Ski and Shoot is a sports game for the Wii and PlayStation 2. The Wii version was developed by 49Games and published by Conspiarcy Entertainment. The PlayStation 2 version was developed and published by Crave.
Gameplay[]
This is a 3D simulation game focusing on the winter sport of biathlon, succeeding the popular Biathlon 2008. The game features thrilling competitions held across fifteen international skiing venues, depicted with impressive and atmospheric visuals. The races aim to replicate the excitement and ambiance of live TV broadcasts, providing a highly engaging experience.
The game incorporates official rules for various race modes, including Sprint, Pursuit, and Mass Start. Players can compete in four different leagues using the authentic World Cup venues. While maintaining a high level of realism, the game emphasizes fun, offering both Singleplayer and Multiplayer modes. A Split Screen Mode is also available, allowing two players to compete directly against each other.
Following the 2008 version, which featured biathlon athletes Kati Wilhelm, Sven Fischer, Michael Greis, and Magdalena Neuner, this edition introduces Alexander Wolf and Michael Roesch as playable characters.
Cockpit[]
The cockpit in Ski and Shoot displays crucial information about your athlete’s performance during the race. This interface includes:
- Stamina: A visual indicator showing your current stamina level. Maintaining an optimal stamina level is essential for sustaining speed and performance throughout the race.
- Oxygen: Monitors the oxygen levels of your athlete, affecting their endurance and overall performance. Effective management of oxygen levels ensures better energy utilization.
- Power Employment: This meter indicates the current power employment rate, helping you balance between speed and stamina consumption. It’s vital to keep this within an optimal range to avoid overexertion and maintain energy efficiency.
- Race Info Display: This section provides real-time updates on your race position, time, and distance. Keeping an eye on this helps in strategizing your moves during the race.
- Minimap: The minimap offers a top-down view of the race track, highlighting important features such as turns, checkpoints, and the positions of competitors. This aids in better orientation and planning your race tactics.
The Race[]
In Ski and Shoot, each race comprises three loops and two rounds of shooting, adhering to official competition rules. There are four different racing modes:
- Individual: Athletes start one after the other with ten-second intervals. Misses at the shooting range result in five-second penalties.
- Sprint: All athletes start at the same time in a mass start. Misses are penalized with sprint laps of approximately 150 meters.
- Pursuit: Athletes start based on their previous race results. The race involves three loops and two rounds of shooting. Misses incur penalty loops.
- Mass Start: All athletes start simultaneously. Misses in shooting are penalized with 150-meter sprint laps.
Stamina and Power Employment[]
Stamina and Power Employment are critical for maintaining performance during races.
- How to Accelerate: Accelerate by moving the Wii Remote and Nunchuk forward and backward like ski poles. The Power Employment meter on your screen shows your energy usage. Adjust your speed based on stamina levels.
- Optimal Power Employment Rate: Maintain an optimal power employment rate by balancing speed and stamina. The faster you ski, the more stamina you consume. Regularly monitor your stamina to avoid depletion.
- Overexertion: It's possible to overexert your skier by using too much power too quickly, depleting stamina. Aim for a balanced power employment to sustain energy levels throughout the race.
- Stamina Consumption Rate: The stamina meter indicates your stamina consumption rate, which varies based on speed, terrain, and power usage.
- Impact of Low Stamina: Low stamina significantly affects your skier's performance. Your screen will display a warning when stamina is low. Replenish stamina by skiing at a steady pace and managing power efficiently.
Sprinting[]
In the game sprinting is a crucial element for gaining speed on straight sections of the course. Players can activate sprints to temporarily boost their skier's speed. However, sprinting consumes energy and stamina quickly, so it must be used strategically. Players can sprint by pressing the A button, and can sprint in any section of a course that has little to no incline.
Crouching[]
Crouching is used to increase aerodynamic efficiency, allowing the skier to maintain higher speeds, especially on downhill sections. This technique helps reduce air resistance and is essential for conserving stamina during longer races. Players must balance crouching and other movements to maintain an optimal speed and energy level.
Players can crouch either by bending their knees and laying their weight forward on the Wii Balance Board, or simultaneously pressing the B and Z buttons if they are using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk instead.
Shooting[]
Shooting is a pivotal aspect of the game where players must aim and shoot targets at designated shooting ranges during the race. Precision is key, as missed shots can lead to time penalties or additional laps, affecting overall race time. Players must manage their breath and stamina, since the more tired the player is, the more difficult it would be to aim.
Players can hold their breath and thus increase their stamina by pressing A.
Reloading[]
Reloading occurs after every shot. The player must pull the Control Stick quickly backwards and then let it go.
Penalty loops and time[]
In the racing mode "Individual", misses are punished for 10 seconds as the penalty time, which is added to the racing time. In other game modes, the player has to run a penalty loop for every missed shot.
Character Creation[]
In this game, the player can play Quick Start, Practice Mode, and Career, with their own custom character. Players can go to the main menu to get to the character menu, then create up to seven male and female athletes, and delete any characters they don't need anymore. They can also wish to create new characters and choose name, sex, head, and suit.
After the player creates their own character, they are given 40 training points that would allow them to adjust various attributes such as speed, stamina, technique, and power. Speed determines how quickly a character can run under optimal conditions, while stamina influences how long they can sustain high-speed efforts without fatigue. Technique affects shooting accuracy and stability, whereas power contributes to the athlete's endurance during prolonged activities. Players can delete characters they have created, but this action will also remove all associated data and progress for that character.
Career[]
This mode allows players to progress through various leagues and championships. Starting a career with a custom character places them in the Junior League. Alternatively, using a pre-existing character will place the player in the corresponding league of that character. Promotions to higher leagues require finishing the season in first place. The leagues include the Junior League, Euro League, and Pro League, with each league consisting of multiple races and championships. The Pro League Extreme offers the most challenging competition, where rivals are significantly tougher.
Modes[]
Quick Start[]
In this mode, players can play two preset cups, or create a new random racing series from the "Random Generator". Split screen and hot seat options are only available in this mode.
Practice Mode[]
This mode enables players to familiarize themselves with different tracks and improve their skills. There are 15 official tracks available, and players can select the level of difficulty they prefer. Training points are awarded based on performance, which can be used to enhance various attributes. Players can choose between different training modes such as mass start, sprint, and individual disciplines. This mode helps players prepare for competitive races by allowing them to practice shooting accuracy and racing techniques.
Multiplayer Mode[]
Up to four players can play the game at once in Quick Start mode and participate through Leagues and Cups.
In Hot Seat, players compete in the same race one after the other and all of the matches are played in the league of the weakest athlete. The input configuration of all of the players is based on Player 1.
There is also a split screen mode for two players, where the screen is split horizontally in two. Note that the Wii Balanced Board cannot be used in this mode.
Special Skills[]
There are four special skills in the game:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Fitness | Deceases stamina consumption rate |
| Sprint | Prolongs sprints initiated during the race |
| Hill | Use up less power on rises, thus less stamina |
| Shooting | Targets appear larger |
Special skills are earned in Career Mode. Though, some preset characters have their own special skills that can be used in Quick Start and Practice Mode. When a player reaches level 5, the player can get one out of three of the skills. When a player reaches level 10 and 15, they acquire a second and third skill. These selected skills are displayed in the cockpit.
Players can use a special skill depending on the criteria of their usage. When using them is possible, the color in the display becomes bigger and brighter. To use a special skill, the player must press the C button.