Welcome to the FAQ for Ski or Die, an amusing extreme sports game for the
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). I actually used to play this game a lot
when I was a little kid; we used to variate between this game and "Skate or
Die" (also available for the NES). Both are great games in my opinion, and I'm
happy there wasn't a FAQ for this game yet.
This game was FAQed with the NES FAQ Completion Project in mind, as seen on
the GameFAQs boards. The general idea is to have a FAQ for every single NES
game, and this will be my second contribution to it. Just check out the FAQ
contributers board for more information about the project.
As always, if you've got some information to add, want to ask a question, got
something to tell or have spotted a mistake, just e-mail me! The adress is
Kaas(dot)Bink(at)GMail(dot)com.
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/ /
/ Version History /
/ccc_______________________/
Version 1.0 - 7/June/2005
Wrote the complete version of the FAQ, and submitted it. It's completely done,
unless I get an email which tells me something I didn't cover yet.
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/ /
/ Game Basics /
/ddd_______________________/
On the title screen, press "Start" to enter the shop. Rodney welcomes you to
his shop and the game can begin. Rodney's shop is your main place. It's where
the game starts, and it's in the middle of the game area. Once you've exited
the shop, you can ski around the area to find some games to play. You can also
choose to play them all in succession by skiing to Compete All. Seeing as the
game has multiple minigames, I will treat them all in an apart chapter of the
FAQ. The controls are also different for every event, so I'll list those apart
for every event (chapter).
Right after you pressed "Start" on the title screen, you'll arrive in Rodney's
shop. He'll tell you "Welcome to my ski shop. I'm Rodney.", and you're free to
explore the shop. There isn't very much to do in there, however.
Notice the neon Ski or Die square? Well, that's your cursor. Move it around
with the Directional Pad, and press A to select something. Sometimes, when you
hover your cursor over something, Rodney will say something (sometimes funny,
sometimes boring).
=============================
Clickables in Rodney's shop
eef==========================
The Highscore sign: select it with A to see the list of highscores for each
event (Acro Aerials, Downhill Blitz, Snowboard Half-pipe, Snowball Blast,
Innertube Thrash). You'll get to see the 3 highest scores for each event.
Press A to return to Rodney's shop again. Remember these highscores get
deleted as soon as you turn your NES off.
The Player sign: click on it with A and you'll be taken to the player's list.
Here, you can add players, give them names and turn the music on or off. Click
A when your X is next to music to turn it on or off. Click A when you're next
to player1 (or 2, 3...) to add that player to your game. You'll be asked to
give him a name; simply select the letters, then press A to add that letter to
the name. When your name is finished, select end in the right bottom. Select
clr to delete a letter. You can select up to 6 players (with names). Once
you're done in this screen, select end with A to return to the shop.
The Go Compete sign: select this sign to start the main game. You will be
taken to the main area of the game (and you will compete with as many players
as you had selected before).
The Go Practise sign: this is basically the same as the Go Compete sign. You
will be taken to the main area of the game again. The only difference with the
above option is the fact your scores aren't going to be displayed in the
Highscore list.
=============================
Qoutes in Rodney's shop
eeg==========================
Hover the cursor over these objects below to "hear" something. The Player Sign
has two things to say, but it depends on wether you signed up already to
determine which one you'll get. The second you can only get after you've
signed up. Rodney's mouth has 8 different things to say, and they show up in
the order as listed.
Left side of Rodney's shirt: Hey! The altitude increased my appetite.
Right side of Rodney's shirt: Don't laugh! This kept me warm when I was on
Attu.
Burton board at the top right: Burton snowboards mean A-1 aggro alpine action.
Highscore board at the left: Only the best of the best show up here.
Third ski-stick from the left: Imagine the shish ka-bob you could get with
these!
Rodney's ear on the left: Huh? What 'cha saying?
The Go Compete sign: Gotta sign up before competin'.
The Go Practise sign: Hey, practise makes perfect, don't 'cha know.
