SSX 3 Review

Developer	EA Canada
Publisher	Electronic Arts
Genre	Sports

SSX definitely caught everyone by surprise when it launched alongside the PlayStation 2 in October 2000. At a time when the snowboarding game genre was all but dead, the newly formed Electronic Arts’ developer EA Canada reinvigorated the sport in the same way Neversoft revived skateboarding with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. SSX combined fast, trick-heavy gameplay with an undeniably slick presentation. From the huge, jump-filled courses to the dynamically changing (and very good) music, SSX was one of the best games that year, of any genre. The following year, Electronic Arts released SSX Tricky, a pseudo-sequel that offered more of the same snow packed goodness, but with minimal gameplay tweaks.

This year, Electronic Arts has opted for a full on sequel, and SSX 3 certainly reflects their initiative. Everything that made the original so fun has returned, with the addition of crazy “uber” tricks and a level progression structure completely redesigned from the ground up. In short, SSX 3 is not “SSX Tricky 2”. If you skipped out on SSX Tricky but loved the first one, now’s the time to get back on the slopes.

Gameplay - The most immediately noticeable change in SSX 3 is the game progression structure. Instead of selecting courses from menus and then magically warping there, SSX 3 takes the oft imitated GTA III approach of open-ended exploration. The entire game is played on one enormous mountain, which consists of three separate peaks. The main game mode is appropriately titled Conquer the Mountain. Being serious, you really do conquer the damn thing. Starting at Peak 1 (naturally), the courses within each peak get progressively more challenging and visually impressive. After selecting your character, you are dropped in at the top of Peak 1. From here, you can go one of two ways. Going left leads you on a one-way adventure down the entire peak, and going right leads to the Lodge (more on this later) and the Transport. Essentially a ski lift, the Transport takes you directly to the peak event you wish, if you do not want to travel there by yourself.

As was said previously, taking the left path allows you to explore the entire peak on your board, stopping at a certain event along the way or just continuing down the left side. Your exploration is rewarded in the form of SSX 3’s equivalent of cold hard cash. Collecting these tiny snowflakes is one way to earn the money to improve your boarder’s performance (and looks). Each peak has literally miles and miles of snow covered trails and breathtaking, wide-open wilderness known as the “Backcountry”. It is in these areas where rival boarders will challenge you to either a trick contest or a one-on-one race to the bottom. After beating your rival’s record, “BIG Challenges” are unlocked in that Backcountry, which are mini-goals and missions designed to really test your snowboarding prowess. Completing BIG Challenges is often difficult, but the payoff (money) is always worth it.

Here is where the money comes into play. When you enter the Lodge, cash allows you to purchase stats to upgrade your character in different categories such as Acceleration, Speed, Tricks, Toughness, Edging, and Air. Stat upgrading prices quickly escalate as you progress further in the game, so you distribute your stats wisely early on. In addition to performance upgrades, you can customize your rider with a wide variety of clothing, boards, and accessories unique to each one. These customizations are purely cosmetic and do not affect rider performance in any way. The selection of apparel is exciting, as it does give you the chance to show off your character’s own style. Plus, you will actually win some of the best clothing and accessories for free, another incentive in going for the top medal.

SSX 3’s lineup of snowboarders sees most veterans returning from the previous games along with a handful of newcomers. The SSX crew was never terribly original to begin with, including the generic extreme sports-type “dudes” and the requisite busty blonde bombshell. To be fair though, EA has conceived characters that truly fit the SSX universe, which in a word, is extreme. They are given just enough personality as to tell them apart without shoving so-called “attitude” in your face.

Each peak has numerous organized events that must be won in order to earn the largest sums of cash and enough experience to move on to the next peak. Events come in several flavors: Race, Freeride, Slopestyle, Big Air, Super Pipe, and the aforementioned Backcountry.

Racing events consist of a qualifying round, a semi final round, and a final round. Finish the course race in the top three (out of six) and be rewarded with a medal and a fatter wallet. Tricks are not as important during a race as they are in other modes, but in order to keep your speed, you will have to do tricks anyway. Slopestyle is where tricks are heavily emphasized, as a high score is the requirement for victory. Both Racing and Slopestyle have you competing against five other boarders, but the Big Air and Super Pipe (as well as Backcountry) modes are a one-on-one affair. Big Air is essentially Slopestyle against only one opponent, but the score is usually a lot tougher to beat. Super Pipe is similar in that a high trick score is needed, but the entire event takes place in a huge half-pipe where you attempt minutes long combos to win.

The A.I. opponents are no slouches, especially once you reach Peak 2. In fact, there was hardly a time when I could remember that I was relaxing in first place. The A.I. racers keep you on your toes the entire race, forcing you to stay competitive and never allowing a moment of “first place boredom” to sneak in. If you are near an opponent for any longer than he or she is comfortable, they will let you know it by giving you a good punch or shove in hopes of introducing your face to the powder. Of course, you have the same pugnacious tools at your disposal, and knocking down another boarder automatically fills your adrenaline boost meter.

