SSX Tricky Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 4 July, 2002

Review - Seductive Snowboarding on Xbox

Version tested: Xbox

Rock a rhyme!

01b

It's Tricky to... keep a haircut like that in shape

It's tricky to spice up an Xbox port? No it's not! Just about every multi-platform console release to date has turned out best on the Xbox. Consider Tony Hawk, Onimusha, Spider-Man… even Jedi Starfighter was smoother and featured a bonus level. Unfortunately though, SSX Tricky bucks the trend by arriving in almost identical attire. With the exception of the control system, this is the same game that graced the PlayStation 2 oh-so-successfully late last year. But, as we said at the time, it's the perfect combination of racing and tricking, and skilled veterans of the original SSX appreciated the emphasis on showing off. With the exception of a few minor niggles, it was the perfect follow-up.

The Xbox control system is less intuitive than its PlayStation 2 counterpart if you ask me, but that's largely the fault of the developer - Tricky's PS2 control system was inherently flawed anyway. EA Sports BIG chose to change the way the left analogue stick and directional pad controlled movement for SSX Tricky, meaning that it's necessary to juggle a combination of the two, something that messes with the way you approach jumps and grinds, and skewers the previously sound SSX dynamic of holding a diagonal and launching into a spinning grab.

With the Xbox controller only having two shoulder buttons compared to the PS2's four, you have to reach for the face buttons to add extra tweaks and grabs to your aerial display, and given the need to hold the boost button to maximise your velocity, the jump button to get yourself into position, and the constant juggling of the analogue stick and directional pad to keep your position in check, the end product is far too easy to screw up. When you toss in associated problems like the occasionally substandard clipping behaviour, the lack of a decent training mode to ease you into the big-scoring tricks and a set of far more difficult levels, Tricky becomes less inviting and exciting and more frightening.

Still Tricky…

02b

It's Tricky to... land from that position

That said, it's easy to focus on the negative aspects of the game, and the rest of Tricky more than makes up for these shortcomings. The single player mode gives you many riders to choose from, each comically voiced by a second-rate celebrity. The new additions here are creative and charismatic, and those returning from the first game have been spiced up. There are ten tracks to race and trick your way through, and uncovering all of these, maxing out the stats of every rider and finding every board and rider costume is a Herculean task made all the more interesting by the exotic track design, packed with trick opportunities and a myriad of shortcuts, which, if you're anything like me, you'll still be unearthing in a year's time.

The sheer number of different tricks to perform is another thing, and the much-vaunted signature moves (performed when the boost bar is maxed out) are a special reward for those willing to push the game to its limits. Each has an excessively flamboyant animation and is accompanied by Run DMC yelling "It's Tricky!" excitedly. As you find yourself performing more and more of these signature moves you will fill up the Tricky meter and get the opportunity to perform them at your every whim.

With the exception of some extra bump-mapping and a bit of all-round smoothness, the graphics remain largely unchanged, which is a shame when you consider the relative power of the Xbox and what might have been attempted, but overall, this eclectic mixture of snowboarding, boardercross and outrageous stunts dwarves any of the niggles we could care to mention, conspiring to keep you glued to your TV screen for hours. The delightfully smooth split-screen multiplayer modes and added DVD-style Making Of content seal the deal. Amped can keep its realism - if you don't own the PS2 version of Tricky, and you can deal with a bit of a challenge, then SSX Tricky is the cocktail of exaggerated physics, daring stunts and unrivalled longevity you've been waiting for.

9 / 10

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About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (43) Latest comment 10 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • terminalterror #1 10 years ago

    Why is it that you nearly always review the xbox version of a multiplatform release (especially if it comes out on GC and Xbox at the same time)?

  • mentat #2 10 years ago

    Because they've only managed to get the game for the Xbox, not the gamecube?
    Maybe they are just Microsoft fanboys??!!!
    Sorry. Cheap dig :)

  • skalmanxl #3 10 years ago

    A great game, haven't tried it on the Xbox, but it's what I play most on the PS2, fecking good one.

