Sled Storm - Development

Development

The first game in the Sled Storm series was released on the PlayStation 1 video game console. The extreme racing element of Sled Storm draws from an early Electronic Arts game called Road Rash (1991). While the environments and vehicles are completely different (motorcycles versus snowmobiles and the open road versus alpine courses), there are several similarities. For starters, both titles rely on fast-paced racing with a number of hazards placed in your path to make things interesting. Second, both feature cash prizes that allow you to purchase faster vehicles. The courses were extensively produced as they contained many shortcuts and alternate routes to complete a level. They could be played with day, night, sunny, and snow settings to make each race experience slightly different. Third, it is possible to ram your opponents in both games for an added thrill.

Sled Storm, of course, significantly expands on the number of features found in Road Rash and includes four-player support through a Multi Tap adapter. It was one of the few racing titles for the original PlayStation to support 4 player multiplayer with the Multitap adaptor. Up to four players can also participate at once, making this title one of the few racing games on the PlayStation (as of 1999) to feature split-screen action with more than two players. Sled Storm also offers two forms of racing for both multi-player and solo competition: Championship and Quick Race.