Yes
Notes:	One of only three skiing games for the 2600

Activision was always known for creating high quality games using cutting edge programming techniques, and Skiing is no exception.  Skiing was one of the first games to use scrolling sprites (in this case trees and gates) to create the illusion of movement, even though the player is actually stationary the whole time.  This technique was later used in Atari's coin-op conversion of Night Driver.

While it is technically "skiing", the cart title is a bit misleading.  For you see in this game you're limited only to slalom racing. That's right, no moguls, no double black diamond courses, not even a freakin' ski jump, just slalom.  But since the year was 1980, I suppose we can cut Activision a little slack since a true skiing simulation on the 2600 would have been close to impossible.  Thankfully Activision did an excellent job fooling the player into thinking he was flying down a hill at 80 MPH through the skillful use of scrolling sprites.  This turns what could have been a mediocre skiing game into a fast paced, no holds barred, winner take all, race to the finish.  That is if you're into that sort of thing, I'd rather be in the cabin hitting on the ski bunnies.

Skiing's biggest fault lies in the fact that's a "beat your own best time" game (of course that's how the slalom works).  Call me jaded, but for some reason I've never been able to get into those kind of games (maybe it's because my low Skiing times fail to impress my co-workers).  Still if you're into skiing, and you don't have the balance to use the joyboard (see Mogul Maniac), this game is for you.  Just watch out for the Abominable Snowman! (Free Ski joke, pay no attention)

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