  • rauper Verified Managing Director, Eurogamer Network #4 10 years ago

    Because otherwise there would be no Xbox coverage at all? ;-)

  • Gestalt #5 10 years ago

    Ooh .. contentious. :p

  • Gestalt #6 10 years ago

    Technically, yes, we probably could, but we wouldn't want to embarrass our boss too much. ;)

  • mal #7 10 years ago

    I don't think we need any more incentive for people to make stupid comments.

  • hulahoops #8 10 years ago

    Well technically the definitive version graphics wise SHOULD be the Xbox version.

  • DaM #9 10 years ago

    OT sorry, but I've just noticed the F1 week stuff- why is there no "I can't see the point of F1, the only interesting thing is seeing the beautiful girlfriends who obviously are impressed by their ugly boyfriends driving skills" link a la footy during the World Cup?

    Oh to never see another F1 game (I find footy updates pretty dull too, but roll on GBA Sensi!)

  • otto #10 10 years ago

    lol! Mugs gives a couple of box games high marks therefore Gestalt must have been wrong about Halo. Got to love that logic. o_O

  • Koedellan #11 10 years ago

    GB - The review gives the impression that it might have been a 10 if it wasn't a lazy port. I imagine that Mugwum found that he had nine points worth of fun despite the control problems.

    As for Halo - well, 8 is a very respectable score. Eurogamer's review convinced me to purchase the game, and so far I've had to agree with them (not that agreeing with an 8 is a bad experience!). Really, though, Eurogamer seems (correct me if I'm wrong, oh community) to be a site where the written word is the essence of the review, and the definitive judgement, while the score pretty much reflects what sort of mood the game left them in after playing it.

    Still, JSRF got a 6 when a overhyped tech-demo like Halo got an 8? One could almost accuse EG of being biased against wonderful games with blantantly unnecessary slowdown :)

  • binky #12 10 years ago

    ITS TRICKY!!!!!!!!!!!!

    LOVE THIS GAME... I urge u all to buy it. lots to do, and great fun in single player OR 2 player.

    :)

  • pjmaybe #13 10 years ago

    "Just about every multi-platform console release to date has turned out best on the Xbox. Consider Tony Hawk, Onimusha, Spider-Man… even Jedi Starfighter was smoother and featured a bonus level"

    Well so they bloody well ought to! The EggsBox is more powerful, and most of these titles appeared some time after the originals had already appears on other consoles. So if stuff turns out the same or worse on the EggsBox it's got nothing to do with the lack of power of the other consoles, and more to do with development teams being pig-ignorant and lazy...!

    Peej

  • Dorag_kid #14 10 years ago

    Its pretty tricky, the suits are hot and worth the trouble to get. its a great game for a couple of days. Its alright i guess a thumbs up ill give it.
    Edited by Dorag_kid at 13/07/02 @ 02:25

  • otto #15 10 years ago

    OK, question: I'm in need of an alternative to SMB in the quick five-minute blast category for my Cube, and I'm thinking of dropping a wad on SSX this lunchtime. Is it fun in short bursts or is it one of those games you've got to put some effort into to get your money's worth? Note: I've never played an extreme sports sim of any kind before, never imagined that they'd be my cup of tea.

  • skalmanxl #16 10 years ago

    This is THE game for you otto! You can play it for five minutes and just do a few tricks, or you can spend some hours unlocking the extra levels and stuff. Instant fun, or long-time joy. It holds up in both areas.

  • eviltobz #17 10 years ago

    i borrowed a copy for my ps2, and quite enjoyed it. it can certainly be played in short blasts. i did find that the control system irritated me immensly at times, but i'm a hard-core veteran of the tony hawk series, so u probably wouldn't notice the issues i had as u have nothing to compare it to.

    for all that the publishers seem to be milking the hawk licence for all it is worth, it is the daddy of extreme sports games, i've not seen a thing that can touch it.
    Edited by eviltobz at 30/07/02 @ 10:46

  • otto #18 10 years ago

    Thanks guys, that's great! Time I dipped my toes in the extreme sports simulation pond then. And seeing as Tom says this game is the epitome of "cool", well, how can I refuse...? ;)

  • skalmanxl #19 10 years ago

    Well, it really isn't a sim...more arcade. It might take a hour or so to become friendly with the controls, but it's mostly timing your jumps and tricks.

