SSX Tricky Reviewed

SSX Tricky is not your everyday snowboarding game. Forget what you know of realistic looking characters and snowy mountains. SSX Tricky takes the traditional style of snowboarding videogames and throws it out the window.

One of the first things you will notice is that the game looks absolutely gorgeous. The environments are huge, and there is no fog. The characters also look great, and sport a good amount of detail. Although there are only 6 riders on the screen at once, this works well and there is no slowdown whatsoever. The tracks are all varied too, ranging from a mountain with tons of jumps, to a deserted city with plenty of objects to avoid (such as parked cars).

There are two main modes in the game, Single Race or World Circuit. In Single Race you basically do a quick run with one or two players, using the characters, stats, and levels you have unlocked in the World Circuit mode. In the World Circuit mode, you choose a character and then choose from two other modes, Race or Showoff. In Race, you compete against five other riders in a race to the finish. Within the Race mode, you can get rivalry started. You can make friends, have the other riders stay neutral, or make them your enemy if you knock them over. The choice is yours though, because knocking another rider over will fill up your boost meter, letting you do an uber-trick (these require a good amount of air to pull off, but when done right give you a lot of points) and gives you a speed boost. However, if a rider is your enemy they will be more likely to try to knock you down when they go by.

The other mode in World Circuit is the Showoff mode. This is a simple run to the finish, but you have to get a certain amount of points by the end of the run to advance. You can get bronze, silver, or gold medals. This all has to be done in one run though, and can get pretty difficult when you reach the later tracks. The courses in the Showoff mode have more rails and other ramps then the tracks in the Race mode, giving you a chance to do more combos. When you place in the top 3 in either mode, you get stat points for your character. These can be used to increase their skills. Doing well in either mode also unlocks new tracks and characters. When you have done well on several courses, you will go up a rank (such as Veteran or Champ) and get a new board to use. There is also something called the Trick Book. This is accessed from the option menu, and it is organized in chapters. When you complete a chapter, you unlock a new outfit for the character you are using, and when y! ou complete all of the chapters you unlock the rider’s ultimate snowboard.

The characters themselves are well done, for the most part. All of them are wacky, and have unique things to say when you select them or when they bail on a trick. Some of their comments will have you laughing to yourself, although some of the characters can get a little annoying. Also, after hearing the character’s comments for the 10th time, you might be tempted to mute the sound. The background music is generic techno (with Run DMC as the background music when your boost meter fills all the way up), which is okay because it doesn’t interfere with the rest of the game. The announcer is also well done, and usually has a good idea about what is going on.

The gameplay is fast and furious, and the controls are smooth. It may take a bit of practice before you can get used to using the Xbox controller to do tricks with relative ease, but after a few runs you will have it down perfectly.

SSX Tricky is the best snowboarding game on Xbox. Snowboarding purists may want to rent it first to see if they are comfortable with the arcade like gameplay, while everyone should definitely pick it up.

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