The extreme sports title 1080 Snowboarding was once one of the biggest examples of the genre on the Nintendo 64. While not quite as popular as Super Mario 64 or GoldenEye 007, the snowboarding title outsold popular beloved hits like Mario Party 3, Mario Golf, and Paper Mario. It is a Nintendo 64 game that many feel deserves another chance, and its programmer is one person who agrees.
Giles Goddard was the programmer behind 1080 Snowboarding on the N64, along with games like Star Fox, Stunt Race FX, and Tank Troopers. Goddard has worked on many projects, but the snowboarding genre may be his passion. He is currently the CEO at Chuhai Labs working on a VR game named Carve Snowboarding, which looks to be a spiritual successor to 1080 Snowboarding. On top of that game, however, Goddard seems to still be interested in a true 1080 Snowboarding revival.
Recently, Goddard hosted an ask me anything (AMA) on Reddit in which he opened up about everything he's worked on including 1080 Snowboarding, Doshin the Giant, Steel Diver, the stretchy face opening of Super Mario 64, and more. Goddard shared many details about his time working on these projects and Nintendo, but one comment Goddard made about 1080 Snowboarding was particularly intriguing.
Goodard says he'd make a Switch version of 1080 Snowboarding if Nintendo asked him to. He didn't mention whether it would be a remaster of the Nintendo 64 version, a remake, or a brand-new game in the series, but the idea is an exciting one for fans. There was once a 1080 Snowboarding 2 in the works, but that appears to have turned into 1080 Avalanche on the GameCube. It would certainly be interesting to see a modern take on 1080 Snowboarding, and the Switch feels like a good place for it.
Separately from 1080 Snowboarding, Goddard was also asked if players could expect to see Carve Snowboarding on the PS5 or Switch, and Goddard said it is "very likely." That is another massive takeaway from the AMA, as the game is not currently confirmed for those consoles.
A few years back, Nintendo filed a trademark for 1080 Snowboarding, but nothing has come from it yet. While a trademark extension can draw up excitement, it often is more of a "bookkeeping" move than anything. Nintendo was likely making sure it kept the rights of the franchise intact. However, perhaps it has something planned in its back pocket for the series. Theoretically, the Switch feels like a great fit to bring 1080 Snowboarding back.