SSX Tricky

EA's GameCube Tricky port proves to be a lot of fun, but lacks the polish of the PS2 original.

November 29, 2001 - One would be hard-pressedto find a gamer that didn't enjoy the original SSX for the PlayStation 2 platform. The title, an extreme snowboarder, debuted with the US launch of Sony's next-generation system and it impressed with its style, its scope, its huge air potential, and its unique control scheme and trick system. For many, it was the ultimate snowboarding game. So it came as no surprise whatsoever to anybody when EA released a follow-up to the title under its "Big" label a couple months ago. The semi-sequel, called SSX Tricky, featured two all-new tracks and totally revamped versions of previous ones, new boarders, more tricks, and special uber moves, not to mention a slightly overhauled framerate and new visual effects.

SSX Tricky comes to GameCube as a port of the recently released PlayStation 2 offering. The good news is that all of the levels, boarders and options have arrived unscathed. Racing down a gargantuan mountain whilst executing boarding moves and uber tricks is still a very satisfying experience. The bad news is that the control mechanics, still usable, have been sloppily adapted to GameCube's controller, which makes for a tricking environment that is not nearly intuitive as it is on Sony's console. And further, the GameCube version is inexcusably technically inferior to the PS2 one, hampered by a still acceptable, but comparatively worsened framerate and a blurrier look. GameCube SSX Tricky is still a fun, enjoyable snowboarder. But there's no reason for one to look at it if they have access to the PS2 version.

The Facts

Freestyle snowboard down huge mountain environments
Completely renovated tracks with tons of new shortcuts and all new designs
All new Garibaldi and Alaska courses
Celebrity voice talent for riders. Expanded facial animation and digital diaries for each rider on the World Circuit, as well as detailed background information on each
Six all new competitors, as well as six of the eight riders from SSX, make up the circuit. Two of the stars of SSX (Jurgen and Hiro) are sitting out the upcoming season due to serious injuries sustained during the off-season
New "Uber" tricks, take airborne tricks to the next level.
Unique Showoff (trick) versions of nine courses on the World Circuit
Improved competitive rider AI tightening up
Second generation rider physics providing more "in-air" and "on snow" control
Widescreen mode available
Music delivered by new songs and exclusive mixes from the cutting edge world of electronic breaks and beats cut by such turntable all-stars as Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys, Aphrodite, The Plump DJ's as well as others.
Fresh in-game soundtrack delivering a more interactive and intelligent companion to gameplay. Music and sound effects are woven into the game to create more emotional moments, before, during and after they've occurred
Utilizes GCN Optical Disc for additional content including a new "DVD-like" 3D front end, as well as exclusive behind the scenes and "making of" footage from voice recording sessions to off the mountain interaction between the riders
Two-player split-screen mode

Gameplay
Tricky, like so many sequels, is a work of evolution. The game takes the play mechanics and overall style of SSX and expands upon, deepens, and ultimately polishes them. The idea behind the game is relatively simple: players pick a snowboarder and then take them freestyle through a series of tracks, either competing in a World Circuit mode to build their abilities and unlock new areas or simply experimenting in practice and single events. The Circuit Mode, easily the game's biggest initial draw, consists of 10 courses (two completely brand new to the game and others totally reworked and overhauled), which are broken up into three race legs. Players uninterested in racing can take an alternate route: Showoff. This mode allows riders to shred through the tracks without worry of other boarders -- their only real goals being to catch air, perform tricks and rack up points. Both modes are very well designed, challenging gamers to hone their rider's particular skills and do better with the incentive to gain access to new levels and other extras. We can tell you from experience that while the computer artificial intelligence in race mode is sometimes a little relentless, especially during advancements in legs, we always come back for more. Similarly, the Showoff mode is a great way to learn the controls, the tricks and the new addition of uber moves, which we'll detail shortly.

The control system cannot be reconfigured. Boarders are manipulated with the GameCube's analog stick or with the D-Pad, depending on preference. Our own tastes lean toward the D-Pad as the digital response is more compatible with the many precise tricks that must be executed regularly. Holding A crouches and releasing it makes the rider jump into the air -- akin to an ollie in skateboarding, which makes this button one of the most often used. B offers an adrenaline boost, an extra push that temporarily makes the rider move faster. Adrenaline boost is earned by performing various tricks. An adrenaline meter measures it and yes, it runs out so players will have to use it wisely or continue to successfully land special moves. The camera stick serves to push opponents off their boards, Y button resets a rider after a crash, X is useless and finally, L, R and Z-trigger serve as board grabs. This is where the control setup is noticeable flawed. The Z-trigger as a primary action button simply does not feel comfortable and the Y button mapped as the reset often results in the accidental resetting during play. One can get past these issues with practice and true enough character response is still as tight as ever and tricks are perfectly doable, but the truth is that the configuration remains indisputably second best to the more intuitive four-shoulder setup utilized with the PS2 version of the game.