The Adrenaline Meter, a series mainstay since the first game, constantly fills up as you do tricks, and decreases when you are on the ground. Anytime you have some adrenaline, you can use it for a quick speed boost whenever you may need it. SSX 3 introduces Ubers and Super Ubers, a new trick set that goes hand in hand with the Adrenaline Meter. Do enough tricks until you fill up the meter and it turns gold. Then, tweaking your tricks thereafter results in spectacular Uber tricks, worth considerably more points and more speed. Do four uber tricks to spell out the word U-B-E-R, at which point you will be granted access to your boarder’s insanely intricate Super Uber tricks. These tricks take a longer time to pull off, so make sure you have ample air before doing so. If you can manage to do five Super Ubers within the Adrenaline Meter’s time limit, you will spell the word S-U-P-E-R and have an unlimited speed boost for a short period of time.

SSX 3 introduces three other aspects to the gameplay that are all equally welcome. The Handplant and the Board press are two new moves that allow you to easily transfer half-pipes and link air tricks together, respectively. The Handplant can be used to access shortcuts and upper and side pipes throughout the levels. Admittedly, you will seldom use it during a normal race or trick event, but it proves incredibly useful during Big Pipe contests. On the other hand, the Board press adds an entirely new dimension to scoring points. Equivalent to the manual in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, the Board press has your boarder balance on either end of the board (with limited balance), which of course counts as a trick. Therefore, you can finally link together sets of air tricks for the first time, courtesy of the Board press. Since your balance keeps resetting each time you land from a jump, it is actually possible to combo the entire mountain (which takes 30 minutes to traverse). One of the testers at Electronic Arts accomplished the feat. We don't know if anyone else is that crazy.

These Ubers, Super Ubers and the Board press are the key to outracing and outscoring your opponents. Combined with the use of shortcuts, they are many times the only way to get the gold medal.

SSX 3’s courses are littered with shortcuts, some obvious and many not so obvious, but all equally rewarding in that you’ll get a serious lead in the race if you can navigate them successfully. The shortcuts consist of simple jumps that launch you over turns to an entirely different path deviating from the main course. Unlike the previous games, not every shortcut is conveniently labeled with a large glass “SSX” sign. Many you will find by accident, or through trial and error. We say trial and error because there is some areas or cliffs that appear to be shortcuts but end up leading you “off limits”, placing you back on the normal path. It would have been nice if these areas had been closed off as to not mislead the player, but then that is the whole point of searching for shortcuts. Also, these false alarms are few and far between, and the gripe is really minimal compared to the size and scope of the game.

The courses themselves are absolutely huge. Gone is the fantasy, almost plastic motif of the levels in earlier games in favor of more natural, organic settings. (The game does take place on one big mountain after all.) However, that is not to say that SSX 3’s courses lack variety. In fact, they are the largest, most awe-inspiring courses seen in any snowboarding game. Honestly. Every course provides a visceral rush unique to SSX 3. The humungous jumps, sweeping banks, icy S-curves, and treacherous shortcuts combine with an unmatched sense of speed gives SSX 3 an excitement factor that you will be hard-pressed to find in any other “extreme” sports title. SSX 3 provides more miles of snow than any snowboarder could ever dream of. Many of the events (mostly in the Backcountry) take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and the final event which takes you on the ultimate trip down the entire mountain in one sitting – takes over half an hour! With at least three to four full courses on each peak, plus the Backcountry areas and countless side paths that connect each course to another, you will be busy for quite some time. Best of all, SSX 3 never gets monotonous. You will find yourself constantly saying, “Just one more event,” or simply wanting to explore a new area you came upon.

The courses, as beautiful as they are, have a few sections with undesirable object placement. You’ll fly straight into suspiciously protruding rock formations and the occasional abyss, both incidents of which will cause your Adrenaline level and speed to drop considerably, and also killing any combo you were currently in the middle of. In addition, there is still an issue with rail grinding in SSX 3, as there has been in the last two games. Getting on rails, especially from the air, can be quite difficult, as you must time your jumps and aim almost perfectly, lest ye miss thy rail and wipe thy ass out. Once you are on a rail, staying there for the entire length of it is a rarity, especially if it curves. Granted, there are some very worthwhile rail shortcuts, but most of the time it is not worth risking the bail. Practice a bit, and you will get the hang of staying on, but usually forces out of your control will pull you off anyway. Luckily, rails were never a vital component of SSX’s gameplay, and the same applies to this third installment. Unlike the grind-heavy Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, you can own the slopes without mastering the rails.

