SSX 3

"Boom shaka-laka, dude!"

Extreme sports have been one of the most popular genres these days. After the success of games like Tony Hawk Pro Skater, it's become very difficult not to see an extreme sports game floating about the game stores. With such a plethora of different sports available to create into games, this time we check out snowboarding, specifically SSX. SSX is known for its very arcade style and ridiculously over-the-top tricks. One of the most popular snowboarding game series, SSX has leaped once again to the Gamecube with SSX 3. Does it retain the popular SSX style?

Graphics 8/10

SSX 3 is a beautiful snowboarding game. The mountain snow is clean and bright in the sunlit areas, giving the game a gleaming appearance. At night, the snow becomes shadowy and darker. The details in just the snow will be enough to astound the player, but SSX 3 goes beyond that. Each area is marked with rails, signs, and other objects that have the trademark SSX flare. Every area will retain a sense of bright flare that makes the game feel urban and, yes, extreme. Each character is animated very well, and the trick animations are a sight to behold. SSX's over-the-top tricks are mind-blowingly cool to watch and perform, and when the many tricks are strung together into combos, the aerial antics take off into some of the most impressive trick sequences ever conceived. Some annoying camera angles and small amount of differences in character animations did make the game a bit stale, but overall, the graphics of SSX 3 are impressive.

Audio 8/10

SSX 3 has a good licensed soundtrack to rock out to while riding the powder of the peaks. Songs by Finger Eleven, The Caesars, Yellowcard, and others are present. While some of the songs are great to listen to, others don't fare as well, mostly because of their similarities with other songs. Despite a good combination of rock and rap music, there isn't as much variety as desired here. Character voices, however, are hilarious. Each character has a distinct voice and says some pretty weird, but funny, phrases when gravity starts to weaken. Sound effects, like glass shattering and hitting the snow, are also well done. Despite a slightly disappointing licensed soundtrack, the audio in SSX 3 is still great to listen to.

Gameplay 9/10

SSX is not a realistic snowboarding game at all, and thankfully, it proves that you don't need realistic physics or turning speeds to make a fun game. SSX uses some mighty leaps and awesome tricks to make a purely fun alternative sports game. SSX 3 uses this formula to its fullest, making one of the best extreme sports games ever.

Controls, in my opinion, were a little difficult to get used to. The Control Stick controls movement, but doesn't control spin and flip speed, which is assigned to the D-Pad. B is used to Boost with expense of energy in the Uber Meter. X is used to plant, and Y is used as a reset button to get back on track. Tricks are assigned to the shoulder buttons, each one having a special trick. By combining the shoulder buttons and D-Pad directions, spins and flips can be added. After reaching a full Uber Mode, holding down B while pressing one or more of the shoulder buttons allows for an Uber Trick, a crazy trick that defies gravity and makes the rider go flying high. In order to truly master the controls, you must learn to constantly switch between the Control Stick and D-Pad for movement and spins, so don't expect the controls to stick until after a little practice.

SSX 3 has two distinct modes of play. The Single Event is basically a quick-play, where you choose a character, type of game, peak, event, and option selection before taking off. The second is the true core of the game: the Conquer the Mountain mode. Here, you pick an SSX boarder and take off to one of three peaks to compete in different events, find cash, buy stuff, and complete objectives to gain rewards. The amount of things to do in-game is very plentiful. When you're not racking up ridiculously-high scores at the Super Pipe, you'll be competing in race. Even simply performing tricks in Free Ride mode is a treat thanks to the fluid and fun gameplay SSX 3 provides.

Competitions pit your SSX boarder against other racers in a variety of events. Racing is simple, but by adding in tricks and alternate routes, the game is very open-ended, so there isn't just one way to complete a race. The ability to attack other boarders is also cool. Trick competitions are seriously challenging games, where you must use the air and the assortment of tricks at your disposal to rack up the points. The trick competitions, especially the Super Pipe competitions, are some of the most fun events ever conceived in a sports game, thanks to the over-the-top tricks and huge amount of air that a single jump can get. The game's hyper-unrealistic approach to extreme sports make it a true gem.

Along the snowy way, you'll be able to hang out at the lodge and purchase gear, upgrade stats, set up playlists, examine tricks, and more. There is quite a bit of depth to the character customization, despite the inability to create your own from scratch. Either way, the amount of ways to make your SSX boarder appear as you wish is actually pretty good. The ability to purchase songs and set up your own playlist is also cool. Among the lodges, you will also find transports which are easy to access warp points to other parts of the peak. You can even transport any time you wish from the Pause Menu.

When you're not in competitions, you can occupy yourself by looking for hidden cash on the mountain or by checking out the Big Challenges. These challenges are unique objectives, like jumping through rings or performing called out tricks. These challenges are fun, but at times, you will have to perform the same one multiple times. This lag of repetition is SSX 3 biggest flaw, but if you can overcome this small annoyance, the game will wow you with its excellent gameplay.

Replay Value 8/10

SSX's gameplay is the star of this show, but the number of objectives across the three peaks is extensive. Exploring the mountain and looking for competitions, cash, and challenges makes the experience longer than expected. Even just roaming in Free Ride mode is fun. The multiplayer is pretty decent for a sports game. SSX 3 is an extreme sports game that will keep you coming back.

Final Verdict 9/10

SSX 3 laughs in the face of realism by creating a hyper-unrealistic game that plays incredibly well. With clean graphics, a good licensed soundtrack, lots of objectives, and some of most over-the-top tricks imaginable, SSX 3 is a truly good extreme sports game. The amount of unlockables and customization is great, and the whole gameplay aspect is solid. SSX 3 isn't just a good snowboarding game; it isn't just a good racing game. SSX 3 is the epitome of extreme sports games, with its insistence on creating a fun arcade-style snowboarding game. Even if you haven't played a snowboarding game, or even an extreme sports game, SSX 3 is fun till the last fall.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/12/06