Gaming Oddities: SkiFree

 When I was young, I played SkiFree on Windows, with a collection of various other games in the Microsoft Entertainment Pack 3. Several of those games left an impression on me in various ways, but SkiFree was, in some ways, the most memorable.

The game is somewhat basic skiing, so there isn't all that much to say about it. You ski down a mountain, shown from a top-down perspective, from the top of the screen to the bottom, while trying to avoid hazards such as rocks, trees, and other skiers. You can launch yourself high into the air off of ramps, which, in rainbow hues, stick out on the white snow.

There are three different modes- Freestyle, Slalom and Tree Slalom- which are selected by going straight, to the left of the screen (turn right) or to the right of the screen (turn left). Each has its own rules, and once you reach the end of the course, you're scored on your performance.

After that, the only thing left to do is ski down an endless mountain slope full of various obstacles. There are no further opportunities to earn points or events to compete in, just the freedom to ski down a slope until you get bored and quit the game...

...or until the Abominable Snowman eats you.

In some sports games, an occurrence like that would be expected. But SkiFree comes off as a mostly ordinary skiing game until the Abominable Snowman appears out of nowhere, and bounds toward the player character with lightning speed. In the few seconds between the Abominable Snowman's appearance and the player character being devoured, SkiFree shifts from a sports game to something bordering on a horror game.

I've seen a variety of opinions on the Abominable Snowman. Some people hate him for putting an abrupt end to their games, while others, myself included, find him to be the most memorable part of an otherwise forgettable game. SkiFree is a good example of how one small touch can make a game worth remembering, at least among the few who experienced it.