The power slide keeps you out of the snow bank heading into the underground paths of Chernobyl, and brings the leader into view. You tap fire control, and a rocket flares away from your snowmobile to blast the lead rider from his machine.

Arctic Thunder, a Midway release for the Xbox, is a wild, arcade-style race and fight program that will have gamers twisting and turning in their seats almost as much as the courses twist and turn.

Because of the arcade nature of the game, there are power-ups and weapons littering the course. You simply drive through them in order to collect what you need. The interesting thing about this game is that once the countdown yells go, and you hit that accelerator, this game feels like you have jumped into hyper speed. Fire jumps from the rear of your machine (if you take the third-person view, and there are several camera views that you can choose from), and you are thrown down the course.

Each course (and there are 12) has ramps, which if you hit right, will propel your rider through the air and he, or she, will perform a trick, which can help you accumulate points to upgrade your machine. There are also several routes to the finish line. They may not seem like there are shortcuts, but if you can maneuver well enough at a high rate of speed, you may just fly past the competition. And the tracks are all rated, from easy to hard (in concert with the difficulty levels).

There are six riders you can choose from to start the game, male and female and other creatures. As you succeed, you will unlock more riders – just like you will unlock other tracks by spending points earned in the upgrade shop.

Other game options feature round time (either 2, 5 or 10 minutes) or number of kills (5, 10, 20) during a race.

The controls are kept simple, though hardly intuitive. The right trigger controls acceleration, while the left trigger helps you make a quick turn. The left thumbstick or D-pad steers the machine. You can target an enemy with the Y button; R fires the weapon; X button performs a trick; back button controls camera view; and you can change your weapon in battle mode by tapping the black button while the white button toggles the HUD on or off.

The sound is limited but strong – full of accelerating machines and explosions.

This game is well done graphically. At the easier levels, the obstacles don’t present much in the way of slowing down your rider. In fact, you can zip right through most of them.

Arctic Thunder is a real joyride, combining fast-paced racing with combat. It requires split-second reflexes, and instant recognition skills. The courses are well-designed, and the graphical elements are solid.

This game is rated for Teen due to mild violence and supports up to four players in split screen racing action.

If you want to ‘play’ in the snow, and enjoy racing, this is a game that you will enjoy.

Gameplay: 8.5
The racing action is terrific, and the battle elements propel this game forward at jet speed.

Graphics: 8.5
Some of the environmental graphics are a little hollow (such as blasting over a jump and going through a tree rather that bouncing off it), but this game has great overall console graphics.

Sound: 7
The audio track supports the video, but offers not much that is unique or exceeding average console soundtracks.

Difficulty: 7.5
It will take a couple of races (advise that you do this in training mode) to get the control elements down. There are three difficulty levels to suit most racers, and the interface is designed for easy access.

Concept: 8
Racing games, and battle racing games are nothing new, but this game does an excellent job of combining these elements on snow and wonderful courses.

Multiplayer: 7
Up to four can compete in split screen mode. It is good, but nothing unusual.

Overall: 8.5
The graphics really provide the foundation for the great action. This game is a lot of fun. There is nothing like that first time you hit the jump just right, and go soaring over the course. You may even find yourself muttering a breathy “wow!” at some of the sequences; that is until they become commonplace and you set your jaw on winning, and not just enjoying the ride.