Polaris SnoCross

NA release: 27th December 2000
EU release: N/A
JP release: N/A
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Publisher: Vatical Entertainment
N64 Magazine Score: 57%

I’ve never driven a snowmobile, but if SnoCross is accurate in any way, they feel exactly like a motocross bike. This is pretty much a motocross game with white textures instead of brown dirt, and not a particularly good one. Movement feels extremely choppy and inaccurate, no matter which snowmobile you use, and it never feels like you have much control over anything.

On the five cross country tracks, this isn’t an issue. Just hold A and you’ll pretty much be fine, you’ll bash off stuff and be pushed forward into the track, often accidentally finding shortcuts, and doing pretty well. The tracks themselves are fairly boring, with very little to tell them apart. The pop-in also doesn’t help matters, as you can’t see that much, and you can never tell if part of the track is a shortcut or a bit of the wall you can’t access.

SnoCross tracks are like stadium motocross tracks, with big mounds to drive over. The physics here feel completely different – one slight brush against the wall and you’re falling off your snowmobile. It’s really odd how these walls are more punishing. All with the exception of the final SnoCross track, which has physics like the cross country tracks and, as a result, is the easiest track of the game.

If you really wanted a Snowmobile racing game, this is just about fine, but it’s just a poor Motorcross game with a different skin.

Poor

As racers go, Polaris is strictly middle-of the-road, and is reasonably comparable in style to bumpy off-roaders like Excitebike. However, there’s a much greater emphasis on having the best tool for the job – selecting a lightweight, nippy tyke of a sled is spot on for a twisty course where a meatier beast might send you ploughing into the walls.
Alan Maddrell, N64 Magaizine #54

Remake or remaster?

There’s nothing interesting here.

Official Ways to get the game

There is no official way to play Polaris SnoCross.