The High Score sign: Only the best of the best show up here.
The Player Sign: Sign in here if you want to compete!
Time for serious snow activity. Go for it!
Rodney's mouth: Combo moves score big time in acro aerials.
Lester sez there are killer snow bunnies loose.
Hope you got your sunblock. It's brutal out there.
Keep yer knees bent and yer weight low.
Ski the Lester method. Full-tilt Gonzo maniac!
You're not gonna get better by browsing in here.
Quit yet gabbing and go carve some serious snow.
Find the secret path in the downhill trail.
___________________________
/ /
/ Main Area /
/fff_______________________/
Okay, once you clicked on Go Practise or Go Compete, you'll be taken to the
main area. From here, you can acces every event in the game by simply skiing
to them. You can see your character in the middle of the screen; it's the
little guy on the skis with the red hat, red shorts and a green sweater. Ski
him around the field by pressing A to move and the Directional Pad to steer.
The main area looks like this:
1: Rodney's shop
2: starting point of your character
3: the event Snowboard Halfpipe
4: the event Innertube Trash
5: the event Acro Aerials
6: the event Downhill Blitz
7: the event Snowball Blast
8: Compete All
In the event Snowboard Halfpipe, the general idea is to score as many points
as possible (as is the idea in every event). You can earn points by doing some
cool tricks with your snowboard by gaining some speed, then jumping up in the
halfpipe (gaining air). Different tricks give you different points. There are
power-ups as well as obstacles in the halfpipe, so keep an eye out. There's
also some odd guy at the bottom of the screen giving you commentary as you
board along. You get 2 minutes to score as many points as possible in this
event, so don't waste them falling down!
Directional Pad: use this to steer your guy. Press left or right to make him
move in that direction.
A Button: Press it to get started, and to get up after you've fallen down. It
is also used to jump (and thus performing tricks).
B Button: Press it at the beginning to start boarding (you can also use A).
Select: Press Select to exit this event. You'll be asked to confirm first (in
practise mode), so select your choice with the directional pad and press A to
confirm.
Start: Press this to pause the game, press it again to unpause it.
In the halfpipe you're boarding in, different objects can be seen. In the
middle of the pipe are things coming towards you, some bad, some good. Some of
these objects will cause you to fall down while others will give you points.
Try to collect as many as possible of the good ones while avoiding the others.
Objects in the middle of the pipe:
White rock: This causes you to fall down.
Grey rabbit with chainsaw: He will cause you to fall down.
Penguin with Mohawk: he will give you 15 points if you can grab him.
Red/blue block: it will cause you to fall down.
There are also some objects on the edge of the halfpipe, but I've never
managed to hit one of those, not even while grinding (snowman, bird, tree,
flag).
As said above, you'll need the A button to perform tricks. Pressing down the
directional pad in different direction combined with A makes you perform
different tricks. Some tricks are worth more points than other. Performing the
same trick more than once causes the points to decline for that trick by half
(the same trick at the opposite side of the halfpipe counts as another trick).
There are three different places to perform tricks. The first place is where
you start: the middle of the half pipe. The second is on the lip; you can
grind and do liptricks. The last one is in the air; catch air and do some
grabs and twists.
If you look at the top of your screen (under your timer), you'll notice three
blocks, some yellow, some blue. These are your speed blocks; they determine
how fast you go. The more yellow blocks, the faster you go. To fill these
blocks, simply ski around and they'll fill up automatically. If you fall down,
you'll start with only one yellow block again. The amount of blocks filled up
determines which tricks you can perform.
Tricks while skiing in the middle of the pipe:
Pressing any direction (with one yellow block) + A: jump.
Points: 5
Pressing left or right (with two yellow blocks) + A: jump with a little twist.
Points: 10
Pressing down or up (with three yellow blocks) + A: you'll perform a standard
360.
Points: 20
Pressing left or right (with three yellow blocks) + A: jump with a bigger
twist than with two blocks.
