SSX Blur

"SSX: Blur is the next step"

Hello,

Before I begin I'd like to make note that I once was an avid snow boarder, I still remember my first days on a board though, Holding on the lift belt while the boarder ahead of you twist and turn not realizing going side ways means no slipping.

Anyway I've been a fan of SSX since its well first one, I bought it went to my friends house and played it for a while. It was good then and its ok now. I also played SSX: Tricky which to me was the best one, it gave the characters even more personality and the ubers were a great addition.

I wasn't interested in SSX 3 mainly due to my friends not being interested in it anymore, so I'm not sure what I missed there; but now I'm playing Blur and well its definitely one of the most complete games I've ever played.


SSX: Blur the Intro 10/10

SSX captures the initial difficulty to learning snowboarding quit well in the Wii version, by using the analog to allow gamers a turning function while allowing gamers to alter the angle of their turn by turning the Wiimote, this gives it that feeling that your on the board shifting your body around to get to where you have to.

The learning curve is there though, using the A button or shaking the nunchuk will allow you to jump whichever is to your liking. But because their are usually 2 ways of going about the same thing, the option is there and you can choose which ever is easier to grasp.

SSX: Blur truly is the most challenging game on the Wii when it comes to controls, but it makes it clear that it's not the controls that are unseemly but the mind that needs to grasp exactly what your need to do. If you can get past that, then you can enjoy the game. (Kind of like learning how to play the drums.)

Graphics: 9/10

Now as a Wii owner and a PS3 owner I get a lot of ish from my friends about the Wii not using Blu-Ray and not having the Cell and all that other stuff. So out of fairness and ignorance to what the Wii could do graphically I will deduct 1 point automatically.

The games level design, skins for the objects, the usage of the polygons; the variety of colors and their usage is amazing. At first its a little much - but then again Tricky was insane about its colors, but later on you get a more natural feeling (peak 2) granted the colors are still amazing, it feels more earthy. By the time you hit peak 3, you automatically know, this is the top of the mountain, and you're a pro.

The particle effects alone are amazing, graphically I have to say this game is not just impressive (Unless you must have your hi-def.) But its quite calming after the first Mountain.

Music/Sound: 9/10

DJ Atomica does a great job with what he was given, the DJ from Tricky pretty much was spoon fed, the characters voice actors did most of the apparent talking, Ron just had 3 or 4 lines then called out the name of some move. Atomica doesn't have that leisure, he pretty much was pulling all the weight in the voice section, after a while you get used to him, specially when he starts pulling decent lines.

Music - The more peaks you unlock the most types of music are unlocked, some are good some are ok and some are addicting.

Sound Effects - There's no Mac going “Whoooa!” when he hits something anymore, its pretty much just wind and "boof!" which by the way is ok, not horrible but its ok. The main point here is the quality of the sound, and its up there, you can hear everything clearly, and if it's a low volume sounds (rushing) you wont hear it unless it picks up (falling from big air, the longer the fall the louder the wind gets.)

Controls 9/10 - The controls are great for the game in all except one area; shalom, to which it totally fails for on mountain 2 but that's all level design. You see in this event on Peak 1 the snow arch's in a way, which allows you to use the terrain to complete it. By the 2nd mountain this is gone and it seems like its made just to make you trip and fall and stumble if you try to slow down, then gives you heart breaking impossible to make turns.

However that's just 1 event that I'll deal with in it's time, for now doing everything else in the game is made easy and continues to get easier the more you grasp it. The more you understand the more things there are to learn, and new options will be available to you now that you have time to focus on other things.

Half Pipes and Ubers - During the game you probably wont have time to practice your ubers while boarding, that's where half pipes come in, what's better than getting big air all the time and breaking loose the rules of physics with a mind and spine bending maneuver. The Uber's seem intimidating, but they really are... yes I'm not lying those ubers are tough to get the hang of. The basic ones are easy to do, except the grind version of them, the “uniques” though can be a pain; with a few exceptions.

But the reward for pulling those ubers is stupendous and well worth the effort.

The controls will un-spoil the spoiled and show people that the Wiimote is definitely not just another Sixaxis as this game doesn't even use the IR except in selecting your options.

Total: 9.5/10

The game brings SSX to the plate in a way that could only be expressed through the Wii, I'm happy for it, its a bold statement by EA big, and I wish that they put more money into this project, it could of been even bigger if it appealed to the old SSX: Tricky crowd.

Can't wait for Blur 2.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/15/08

Game Release: SSX Blur (US, 02/27/07)