The trick system has seen some polish since the original SSX, but the basic foundation has not changed. All tricks are performed by way of a pre-wind system. Before going off a jump, players must press down on the A button and move the analog stick or D-Pad into the desired direction. The more "wind" -- or time spent pressing into the direction of a trick, the greater velocity it has when the rider is sent airborne. Learning to master the pre-wind system is absolutely necessary to the ultimate enjoyment of SSX Tricky. Indeed, once one has become familiarized with the process, they will have no trouble pulling off in-air spins and flips whilst connecting grabs and more. It is our opinion that the system is somewhat aged by comparison to Tony Hawk or Dave Mirra's far more dynamic control mechanics, but even so it still gets the job done quite nicely and we'd be liars if we said it wasn't satisfying and fun to experiment with.

What makes SSX Tricky that much more refined over its predecessor is the addition of uber tricks. These are extra special moves that can only be activated when the game's adrenaline meter is full. Uber tricks are flashy, beautiful things -- everything from under-the-feet board spins to helicopter rotations and other oddities that aren't possible in reality, but look amazing. These tricks, usually activated with mid-air combinations of L, R, or Z and B, are worth more points, and they are truthfully the executions that will dazzle anybody who happens to be watching. The uber-goodies are fairly simple extras, but they seriously rock -- there's a lot of fun to be had in pulling them off as there is a real sense of accomplishment. Plus, figuring out ways to connect uber tricks with regular moves for the ultimate combo adds a certain level of deepness that simply wasn't available to the original title.

Beyond big, satisfying tricks, though, SSX Tricky is about big, big air -- and this is achieved primarily through the creation of some superbly grand tracks. Courses in the game range in locale and style, but they all share sheer immensity in common. Simply racing from beginning to end can take minutes on end, let alone exploring and attempting to trick for points. Players will find themselves dropping off insane ledges and falling for 10 seconds at a time, grinding over rails that seem to cover hundreds of feet, barreling into underground caves, spiraling up air shafts, and soaring over jump after jump. The level designs -- always different -- are undeniably some of the best we've seen. Garibaldi, the beginner course, is a straightaway downhill filled with twists and turns to accompany players with the control setup, while Tokyo Megaplex, a later level, is filled with air jettisons, railways, drop-offs and huge, gravity-defying air potential. True enough, eight of the 10 levels in the game will be familiar in title to those who played the original. But even the courses that have returned have seen substantial tweaks so that they offer more jumps, more routes, different obstacles, and in some cases a significantly changed layout altogether.

A Two-player split-screen mode rounds off the set of features Tricky serves up. Control remains perfectly intact, it moves well enough, and certainly it opens up a new area of replay value, but a dipping, inconsistent framerate blemishes the experience. We're glad to have the addition, for sure, but it would have been nice were it polished a bit more.

Graphics
Tricky, with slight visual enhancements over the original SSX placed here and there, still impresses with the size of the courses it draws out with several riders on-screen. Indeed, it's not often in a racer that one can soar up so high and still see so far into the distance. Surrounding buildings and other structures drown the tracks in their size and shadows, which is beautiful. We're equally satisfied with the look and design of tracks. Geographical locations appear noticeably different in presentation -- some are simple and snow-filled while others are overflowing with high-tech, futuristic gadgetry and objects. General animation for riders is passable whilst tricks are fluid and gorgeous, and the game seems to glow with particle effects -- fireworks and snow tracks -- that are some of the better we've witnessed. Finally, the pre-lit maps are well orchestrated and ambient so that the courses really feel cold and realistic despite the obvious over-the-top styles of art featured.