Points: 20
Tricks on the edge of the halfpipe (in the air or liptricks):
Pressing away from or towards the edge + A: handstand on the edge.
Points: at least 30 points, but the longer you hold the directional button,
the more points you'll get. You'll get one point per extra second you hold on.
Pressing down or up + A: tailgrab.
Points: 40 points.
Pressing up + A: grinding the edge. This will only work if you have two blocks
yellow.
Points: at least 60, but the longer you hold the directional button, the more
points you'll get. You'll get one point per extra second you hold on. Don't
grind for too long, as you'll fall down after about 6 seconds.
Pressing away from or towards edge + A: spinning in air. This trick will only
work if your speed bar has two or three filled blocks. Remember to hold down
the A button until your board is straight again.
Points: 250 points
Pressing down + A: twisting in air. This trick will only work if your speed
bar has two or two filled blocks. Remember to hold down the A button until
your board is straight again.
Points: 225
Pressing up + A: salto. This only works with three yellow blocks. Keep holding
down A until you've completed the salto, or else you'll fall.
Points 225
At the end of your run (2 minutes), you'll be awarded your trick bonus. The
more tricks you've performed, the higher your trick bonus will be.
In this event, you're stuffed in a rubber tube, and are racing downhill
against an opponent (Lester in singleplayer, or a friend in multiplayer). The
idea is to race down a big hill while collecting a lot of bonus objects on the
way for points. It is also possible to stab your opponent's rubber band for
even more points. If you manage to completely deflate his band by stabbing it
a few times, you'll get even more points. Be careful not to bump into
obstacles, as they will pop your band, and thus increasing your opponent's
points. Time doesn't matter in this event.
Important is to keep an eye on the air in your rubber tube. You can check this
on the score screen; it's the meter next of the score. When it's getting
empty, try to find a pump to inflate it completely. When it's empty, your band
will pop and your opponent will gain points, but the same works for you: try
to deflate your opponent's band by stabbing it!
Directional Pad: used to control your character. Pressing down will speed him
up, pressing up will slow your tube down. Use left and right to steer him.
When you hold down A and press left or right, you will only turn your
character in his tube.
A Button: used to turn your character in his tube. Hold down A, then use the
directional pad to turn your character. Do this to position yourself to hit
your opponent. Also used to jump in your band in the beginning of the race.
B Button: this button is used to stab your opponent. You must face your
opponent and be near to him (or her) to connect though. Also used to jump in
your band in the beginning of the race.
Select Button: this will make you exit the event. You'll be asked to confirm
first (in practise mode); do so by select your choice (yes or no) with the
directional pad, then press A or B to confirm.
Start Button: this will pause the game. Press it again to continue.
There are a few items you can pick up. They are listed below, as well as their
function and the points you'll receive for them.
Yellow Patch: 15 points (completely inflates your band)
Bicycle Pump: 15 points (completely inflates your rubber band)
Fork: 25 points (new weapon)
Dart: 25 points (new weapon)
Pocketknife: 25 points (new weapon)
Mousetrap: no points (this pops your band, so avoid it; your opponet will also
receive 50 points)
Bear Trap: no points (this pops your band too, so avoid this one; what's even
worse, your opponent will gain 100 points if you get snared)
If your opponents gets damaged (by falling off a cliff or picking up a
damaging object), you'll receive some points. Try to push your opponent off a
cliff; it's not very hard to do. Simply keep bumping into them near a cliff.
If you hit your opponent (by punching him), you'll receive some points depend
on the item in your hands (you can see which weapon you're currently holding
by checking the picture next to your score). You'll start out with a fork, but
there are two more weapons to collect. When you pick one up, it replaces the
weapon you were currently holding. Both the dart and the pocketknife will give
more points when you stab with them, so try to pick them up. If you empty your
oponnent's rubber band with your stab, you'll receive even more points, as you
will also get points for his empty tube.
