One cannot herald Tony Hawk, yet hiss Cool Boarders 3.
The gameplay in Cool Boarder 3, as stated, is much more fluid now thanks to the new trick system. It was once required for the player to hold down X and a corresponding direction for a crucial amount of time in preparation for the jump. The only problem with this was that the player was fixated in whichever direction he or she was facing when the preparation was initiated. If the player was preparing for a jump but was unfortunately at an angle or to find out the jump was positioned slightly differently than anticipated the whole trick would be ruined before it even began. Cool Boarders 3 has deftly alleviated this problem with a new jumping and trick system. There is a power bar on the screen which indicates how powerful the jump will be, the longer the hold the higher the jump. Now however, the player retains control over the rider when holding X for a jump. The time needed to press X for maximum power has also been substantially shortened. It was once necessary to have X held down when the jump was visible just entering the draw distance and still not have the power maxed out, yet now all the player needs to do is time the X button to the very base of the jump or slightly before the base of the jump in order to pull the big tricks.
The trick system itself has also undergone an overhaul. The flipping was once a chore and required the aforementioned preparation, but now one simply has to push a direction while pressing O mid-air to perform a flip. This also means that if the player has enough speed, power, and height, multiple flips may be performed in a single jump. The grabbing system remains largely intact, though it was never necessarily broken. While in the air all the player has to do is press X and a direction to perform one or many grabs. Spinning has also been extensively improved. While in mid-air all the player must do is press either L2 or R2 to spin left or right respectively. The speed and amount of pressed determines the spin (though some flips lead into much faster spins as well), so now a boarder can decide weather to do a plain flip, a flip with a small spin, a flip with a large spin, or a spin and then a flip while all the while performing some or numerous grab moves.
The fluidity of carving down a hill matches that of tricking as well. Of the large handful of mountains each containing several individual courses offered, carving a path down the trails is a blast any way the player decides. Every rider looks fluid thanks to the great 3D engine and the snow looks nice and powdery as well and kicks up powder in your wake as you make especially sharp carves. There are dozens of freestyle (trick), freeride (all around), and alpine (slalom) boards to choose from, and each perform best for certain courses, but all of them are a blast to take down their respective course. Every course has a different goal whether it be racing, tricks, or a combination of the two. The Avalanche course is just a sheer blast as well.
The music and sound department is Cool Boarders 3's weakest area however. While featuring a lively intro FMV song to accompany the action, the music offered during gameplay isn't too much to listen to. It is the typical alt rocky feel with all the tracks just buzzing in the background. The sound affects are adequate yet largely forgettable.
Cool Boarders 3 will keep boarders entertained for a long time with the many unlockable mountains, boards, and riders as well as just how much fun it is to shred it down the slopes.