SSX
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SSX is a series of snowboarding video games published by EA Sports BIG. It is very much an arcade-style game, not a simulation game, focusing more on unrealistic tricks and larger-than-life courses.
Gameplay
Players may choose any one of a number of riders, each with their own statistics and boarding style. A course is selected and the player is given the option of racing down the course or participating in a competition to do tricks.Each course is filled with ramps, rails, and other assorted objects. Performing tricks fills up the player's boost meter, which can then be used for additional acceleration, making tricks important even in a race. Players also have the option of practicing or exploring courses in "freeride" mode.
SSX Tricky introduced "Uber Tricks", absurdly exaggerated tricks, often involving detaching the board from the rider's feet. The player gained access to uber tricks during play after filling the adrenaline bar; performing six Uber Tricks earns the player unlimited boost for the rest of the race.
SSX 3 introduced a second, intermediate set of Uber Tricks. Each character has an associated Uber Trick. The unlimited boost system was tweaked to where you simply had to complete 9 Uber Tricks to get the boost bonus. Certain combinations of spins, flips, and Uber Tricks resulted in "Monster Tricks", worth even more points than uber tricks; the catch was that you had to memorize the combination (Triple Backflip Superman, for example), and the combination had to be unlocked through certain goals in the game, such as staying on a rail for 120 meters.
In SSX On Tour "Uber Tricks" are presented as "Monster Tricks", though most of them resemble the more advanced Uber Tricks, and are much easier to perform than the Monster Tricks of SSX3. Where previous SSX titles used the main trick buttons (and the tweak button for later titles) to perform Uber Tricks, the Monster Tricks are performed by combinations of directions entered on the right analog stick.
SSX and SSX Tricky
SSX was released only for the PlayStation 2 for its launch in October 2000. SSX was developed by EA Canada, SSX Tricky by EA Sports. SSX Tricky was released November 5, 2001 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox. SSX Tricky was so similar to the original that many considered it an update rather than a sequel.
In SSX and SSX Tricky, winning medals in a variety of events, unlocks new courses, characters, and boards, as well as improved the boarder's abilities. New outfits may be earned by completing a character's "trick book", by doing a number of specific tricks during play. Three kinds of boards are available to players: trick-oriented "Freestyle" boards, all-around "BX" boards, and racing-oriented "Alpine" boards, which are not meant to be ridden backwards.
The courses in both games are located around the world, including the "Tokyo Megaplex", a course resembling a giant pinball machine, and "Merqury City," which takes place in the downtown area of a city. The riders also come from around the world, including Japan and Germany, and speak in their primary language.
SSX 3
SSX 3 was released on October 20, 2003 on all the same platforms SSX Tricky was released on, as well as the Gizmondo. It was developed by EA Canada.
The most obvious change to the series is the location. In earlier games, individual tracks were located around the world. In SSX 3, the entire game takes place on one mountain, with three peaks and several individual runs. Runs are designated as "race," "freestyle", "half pipe", "big air", or "back country" tracks, and are designed accordingly. Tracks are connected; it is possible to board through multiple individual tracks without stopping.
The reward system is also revamped and improved. Although some rewards are still tied to what medals the player gets, most rewards are bought using money earned in competition or when finding hidden snowflakes. Outfits, stat improvements, "hidden characters" (character models) and game art are all available.
Other notable changes include the introduction of a second level of "uber tricks", the elimination of freestyle/BX/Alpine boards in favor of a single board type, and the elimination of statistical differences between characters. In general, the game emphasizes customization much more than in previous games; for example, different boards no longer have different effects on how your board handles, allowing the player to choose whatever board they like the most, instead of the "best" board, statistically.
SSX Out of Bounds
SSX Out of Bounds was released on the N-Gage on January 24, 2005. It is a port (albeit limited) of SSX 3. The platform's small screen, limited controls, as well as lack of both processing and graphical power are the reason for the limitations. The game features multiplayer capability over Bluetooth.SSX On Tour
SSX On Tour (working title: SSX 4) is the fourth title in the SSX series of video games for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, PSP and Xbox. It was released on October 13, 2005 in North America.
Unlike its predecessor, SSX on Tour has no online play as the main focus was improving the gameplay and maps. There are many new characters, new maps, new tricks and skiers. One main variation from other consoles is the GameCube version since it has Nintendo characters and a special track.
SSX on Tour's main gameplay mode, "The Tour", allows the player to create a character and select one of a number of challenges available at any one point in time. Progressing through challenges (including medal events) earns the player both cash and hype; earning hype advances the player from amateur to pro level and unlocks harder challenges.
On Tour does several things differently from previous incarnations of the series; for one, courses are no longer closed; the player will frequently encounter other skiers and snowboarders when freeriding or doing minor challenges. Additionally, stats are no longer tied to the character; the character's board or skis are the sole determining factor in the character's abilities.
Because of many of these changes, it hasn't been as popular as the other titles in the series. This was due to the lack of "wacky" tracks such as the Tokyo Megaplex from 'Tricky' or the open mountain feel of SSX 3. Another problem was the overcrowded maps as many critics complained of an overabundance of trees, buildings, and people, thus negating much of the "it's a tournament" feel. Much scorn was also focused on the use of the Rock-wannabe theme, as well as the drab coloring. The final flaw in many reviewer's eyes was the lack of a main single player mode for the characters of the series.
SSX Wii
EA Games has recently announced another installment in the SSX series to be released for Nintendo's Wii. There are no details on the game except that it will take full advantage of the motion sensing controller for the console.External links
| SSX video games | |
|---|---|
| SSX | SSX Tricky | SSX 3 | SSX Out of Bounds | SSX on Tour | SSX (Wii title) | |
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