Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding

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Amped

Developer(s)	Indie Built
Publisher(s)	Microsoft Game Studios
Platform(s)	Xbox
Release date	November 20, 2001
Genre(s)	Extreme sports
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Everyone (E)
Media	DVD

Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding is an Xbox exclusive snowboarding video game.

Released during the Xbox's launch, Amped is a snowboarding game focused on the tricks, instead of the racing style of play given by Electronic Art's SSX which lauched with the Playstation 2 in the previous year. The success of Amped was solidified by the successful launch of the sequels, Amped 2 and Amped 3.

Utilizing the Xbox's built-in hard drive, Amped allowed for entire mountains to be loaded simultaneously, permitting completely free-style runs modelled on real resorts, rather than the linear and comical courses of other snowboarding titles.

The game also contains snowmen which you must strike down in order to advance your career mode character's explore options.

The Xbox's built-in hard drive also allows users to create a custom soundtrack using their own music, as well as listening to the 150-plus tracks already offered in the game. Users can also listen to music by genre, blocking out music they do not enjoy. There is also a button on the Xbox controller that allows users to skip past songs they don't like.

Before its release, the game was met with derision from some due to Microsoft's marketing department Photoshopping lens flares onto what were supposedly actual game screenshots. Microsoft claimed they were unintentionally passed off as screenshots of the actual game.

The game is also well known for helping to launch the career of pop punk band Yellowcard due to the soundtrack in the game.