Stab with fork: 50 points
Stab with dart: 125 points
Stab with pocketknife: 225 points
Busting your opponent's tube: 300 points
If your opponent falls down a cliff: 200 points
Making your opponent hit the top of the screen: 100 points. You can do this by
going down fast, so the other player is stuck above.
Crossing the finishline first: 1000 points, so try to be the first. It could
mean the difference between winning and losing.
In this event, you'll need to make some speed, then jump off the ramp. Try to
do some tricks in the air, make a good landing and watch the (hopefully
impressed) jury give you points. The landing is very important, because if you
fall on your face you'll never be able to score a lot of points. Try combining
your tricks too (ie. do different tricks); you will score more points that
way.
Very important is generating enough speed. That way, there's plenty of time
for lots of tricks. And if you're fast enough, you'll even see the stars!
To impress the judge, make sure you do one or two difficult tricks (with two
directions), vary a lot between tricks (not two the same tricks) and make sure
you don't move through the air without tricking!
Directional Pad: on the slope, alternate left and right while perssing either
A or B very fast to gain as much speed as possible. Then, in the air, press
the directional pad in combination with A to do tricks.
A Button: used to do tricks in the air.
B Button: used to do tricks in the air.
Select: Quits the event. Confirm your choice (in practise mode) with A.
Start: Pauses the game. Press it again to continue.
For the last 2 tricks you'll earn a lot of points, but they are hard to do
(hard to get your skis straight), and take long. You'll need to press A and
two directions at the same time.
up or down ( no A button): this will make your character do a salto. Keep the
directional button pressed down until your skis are straight with the slope
again, or else you'll fall down.
A + left: your character will look like he's running with skis on (while not
moving). His arms will be spread in the air too. You'll be facing to the right
side of the screen.
A + right: this will make you perform a pretty cool trick. You will spread
both arms and legs as far as possible, and face the camera.
A + up: looks like the above trick, but your legs are more horizontal, and
you'll touch your knees too. Pretty impressive, if you ask me.
A + down: and here's the impossible trick of today! Your skis are facing down,
and you will be bend backwards facing the ski! Wow!
A + right/down or right/up: you'll make another salto, but this time with a
twist in it. Nice!
You're dropped on the top of a big mountain, and it's up to you to ski down.
First you'll need to change between a goofy and a regular stand, then you're
ready to ski down. Try doing lots of jumps, as they will earn you points.
There are many different routes to pick here. If you're experienced, pick a
route with jumps in it, because you can earn points there. If you're not that
experienced, stick with the regular path and avoid falling off the cliff.
If you feel like doing something funny, try skiing on the house! It's in the
middle of the course at the left side of the screen.
Bonus points can be gained for not falling once (1000 extra points) and
finishing under two minutes. Crashing costs time (5 seconds are added to your
total time), so try to avoid that.
Before you start, you'll need to choose between a goofy and regular stand.
Press A for a regular stance (as seen in the controls below), or press B for a
goofy stance (which completely inverts the controls on your directional pad.
Directional Pad: used for steering. Left and right will make your character
turn left or right, respectively. Pressing down will make you move faster, and
pressing up will slow you down, and eventually even stop you.
A Button: used to jump.
B Button: not used in this event.
Select: Quits the event. Confirm your choice (in the practise mode) with A.
Start: Pauses the game. Press it again to continue.
There aren't very much different tricks here, but it doesn't really matter,
because there aren't many paces to do them (on the jumps and on the little
snow bumps).
A + right: 50 points. You'll do a 360 clockwise.
A + down: 75 points. You'll perform the spread legs + spread arms move. Nice
to look at, but nothing special.
A + up: 50 points. You will pull up your legs toward your body.
A + left: 100 points. Another 360; it's almost the same as with pressing A +
right.
At the finish you will also get a trick bonus, so try to do lots of tricks!
Also, the points you get for performing points, depends on where you do them
and for how long (by holding down A). Points will usually vary between 50 and
600 points.
