SSX Tricky

"The game that made extreme snowboarding games fun is back with a sequel."

Once in a great while a game is released that really blows you away; and SSX Tricky is one of those games. The purpose of this game is not to tell a story, it’s to create an experience, and that is exactly what it does. It takes mind-blowing environments and mixes them with realistically moving and sounding characters that create one of the best pseudo-realities ever. SSX Tricky, in an essence, may just be an upgrade of the PlayStation 2 original, but it is one heck of an upgrade that will leave a great lasting impression on any player who lies hands on this masterpiece.

The first feature that you will notice in SSX Tricky is that the menus are clean and easy to navigate. The control stick is responsive, and doesn’t require a strong stroke upward or downward to change options within the menu. There are three modes of play: Practice, Single Event, and World Circuit, each of which have its own tracks and features. There are two tracks, Untracked and Pipe Dream, that are not playable through the main game, World Circuit. Pipe Dream is an amazing track filled with pipes, rails, ramps, holes, and jumps where scoring trick points is very easy and very fun. It’s only playable in showoff mode, and is a great track to practice and master SSX Tricky‘s many tricks. Untracked, the other special track, is a large, snowy terrain filled with trees, rocks, and drops. It’ll take a very skilled player to flawlessly navigate this treacherous area, but it is an interesting ride nonetheless. The rest of the tracks are playable through all modes of play, but it is best to play them on World Circuit so you can upgrade your board and character and unlock new characters, tracks, outfits, and boards as well.

Graphically, SSX Tricky may not be groundbreaking, but there are some very nice-looking visuals packed in here. Occasionally those dreaded “jaggies” will pop up, especially before a snowy jump, which will look absolutely horrendous amongst the rest of the environment. However, the environments themselves look pretty damn spiffy. While they may take your breath away like Rogue Leader, there just seems to be something missing about them that will give you the ultimate impression. They are beautifully rendered nonetheless, especially the characters and environments. Most of the edges are curved, and look realistic when moving full speed (just above 70 miles per hour) at a constant 60 frames per second. Some people may experience frame rate problems from time to time, but it’s not a very big deal, as it only slightly plagues the game.

The music is the best that the GameCube has seen to date. The voices are clear and crisp, mixing in well with the background music. Each tune has a specific beat to it that’s very catchy, and if you find yourself tapping your foot to one of the beats or endlessly repeating the words “tricky, it’s tricky” over and over in your head, you’re not the only one. The tracks themselves all have their own music, each one with a diverse melody. They are all very pleasant to listen to, only adding to the overall mind-blowing experience this well-rounded game has to offer.

Possibly the best thing about SSX Tricky is its fun factor. No matter how good or bad you may be at racing, performing tricks, or winning, this game is simply fun. The learning curve isn’t very steep; an average player can get the hang of the gameplay and master the control scheme within about twenty minutes. The characters are very agile, and easy to move around. Attributes such as speed, maneuverability, tricks, and stability are dependant on which board you are using, so naturally as you progress through the game you get better boards that allow for more advanced tricks and faster races.

The controls are very basic, yet easy to use. The control stick moves, B boosts when applicable, holding down on A crouches, then releasing the button and pressing it again prior to a ramp will cause the snowboarder to reach amazing heights, soaring in the air long enough to perform some pretty amazing tricks. When in the air, pressing any combination of the L, R, Z, B, and/or directional buttons on the D-Pad will result in the actual tricks being executed.

Five trick books are included with the game, each book offering five tricks of different difficulty. Tricks in the trick book can be completed at any time during gameplay, and range from simply pressing L to holding down on L and R while spinning 720°. Completing a trick book actually has a pretty nice incentive behind it, new outfits. While the outfits do not offer any upgradeable features, it is nice to see your favorite racer in some refreshing clothes every once in a while. The only problem with the tricks are that starting with the third book things get very difficult. Many players may become very frustrated at the game after helplessly trying to perform one trick for hours on end. If you are in that unfortunate situation, remember that there will be no better feeling in the world than actually doing the trick, so keep at it.

The tracks are very well designed, filled with ramps, jumps, turns, drops, rails, and obstacles that will require a great deal of concentration. Each track has three heats. The first two heats are basically warm-ups for the big third heat. If you bring it up the rear in the first two heats though, you will not qualify for the next heat, so it’s always good to stay near the top. In the third heat, a first, second, or third place finish is required to obtain a bronze, silver, and gold medal respectively. Once you obtain a medal, a number of events will occur. First and foremost, you will be able to upgrade your character’s speed, tricks, stability, along with many other attributes. Next, a new board may be unlocked that has better speed and/or trick abilities. You’re ranking may also be upgraded, and while it may not do anything to help your character physically, your rank is a good bragging tool.

In a nutshell, words can only go so far to describe the extremely high fun factor of this game. Actually hearing the music blaring from speakers to your left and right while moving through a snowy terrain at 70 miles per hour and 60 frames per second, only then can one actually experience what this game has to offer, and it has a lot to offer. This game is recommended to any Tony Hawk and Dave Mirra fan that loves extreme sports, because at heart SSX Tricky is an extreme sport of a new fashion that will pave a road of inspiration and precedents for years to come. We want a sequel, EA.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/08/02, Updated 05/08/02