In Europe, the snowboarding game Supreme Snowboarding, by the Finland-based development team Housemarque, is gaining a good deal of attention. The PC version is receiving rave reviews in Europe, and it will be released in the States in January 2000 under the name Boarder Zone. However, there is also a Dreamcast version planned, but that won't be ready until fall 2000. We wanted to know why, so GameSpot News invited Jani Penttinen, the Finnish project leader and lead programmer for Boarder Zone in for a little talk.

　　GameSpot News: The PC version of Supreme Snowboarding just released in Europe. Why is the Dreamcast version coming out so much later?Jani Penttinen: The DC version is not just a conversion. It's a new game, basically - it contains new levels, game modes and gameplay elements. The core playability is the same, but now we have a chance to tune up a lot. Boarder Zone on the Dreamcast will be a very impressive game in total, and it will take the hardware to its limit like no other game so far.

　　GSN: Are there any Dreamcast-specific problems? Or do you have certain areas you want to better?JP: There are no real problems with the Dreamcast. Instead, there are many areas we can improve on in the Dreamcast version. The graphics will be amazing - the frame rate will be a constant 60fps (or 50fps in Europe), and the game can be fine-tuned to one specific controller. This is something you just have to believe when I say it, but when I first saw some of our new Dreamcast-specific stuff running I couldn't believe my eyes!

　　GSN: Do you have any special features you want to implement in the DC version?JP: Internet-based multiplaying is a very interesting challenge indeed. We'll also have a special use for the VMU... But I can't tell you everything right now. All I can say is that this is definitely going to be a Dreamcast title that is specifically developed for that particular hardware.

　　GSN: Is the development team a fan of 1080 Snowboarding on the N64?JP: Yes we are, naturally. Even while it's quite an old game already and maybe not very realistic, it was the snowboarding game. Still, we're not afraid of the competition. In my humble opinion, Boarder Zone is the best snowboarding game available, and we'll definitely do even better with the Dreamcast version.

　　GSN: What will be your next projects after Boarder Zone and for which platforms?JP: What a nice question.... Honestly - I don't really know. We have many options, but only time will tell. Our current goal is to make Boarder Zone DC the best snowboarding game of all time! There's a lot to do to achieve it, so we can't really focus on other things.

　　Thanks Jani for the interview and good luck with the American release of Boarder Zone on the PC.