  • bleeptest #20 10 years ago

    the controls are only 'tricky' if you try and play THPS3 and SSX at the same time (not literally of course) - i always end up trying to pre-wind spins in TH; maybe i'm just a bit crap tho...

  • eviltobz #21 10 years ago

    I just find that i'm always holding the jump button just to be ready, but half the time the game doesn't register it, and when i try to pre wind for a spin the guy just turns. arrrrgh.

  • jaa #22 10 years ago

    You'll like this one, otto. Bursts, short or long, are what this game is about. Does the Cube version come with the video extras (as the support isn't dvd)?

  • otto #23 10 years ago

    dunno yet, I'll let you know tonight ;)

  • ssuellid #24 10 years ago

    Is there a new "Coolboarders" style snowboarding game around? I liked the race against the clock games without all the poncing about with jumps, grabs etc.

    Basically, are there any racing snowboarding games available rather than the trick orientated ones?

  • skalmanxl #25 10 years ago

    Excellent buy otto, one of the best games around.

  • otto #26 10 years ago

    Sitting here reading through the (French) manual (:p), it seems the Cube version does indeed include the 'making of' video and other extras.

  • skalmanxl #27 10 years ago

    Cool, the extras were actually quite good on SSXT. Far better then the ones in FFX. But SH2 had the best ones yet. Haven't seen the MGS2 ones though. I've heard that the cube and box versions suffer from some moves that didn't fit due to the controllers...is this true anyone?
    Edited by skalmanxl at 30/07/02 @ 14:49

  • jaa #28 10 years ago

    That's great, otto. Enjoy it.

  • skalmanxl #29 10 years ago

    Kaori rules!

    Sorry. Got carried away there.

  • jaa #30 10 years ago

    I usually prefer to play with women (no pun intended - honestly!), so usually I choose Zoe or Elise. The video with the girl who does the voice for Zoe (I don't remember her name right now) is one of my favourite extras.

  • Whizzo #31 10 years ago

    I don't remember her name right now
    According to the IMDB it's Bif Naked!

  • jaa #32 10 years ago

    That's right, thanks. She sings one of the songs in the game, too.

  • otto #33 10 years ago

    lol, I was just looking at the credits in the manual and spotted 'Bif Naked', was looking forward to seeing more of her...

  • skalmanxl #34 10 years ago

    lol, I was just looking at the credits in the manual and spotted 'Bif Naked', was looking forward to seeing more of her...

    Not really a looker. Trust me on this one. She is a punk bit...rocker.

  • otto #35 10 years ago

    Spent the last hour playing it. It's... great! Just what I wanted, really. Haven't got the hang of the tricks yet but having a blast trying and wiping out :)

    Love the comments too.

  • skalmanxl #36 10 years ago

    Good to hear otto, the game is nothing short of excellent.

  • Khab #37 10 years ago

    Hmmm.. I'm thinking of this as well... any regrets so far otto? Anyone else have the GC version?

  • skalmanxl #38 10 years ago

    Hmmm.. I'm thinking of this as well... any regrets so far otto? Anyone else have the GC version?

    Get it, for the sake of your own sanity. It IS that excellent.

  • Khab #39 10 years ago

    That sounds interesting.... ok, as soon as I finish Luigi I'll trade it in for SSX then... :) I got 9 days now.

  • Nemesis #40 10 years ago

    Get it Get it!

    If you have kids, definately get it, mine love it.

    It's Tricky....../get out of my head Mr Song/

  • Khab #41 10 years ago

    Er... I'm 23. If I had kids, I wouldn't have afforded a GC... :)

  • Nemesis #42 10 years ago

    Note the *if*.

    You can have kids and still afford consoles and software, you just have to budget and be very smart with the purchases.

    I could say, however, whether on a budget or doing trade-ins SSX:T is well worth picking up, or if money is tight, then SSX (if you have a PS2) should be dirt cheap now.

  • Khab #43 10 years ago

    Don't have a PS2, but Luigi's mansion is progressing nicely (and fun it is, too), so I should be done with it in a day or two - meaning I wont keep it, but trade it for SSX, most probably...