Okay, the event you've all been waiting for is finally here! The honorable
Snowball Blast. In this fan favorite, you'll have to throw a lot of snowballs
at other kids, while hiding in your iglo! You'll have 200 snowballs to throw,
but you'll run out of them faster than you think! Kids further away will net
you more points, and there are also some bonus objects to collect.
Avoid being hit as much as possible by taking out kids before they have a
change to hit you. When you're hit, your screen will shake and you won't be
able to throw for a moment. Next to the radar at the bottom of the screen is a
picture of you. Every time you're hit, it will become whiter and whiter with
snow. Once you're completely snowed in, it's game over.
Defeat all the kids to get to the next level. This will give you 1000 bonus
points, but unfortunately no extra snowballs.
If you're playing this event in the Compete All mode, it's a bit different.
You cannot be snowed under, so that's nice. There are only 60 seconds to hit
as much kids. When your time is up, the event is over.
The radar can be found in the bottom right part of your screen; it's the
circle with the wind's directions on it, as well as 4 "slices" (the areas) and
some numbers. You will be attacked from four directions by kids running
around, and you'll need to keep an eye on all directions to survive. There's
north, west, east and south to look after.
You'll also notice the numbers in each area. This indicates how many kids are
running around in that area. Try to take care of the area with the most kids
first.
Switching areas is done with the A button and the directional pad. Press A and
the direction you wish to look in simultaniously to switch to that direction.
For example, pressing left and A at the same time will cause you to look at
the west area. The area you're currently looking at is green on your radar.
Hit kids with snowballs to earn points. Kids who are farther away from you
will give you more points, but will also be harder to hit. Try to hit some
bonus items or innocent bystanders for more points or extra abilities.
Kid 1: 25 points. This is the blue kid with purple hair who climbs up your
iglo and fills up a big chunck of your screen when it shows up.
Kid 2: 50 points. This purple guy is on the snow, but still pretty close to
you.
Kid 3: 75 points. He's found a bit above the previous kid. Recognize him by
his red colour.
Kid 4: 100 points. This is the blue kid at the back of the screen. He's
obviously smaller than the others, so harder to hit.
Polar Bear: hit him for 30 bonus points.
Eskimo: this dude walks by pretty slowly, so hit him with a snowball to gain
30 points.
Yeti: hit this fast moving creature to gain 30 bonus points.
Dwarf on skis: he skis by, hit him for 30 points.
Star: throw a snowball at it to pick it up. It gives you unlimited snowballs
for about 8 or 9 seconds.
Snow Shovel: This will get the snow off of you, so it's very useful.
Pile of snowballs: this will give you 100 extra snowballs.
___________________________
/ /
/ Compete All /
/lll_______________________/
To play this event, you must be in Compete Mode (if you're practising, ski
back to Rodney's shop and choose Go Compete). In it, you compete in all 5
events for the best overall score.
After every event, you'll see the scores and the points awarded to each
player. 5 points for the highest score, 3 points for the second place, 1 point
for the third place and zero points for everybody else. The game calculates
everyone's points every round.
You start by the Snowboard Halfpipe, then move on to the Snowball Blast,
follow up with some Downhill Blitz, continue with the Acro Aerials and finish
off with Innertube Trash. Note that the Snowball Blast is a bit different from
the one in the "normal" mode.
After all 5 events, there's no fancy screen or something, so that's a bit of a
dissappointment, but it's always nice to beat your friends!
For more information about the seperate event, please refer to above, where I
described them all in detail.
This walkthrough, and all it's content (including the ASCIIs, even the
horrible one at the top), is Copyrighted, 2005 by Jaap van Zon. This
walkthrough is only allowed on www.gamefaqs.com. No part of this walkthrough
can be used without proper quoting and/or recognition. Any person(s) found
violating this copyright is/are punishable by law and will be to the fullest
extent. If you see this walkthrough on another site, please alert me.
