Don't let the cuteness fool you: the characters in We Ski & Snowboard can rip. © Namco Bandai.

We Ski & Snowboard for the Nintendo Wii; Publisher: Namco Bandai; Developer: Bandai Namco; Release Date: March 3; ESRB Rating: E for everyone; Genre: sports; Players: 1-4; Support: the Wii Balance Board; Online: N/A

Everyone loves a game where the characters have small bodies and big heads. It's adorable, it's charming and it's been a constant videogame trend for years. The Wii is notorious for having these kinds of games in its library due to its lack of processing power and due to the ever-present plethora of shovel-ware that is constantly released on the Wii. When you take those cutsie little big-headed characters and put them on skis or a snowboard, you instantly feel the urge to go "Awwwwww. How cute." That is, until you see them pull off some pretty sick stunts and tricks. We Ski & Snowboard is a sequel to the only good skiing game that has ever been released on the Wii, which was We Ski. Namco Bandai has taken everything that was good about We Ski and has brought it to We Ski & Snowboard with a bunch of new extras and features.

As I said, the graphics are pretty simple in WS&S, but for a totally different reason than you think; The whimsical characters that are portrayed are not just "cut-corner" Wii graphics but rather they are the typical, anime art style that Namco Bandai often likes to use in their games. Players can choose to either use their Mii characters in the game or create their own custom avatar from a pretty broad library of characteristics that include type of hair, face, skin color, goggles and other accessories. The environments look nice and have, thankfully, a very, very smooth frame-rate.

Now, if you want to talk about animation, then that is a different story. Characters move very smooth and very sharp when performing individual actions and stunts. You can easily tell that the programmers and animators were in full control of this title throughout its production. It's a perfect contrast to games like Skate It which are a mash-up of random keyframes and poor transitions.

Use your Mii character to ski or snowboard, or create your own custom avatar to play with.

There are many gameplay options in WS&S that include stunt runs and races. There is also a gameplay option that allows you to just kick back and enjoy the resort. Players can choose their character and equipment, get on the hill and actually enjoy a day of skiing and snowboarding like in real life. In this mode, you actually have to get on a ski lift, let it take you to the top and ski down the hill. In addition to this free-roaming mode, you will run into various characters than either need your help or reward you for finding them. Like in We Ski, WS&S also supports the Wii Balance Board, which adds to the skiing or snowboarding experience. WS&S uses the Balance Board very well; leans and tilts are responsive and sensitive and it also makes performing stunts easier.

The atmosphere of WS&S is also a hoot. When you're playing through the free-roaming mode you will hear musical pieces playing in the background that are actually theme songs from previous Namco titles like Ridge Racer and Katamari Damacy. An online multiplayer feature would have been a great addition to WS&S and it's kind of sad to not see it there. Another little setback is the fact that, even though you can customize your own characters, there are no unique characters that would be the primary poster-boy -- or girl -- of the game which also excludes the option of having character-specific super maneuvers or stunts in the game. We Ski & Snowboard is a good title that makes great use of the Wii Balance Board. It's a simple-looking game with not-so-simple looking animations and abilities. If you like big-headed, anime-style characters, then dive right in.

Peter Rizkalla is a life-long enthusiast of videogames and the videogame industry. He has worked in various videogame companies such as THQ, Namco and 2K Games and avidly attends many game conferences and events. Peter can be reached at PRizkalla@gmail.com.