Cool Boarders

Overview

Cool Boarders is a snowboarding video game developed by UEP Systems for the PlayStation. It was released in Japan by UEP Systems in August 1996 and internationally by Sony Computer Entertainment in January 1997.

The game was released for the PlayStation Network as a PS one Classic in North America on December 4, 2006, in Europe on November 8, 2007, and in Japan on October 26, 2011. It was released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on March 19, 2024. Hamster Corporation re-released the game as part of their Console Archives for the Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 in February 2026. Several sequels were also released.

The game consists of three main courses (plus two additional unlockables) in which the player attempts to gain the fastest time, most points from performing tricks, and also total points, a combination of the two previous disciplines. This early game, while simple, led the way for the development of much more popular, extreme sport games.

Cool Boarders was first released in Japan in August 1996. At this time, Sony Computer Entertainment officials stated that, though snowboarding was not yet as popular in the West as in Japan, they were "seriously considering" localizing the game to North America.

Reviews for Cool Boarders were mixed. The game received an average score of 74% at GameRankings, based on an aggregate of 6 reviews. Critics praised the selection of boards which offer differing gameplay and the thrills in the experience, but criticized the lack of a two-player mode or AI competitors to race against and the bizarre physics, such as how the player character tends to get caught between closely placed barriers, ricocheting back and forth between them, and how hitting certain objects can make them slide uphill. Kraig Kujawa and Dean Hager of Electronic Gaming Monthly found that the game, while reasonably fun overall, could only be recommended to fans of snowboarding and other "extreme" sports. GamePro commented: "The controls allow for tight handling and make performing tricks a breeze.

Official trailer

Gameplay Video. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Racing, Sport

Developer

UEP Systems

Publisher

UEP Systems, Sony Computer Entertainment

Series

Cool Boarders

Platforms

PlayStation 3, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable

Age rating

ESRB E

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Co op

No

Age ratings

USK

6

PEGI

3

ACB

G

ESRB

E

Release dates

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

Single-player only, with no online features.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Credits

Region

US