In our ongoing weekly column spotlighting some of the secretly classic, kitschy, overlooked, or downright wack games in the vast Xbox library, guest columnist Andrew Hayward hits the slopes (and trips out hard) with Xbox 360 launch snowboarder, Amped 3. Check out the Backtracking archives here.

Microsoft's Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding and follow-up Amped 2 were both well-regarded snow-shredding affairs, each packing a heaping portion of straight-laced, sim-leaning downhill trickery, and a seriously large batch of indie tunes. The latter entry in particular earned praise for its effortless online integration and enhanced moves set, but Microsoft opted to ship both the franchise and developer Indie Built to 2K Sports following the sequel's 2003 release.

Launched alongside the Xbox 360 two years later, Amped 3 is a very different beast than its predecessors. It curiously lacks the online play of Amped 2 and offers up a simplified play experience, along with the ability to use snowmobiles and sleds on the open mountains. But what really defines Amped 3 is its weirdly bent aesthetic and sense of humor, with story sequences that play out like a mash-up of Adult Swim series Robot Chicken and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Good Job!, mixed with any number of Internet memes. Lacking any semblance of narrative or stylistic cohesion, Amped 3 arrived in stark contrast to the stiff-lipped seriousness of its forbearers. And it was a blast.

Amped 3 makes no effort to disguise its unexpected new direction. Within the first few minutes, the characters are introduced via faux retro game clips before you find yourself in a pink bunny suit chatting with ally Weinerboy, all while "Blinded by the Light" — Manfred Mann's Earth Band's #1 hit from 1977 — plays in the backdrop. Never mind the fact that the rest of the soundtrack is comprised of then-current indie rock and hip-hop jams. Just roll with it. Immediately thereafter, the storyline kicks off via scrapbook by a snow goddess named Dandelion, before segueing to a scene of pixelated, skeletal hands admiring a crystal ball as a scraggly voice rants about game development and "those meddling snowboarders."

Wait, what's happening? Amped 3 admittedly does have a story — one in which your created boarder must recover stolen vacation funds before battling against an evil game company named Colonotronic Arts, and then…well, writing it out somehow seems goofier than the real thing. In actuality, what unfolds is a dizzying montage of absurd gags and cut-scenes, including parodies of Final Fantasy VII and The Beatles' Yellow Submarine art direction, plus multiple appearances by fictional hip-hop boy band Ménage a Brahs, which performs subliminal message-containing hits like "Bling 4 U."

For some, the aimless visual shenanigans are sure to nauseate, and not all of the jokes land very gracefully; the "Engrish" voice over on the faux-anime battle sequences is particularly grating. But paired with the loose and silly play objectives — such as collecting tumbling eggs as you shred or trying to generate the most bodily harm after being flung from a sled — Amped 3's charmingly goofy demeanor makes it a true original in a snowboarding genre that remains strangely thin on Xbox 360. If you're still not sold (and don't mind the spoilers), check out the closing musical number, which encapsulates much of the mayhem seen in the rest of the game.

While the humor still surprises and delights, the play experience hasn't aged quite as gracefully over the last six-plus years. The simplistic trick system doesn't offer a lot of variety or advanced maneuvers, which makes grabbing huge air feel much more routine than it should. Much as the game can be applauded for its accessibility and ease of play, that approachable nature comes at the expense of depth. The more recent Stoked series serves up a richer and more rewarding trick system, while the upcoming SSX reboot seems wholly refined and delightful from all indications. Still, Amped 3 remains a far better experience than the coin-collecting Shaun White Snowboarding, heretofore the biggest-name genre entry to hit stores in recent years.

Luckily, Amped 3 is one of those games where the entirety of the experience outweighs the dated play mechanics and launch-era visuals, as the irreverent tone, hilarious sight gags, and unexpected pop culture references really set it apart from everything else on the console. Indie Built sadly shuttered in 2006, and the franchise seems unlikely to return after such a long absence. But Amped 3 was a worthy send-off; one that took daring risks with its tone and structure and seemed willing to include almost anything for a laugh.

(Amped 3 released on November 16, 2005, and while you're unlikely to find a new copy, GameStop sells it used for $5. Sadly, it's not sold via Xbox Live Games on Demand, though a demo is still available!)