The world of snowboarding games has seen its fair share of titles, but few have reached the iconic status of SSX Tricky. Released as part of the EA Sports BIG selection, this game took the foundation laid by the original SSX and built upon it in a much bigger way. Let's delve into what makes SSX Tricky not just a great game, but arguably the best snowboarding game ever created.
The SSX game series is known for its unrealistic style, and SSX Tricky takes this to the extreme. While the original SSX focused on snowboarding races with tricks to gain speed boosts, SSX Tricky expands on this concept with bigger and wilder tricks. It mixes fine snowboarding racing and over-the-top tricks.
SSX Tricky: All Uber Tricks
Gameplay Modes
SSX Tricky offers a variety of gameplay modes to cater to different playstyles:
- Race Mode: Compete against other snowboarders in a race to the finish line, using tricks to gain speed boosts.
- Showoff Mode: Focus on performing the biggest and most impressive tricks to achieve the highest score.
In "Showoff" mode, the courses feature colored icicles that act as score multipliers: yellow for double, orange for triple, and red for quintuple. These modes can be accessed through "Single Player" and "Multiplayer" options.
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To unlock more tracks, players must engage in the "World Circuit" mode. Here, you take on courses in either "Showoff" or "Race" mode. Earning at least a Bronze award in "Showoff" mode unlocks the next track, while "Race" mode requires finishing in the Top 3 in three races.
Medals earned in "World Circuit" mode award your character skill points, which can be used to develop attributes crucial to SSX Tricky:
- Edging: Sharpness for turning corners.
- Speed: Overall speed.
- Stability: Resistance to being knocked off the snowboard.
- Tricks: Speed of performing tricks.
Uber Tricks: The Heart of SSX Tricky
The defining feature of SSX Tricky is the inclusion of Uber Tricks. These are incredibly flamboyant and melodramatic tricks that take time to execute but look absolutely awesome. When you store your speed boosts to the top of the bar, the song remixes to include "It's Tricky" by Run DMC, signaling access to these special moves.
Once you've tricked enough to fill the Boost meter to “Tricky” level, you can now tweak a grab into an “Uber-Trick”. These tricks vary with each boarder, but are always over-the-top and impressive. A real snowboarder would never be able to get out of their bindings fast enough to breakdance on a board, or swing it around their neck, or the dozens of other tricks.
Characters: A Stellar Cast
The characters in SSX Tricky are one of its many highlights. You have lots to choose from, and you have to unlock a good few of them by getting gold medals in "World Circuit". All the characters specialise in different methods of SSX - some are very good at tricks, some are very good racers.
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There are 13 in total and all have different personalities - Moby and JP are arrogant players from England and France respectively, where as Marty and Kaori are quiet and shy players from Germany and Japan respectively.
For the only time in the entire series, SSX Tricky features an all-star cast for the voices:
- Lucy Liu (Elise)
- Billy Zane (Brosi)
- David Arquette (Eddie)
- Bif Naked (Zoe)
- Macy Gray (Seeiah)
This stellar cast does a great job of adding to each character's personality.
Controls
The controls in SSX Tricky are slick and an improvement over the original SSX. You can use the D-pad or the analog stick to move your character. The shoulder buttons are used to grab your board, and pressing multiple shoulder buttons allows for more complicated grabs that yield more points.
Characters also have relationships with each other, influencing their behavior on the track. For instance, Psymon fancies Zoe, so they are considered friends. Luther is a bully and picks on the cute Kaori a lot, so they're enemies.
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Soundtrack: A Perfect Blend
One of the finest parts of SSX Tricky is the pretty damn good soundtrack. "It's Tricky" by Run DMC, as mentioned before, is the title track of the game, and the original song and the remixed versions on the game all make the game that much better. It's a fabulous song and thoroughly works with the style of game SSX Tricky provides.
There are also some good electronic dance and rap songs on the soundtrack too, and Bif Naked, also mentioned before, has a track on here. A few tracks by Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys are also featured, and Mix Master Mike is also a secret character in the game... if you use cheat codes.
Over the gameplay are parts of commentary provided by Rahzel, who is a beatboxer, who does a fantastic job of putting over the action and doing some random beatboxing once in a while.
Tracks and Graphics
Seven of the courses have returned from the original SSX, but only their names and texture sets have been replicated. Dozens of new shortcuts have been added to each course, and their layouts have been so drastically altered that they feel entirely new. EA has also added two completely new tracks, including Alaska--a vertical run that provides some of the biggest air in the game--and Garibaldi--a nice but relatively short course for beginners.
Customization
As you play through "World Circuit," you unlock snowboards and character costumes to customize your character's look. The snowboards are all in different shapes, and each character has a preferred board type. Some boards are best for tricks, others for races, and some for in-between. If a character uses a board they're unfamiliar with, they usually struggle a little more with this board, but do get access to a different set of Uber tricks if they fill their boost bar up. Once again it all adds to the game that is SSX Tricky.
Additional Features
If you ever want to take a breather and try things out in your own time you can always use the "Practise" mode. You can do it in either a "Race" mode style, but without any other competitors on screen so you're taking the track on in your own time, or you can practise certain tricks on one large jump. The latter also includes a tutorial to help you do certain tricks that are compiled in each characters individual "Trick Book". The "Trick Book" is a tick sheet of sorts, to fill up to hone your skills of performing tricks.
tags: #snowboarding #game #ssx #tricky