SSX Tricky

"EA BIG is 2 for 2!!"

First with NBA STREET and now this.

Many snowboarding fanatics like to discredit EA's SSX franchise because it doesn't capture the athleticism and skill of real snowboarding. They say you can't really do things like flip your board around your neck and soar 150 ft into the air like you do in the videogame, so therefore SSX is flawed. The truth is, SSX Tricky does have a few minor flaws, but sky high, flip-spinning tricks and a thrilling sense of speed are not among them. In fact, Tricky's stylized distortion of reality for the sake of fun is what videogames are supposed to be about. The game has enough features and appeal to keep casual to hard-core gamers entertained.

Gameplay
The Xbox controller works very well with SSX Tricky thanks mainly to feel of the analog triggers and reverse placement (in comparison to the PS2) of the D-pad and left analog stick. Once you get used to the physics of the game and you know how your board, rider and course all interact with each other, the analog stick can be your best friend. Going from the analog stick on windy sections down to the D-pad in preparation for jumps is an easy move for even the most clumsy thumbs. The black and white buttons don't come in to play, thankfully, and the right analog stick makes for some nice shoving and pushing when enemies come by.
The World Circuit mode is the meat of the gane and where you'll open all of the most exciting unlockable stuff. Riders, boards, tracks, tricks and outfits are all unlocked while you're battling, one-heat at a time, through each of the eight basic courses. For example you can learn tricks by practicing them, but they only count as part of your character's arsenal if you pull them in a race. Plus, you have to complete each trick in a specific trick book before you can move on to the next trick book. Tricky actually makes you perform tricks to unlock tricks that you may have already performed but not gotten credit for. You'll be relieved to know, however that the game does take mercy on you in that when you finally beat a track and earn a gold medal your unlocked goodies come in bunches. This system of rewards is a great way to keep the player interested in getting everything there is.
Another feature that comes into play is the rival factor. From race to race, you'll smack riders and get smacked back until the two of you are enemies. As an enemy they'll have no problem coming after you on a straight away or bashing into you just before a big ramp. Friends and neutrals will tend to let you do your thing when you get close to them but it only takes a few smacks to turn them on you. Even friends can be made into enemies but it takes a lot more provoking since they'll start off with virtually 0% hatred against you. But if you punk them enough times and they get up to 80% on the enemy meter, it's on. I only bring this up because the whole friendship battle leads into another great innovation in Tricky; the Uber Trick. The Uber Trick is the high-flying, out-of-this-world tricks you see in all the commercials, and they never get old.
Graphics
The Xbox game is the best looking and smoothest of all the versions of Tricky but it still chops up when things get too hectic on screen. There's no better illustration of this than on the Alaska level. The course is huge and beautifully drawn. When you race down some of its tunnels and you're in the lead, you'll blaze through like a bat out of hell frozen over. When the race is a little tighter and you have all five other riders with you, in this enclosed area, things get choppy and choppier. If you start trying to shove and push, it gets down right annoying.
But the rest of the game's look and movement more than makes up for the very little stutter there is. The riders animate with personality and flair even when they're just zooming down the straights. They'll turn their heads, bend their knees, waists and arms so that they appear to shift their weight into and out of turns. Even in the sketchy parts where you're leaning the stick back and forth like a madman, the riders all keep up with your commands and react. The stunts and tricks themselves look fantastic, and really get you hyped when you pull them off.
Add to that a great soundtrack, and professional actors and actresses (David Arquette, Lucy Liu) and this game is the complete package.

Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to get the point across that if you are into snowboarding or not, this game is a must-have and worth every penny.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/30/02, Updated 07/30/02