Controls for SSX 3 are very intuitive and smooth, but those qualities vary depending on what system you are playing it on. The PlayStation 2’s controller is no doubt set up the best. This really should not come as any surprise, since the original SSX was designed exclusively for Sony’s system. The Xbox’s controller comes in a close second because it most closely mimics the Dual Shock 2 layout. The GameCube’s control scheme takes the longest to get accustomed to, obviously because of its unorthodox shoulder and face button layout. The GameCube version of SSX 3 even has fewer tricks because of its controller limitations (it has less buttons than both PS2’s and Xbox’s). Regardless, all three versions offer an identical experience overall, so those who buy the Xbox or GC version are not at a terrible disadvantage. Unless, of course, you want online play.

You guessed it; SSX 3’s online mode is available in the PlayStation 2 version only. As you must know by now, EA signed an exclusive online deal with Sony a few months back, and the GameCube does not even have an online service. Akin to the control differences, however, the online mode is more of a bonus to the core single-player game than anything else. Online play only supports two players maximum, which is kind of a letdown after expecting a full six-player grid. On the upside, two-player online racing is still genuinely fun, and at times strangely addicting, igniting that “just one more game” mentality. You can challenge or be challenged to any course you or your opponent has unlocked, as well as choose from the type of event (Slopestyle, Race, etc.). The frame rate drops from 60 to 30fps while playing online, but there was never any lag. (Don’t assume you’ll never encounter it, though.) With a broadband connection, you can use your USB headset to talk with the other player during the competition. To be honest, it is not as cool as it sounds. Voice communication works in other sports games (like football), but it is just awkward to talk to the other player when you are racing down a mountain. Pointless feature, but it is there for those who want it.

The usual overall leader boards are kept track of nicely online, as well as how many times you have disconnected (read: quit because you’re a sore loser) and your personal win/loss count. Recently, Electronic Arts announced bi-weekly contests (with real prizes) to be held online, so they might be worth checking out.

Graphics - SSX was arguably the best looking game on the PlayStation 2 when it launched, and three years later SSX 3 is also one of the most visually impressive on the system, even on the Xbox and GameCube for that matter. One of the most desired visual improvements has finally been implemented: the constant 60 frames per second. Well, almost constant. All three console versions of the game suffer some slowdown at different points, although the PS2 still runs the game fastest overall. The choppiness usually occurs at the height of a big jump when a number of riders are on the screen at once. It only lasts for a second or two, and fortunately does not affect control response time. At every other point though, SSX 3 moves blazingly fast. For those who thought the original SSX lacked a real sense of speed, this one will definitely change your mind.

SSX 3’s courses look fantastic, some even majestic. This is due in no small part to a number of graphical improvements working together. The game sports 14 different types of snow, with varying texture, grip, and appearance, and some wild weather/environmental effects, especially on Peaks 2 and 3. When wind and snow is blowing in your face while you are tricking across a collapsing ice sheet, all in a blistering 60fps, you know you are in for a treat. You will be in awe at the various pyrotechnics and vivid lighting during the nighttime levels. Each of the characters is also rendered incredibly smoothly, especially in the animation department. No matter how many crazy tricks you link in succession, they all fit seamlessly together, with not a hint of missed frames or jerky animation. In short, SSX 3 is a gorgeous game, as its visuals are a testament of the time devoted to perfecting them.

Sound - SSX 3’s soundtrack is the best in the series yet, although I know that is arguable to a point. Many of you will miss the funky remixes of RunDMC from the first games, as well as the absence of the old announcer. In their places are a wider variety of music and an occasionally corny announcer. Most of the soundtrack consists of an incredible selection of dance/techno remixes and a few rock and R&B remixes thrown in. No matter what is playing, it always seems to fit the game, as that SSX-trademark integration of music into your trick performance makes its return.

The only times the announcer really speaks is when you are on the side paths between events. He generally talks about the various contests taking place on the mountain and will also comment on your rider if he or she recently won a competition. Sometimes he tries to be funny, and most times he really is not, but again he never speaks during actual competitions, and if you really cannot stand him, just disable his voice in the options menu.

If you have a Dolby Digital capable receiver and a surround speaker setup, then SSX 3 has a treat in store for you. The game supports both Dolby Pro Logic II and 4.1 channel DTS. Pro Logic II sounds great already, but you’ll obviously want to switch it to DTS if you have the required sound system. Hear the wind howling around you when taking those huge jumps, hear your opponents coming up from behind you and talking smack, and hear the fall of the tree behind you that just missed pounding you into the snow by a few inches. SSX 3 is definitely a game that takes full advantage of digital sound modes. Be sure you do, too.

Overall Value - SSX 3 turned out to be an extremely pleasant surprise. What could have been a quick cash-in attempt has become a worthy sequel that takes the series in a new direction of an open-ended structure while improving upon the sheer fun of the over-the-top trick-heavy gameplay.

The game is a visual and aural treat that contains just as much substance in its gameplay to provide the perfect balance that many of today’s games try so hard to achieve but fail: SSX 3 plays as good as it looks. Even if you have taken a bitter disliking towards the extreme sports genre as of late, you would be strongly advised to reconsider with this game. SSX 3 should definitely be on everyone’s holiday wish list.

Review by Nick Pappas