SSX Tricky running on Nintendo GameCube

But on the other hand SSX was a first-generation PS2 title that by today's standards shows its age in some respects. The textures in the game, acceptable in areas while exceedingly blurry in others, are inconsistent in quality. The GameCube version amazingly somehow appears more blurry than the PS2 one, despite publicized issues with Sony's console's video RAM that Nintendo's system does not share. One wonders how Rogue Leader, a game pushing more geometry by far, effortlessly outputs textures of much higher detail. Similarly, Tricky's framerate is anything but fluid. EA's claim that the title runs at a constant 60 frames per second is downright laughable as the PS2 version drops between 60 and 30 regularly and the GameCube one even more so. Why the GameCube port of Tricky runs with a poorer framerate than its PS2 brethren is beyond us, which leads us to believe that it was probably rushed to meet an early release date. Too bad, as Nintendo's system is capable of so much more than EA has unfortunately neglected to use and as a result GCN owners suffer. Also, for those who care, the game does not run in progressive scan mode.

Admittedly, we're texture and framerate tarts and it's more than likely that some less observant gamers will hardly care about the visual differences between the two versions. But technically educated players will certainly prefer the more consistent fluidity and crisper look of the PS2 title, which makes these issues worth noting.

Sound
SSX Tricky delivers a very satisfying audio experience. The title, hipped out with musical contributions from Run DMC, BT and Aphrodite, to name just a few, kicks out jams while players race down tracks, and the songs get better as tricks are successfully completed. It's a very dynamic listening situation, and it's wholeheartedly appreciated. A healthy compilation of sound effects from grinds, snowdrifts, crashes and character calls to a satisfying "thump" that kicks in when tricks are landed. Some of the rider dialogue is cheesy and over-the-top, but that's really to be expected from a game of this type. Everything else though comes together quite nicely. Be warned again though, the PS2 version delivers superior sound as it runs in DTS, which of course GameCube doesn't.

Closing Comments

I've always been an obsessed fan of the SSX franchise, so of course I played the sequel when it came out for PlayStation 2 and eagerly looked forward to the GameCube release. The final product is a fun one complete with an aged, but still very functional trick system, tons of great moves, amazing uber specials and huge, lovely tracks with spectacular air potential. And though the graphics engine could use an update, the environments are huge, animation top, textures usually fairly clean and particle effects spectacular.

But at the same time it's very obvious that EA's heart was in the PS2 game, not the GameCube port. The control mechanics have been adapted to Nintendo's controller rather sloppily so that the z-trigger is used for a primary function, which is somewhat baffling as it's incredibly uncomfortable. But beyond that, the game actually looks blurrier and runs with a less consistent framerate than the Sony original, which is even more puzzling to me given that GameCube is more than capable of handling Tricky without a hitch.

In the end, Tricky for GameCube is still a solid racer, but it lacks the polish of its PS2 predecessor. For gamers that have access to the Sony version, get it. Even better, if you've got an Xbox, get what looks to be the best version of the three. For everybody else, the GameCube port -- a little sloppy at points -- is still one of the better freestyle racers available and definitely worth checking out.

For me, the original SSX was the only thing that compelled me to own a PlayStation 2. It was one of the more technically impressive titles on the hard-to-program system and featured a trick engine that made pulling off tricks easy with the Sony Dual Shock controller. When I heard about SSX: DVD, a revamped version of the original, I was remotely interested but figured it would simply be a more polished version of the original. Apparently EA did too, but later into the development cycle the development team decided it was more important to push out a more impressive update to the franchise. On this foundation SSX Tricky was built. The idea was to flesh out the trick system and bring all-together more fantastical, incredible track designs to awaiting gamers. To this end, EA succeed with flying colors. Many vibrant, bold colors in fact, which you can see around ever outragous ramp, drop, and chasm. The uber-tricks system really brings the original concept back to the surface. The over-the-top tricks are a great addition to the already fantastical tricks engine, adding much needed strategy to grabs and tweaks.

So is SSX Tricky a great game? Indeed, but in its translation to GameCube it's lost a grab button, a decent framerate, and its intuitive four-shoulder-button control scheme. This becomes immediately present when you begin pulling off the grabs. EA asks you to use all three shoulder buttons and a face button is really not designed to suit these needs. It's drastically more uncomfortable than the PS2 controller, simply because that's what it was designed around. It's still an addictively entertaining title, but in the end is an inferior version to the PlayStation 2 design it was founded on.

It is, however, the only freestyle snowboarding title on GameCube and will be for some time to come. Even despite that fact, it's still an awesome racer. If you don't have access to the PS2 version and have never enjoyed the SSX series, then definitely give the GameCube version a try. You can unlock a lot of boards, characters, and extra goodies to keep yourself busy. And before I forget, check out the 16:9 anamorphic setting if you have the proper TV. It's one of the only GameCube titles right now that supports it.