Ski Park Manager

What a curious offering this is. You can't help thinking that Microids would have been better off releasing Ski Park Manager during the height of the ski season as opposed to the start of summer; it does after all need all the help it can get. That's not to say this is an entirely bad game though. Graphically SPM might not look up to much, but there is a modicum of strategy involved and it's a little more complex than simply building green, blue, red and black runs and watching the holiday-makers flock.

There are a few factors to consider. Firstly you have to strike the right balance so that everyone from the snowboarders to the cross-country skiers are satisfied. On top of that you have to battle against unpredictable influences such as the weather. If you build your resort too far up the mountain your jolly winter thrill-seekers run the risk of getting killed by avalanches. If on the other hand you build too far down the mountain, your resort can suffer from a lack of snow. Oh yes, it's canny stuff, but only likely to appeal to the sort of person who has worked in a resort and experienced those kind of problems first-hand.

For the rest of us, Ski Park Manager is probably just a little too niche. There's no denying it has its moments and there's a fair amount of strategic depth available, but the fun is shortlived and the inevitable spring thaw is never too far away.