Never mind its Olympics-gold-medal-winning, X Games poster boy of a namesake. This year’s answer to the Tony Hawk titles of yore, the first true next-gen snowboarding simulation scores purely for its open-ended approach and slick execution. Expect four massive mountains with one common feature: If you see it, you can shred the living you-know-what out of it. Whether waddling through tufts of snow or suicidally slaloming down the slopes alone or with friends in seamless multiplayer, it’s one cool customer. Beware painful wipeouts, though: Video sharing options mean it won’t be long before the world knows you as that guy last spotted painfully straddling an evergreen.

From: UbiSoft
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 ($59.99), Wii ($49.99)