Ah, snowboarding. The golden media lovechild of the last few years. Having featured in adverts for just about everything, along with glamorous appearances in 'extreme' Hollywood blockbusters, it seemed only natural that games would follow suit in bringing this radical recreation to the masses. It'd be fair to say I've got quite a bit of interest in snowboarding, so when the review copy came into the office, I was eager to get my gloved mitts on it.

It's only during the last few years that snowboarding games have become popular, and Amped 2 epitomises everything about their evolution. As one of Xbox's launch titles last year, the title set a new benchmark for graphical quality combined with amazing free-roaming gameplay.

So what's new about the sequel then? Well, after the customary video intro and familiar menu screen, you'll notice a considerable number of additions. A tutorial, absent in its predecessor, kicks things off, taking beginners through all the moves required for the game from basic jumps and rails to more complex, stylish spins. A major change this time round is the introduction of the 'butter' move, whereby balancing on the nose or tail of your board allows the rider to link tricks in between jumps.

This can amass astronomical scores, much like the manual roll technique in the Tony Hawk's series. Style Points (or 'Steez' if you're ghetto) are now awarded for slower, smoother-than-silk rotations, adding a bit of variety to the 'hit every jump and spin as hard as you can' mentality.

Career mode is the next port of call and things have definitely snowballed this time round. The basic premise is still the same; travel the world, beating challenges and completing specific tasks, before moving onto the next resort. Select and fully customise your rider, but although there are 14 Pros available, you can't play as any of them. Points, Media and Pro challenges return, along with the new Photoshoot and Legend modes.

The babbling snowmen are back (Hey, Amigo!) and form part of the Own the Mountain challenge. By exploring the whole mountain, find eight of these frosty fellows per stage, then execute all the named moves on both the Tricks and Gaps lists to unlock the aforementioned Legend category. Over a large number of perfectly rendered, gorgeous-looking peaks, the huge Career mode will have you nailing each specific task again and again to earn more skill points and get more media coverage.

If you've ever seen the movie xXx then you'll know the act of snowboarding can appear a bit lame if not done properly, but here we're pleased to say things are the complete opposite. It's clear that a lot of time and money was spent on the motion-capture process for the riders, because every last move performed on screen is an exact replication of how things would happen in real life - like the barely noticeable correct hand positions when over-styling a rail slide. The animation is astounding, and you'll positively wince as your rider happens to land on their back every once in a while.

All fun and games, but everybody knows snowboarding is a lot more enjoyable with a bunch of mates. Last time round, the multiplayer mode was a bit weak, but in Amped 2 things have been given a bit of a polish. There are now several impressive modes to choose from. Go head to head with a mate split-screen - or get up to eight connected via System Link. Out-trick each other, play games of H.O.R.S.E (again, similar to S.K.A.T.E. in Tony Hawk) or team up four-versus-four in a team King of the Mountain. Sounds good?

Well, that's not the half of it because Amped 2 is fully Xbox Live-compatible (and accompanied by a free Live voucher), meaning that not only can you play against other gamers from around the world, but you can also set up individual leagues and tournaments, compare stats and scores and download new riders, mountains and gear.

Some sequels never deliver the same impact as the original but, like a backside 900, Amped 2 stomps its authority all over this fun park.

1. Stunning graphics
2. Expanded Career Mode
3. Multiplayer is vastly improved

1. Tricky to land right
2. Challenges have a steep learning curve

Power
Beautifully rendered landscapes and consistently fluid animation, plus great snow effects.

Style
Gorgeous-looking, great 'shussing' sounds and a punky hip-hop soundtrack to boot.

Immersion
Dead easy to pick up and play but furiously addictive. Could that be any better?

Lifespan
The Career mode is extensive enough, but multiplayer increases the fun tenfold.

Overall A vast improvement on the original, this is the definitive extreme sports title of the year, aided by fantastic Live play.