|
By Lonnie on November 13th, 2001
Introduction SSX Tricky was originally announced as an upgrade DVD. Over time as the team behind SSX DVD began to play with new ideas and fix problems with the original SSX, SSX Tricky was born. Tricky boasts flashy colors and ultra cool moves that will no doubt impress even the biggest of non-believers.Presentation Introducing an awesome three-dimensional layout everything seems to flow a lot smoother than its predecessors. The world is hip-hop and pure kick ass. Menu’s are easy to navigate and the animation’s draw you into the game.Graphics & Sound While the original SSX was amazing to look at it was still a launch title, and as with all other launch titles, each new generation brings a boatload of improvements. SSX Tricky is no exception. Lighting effects as well as the introduction of fog have greatly improved the look and feel of the game. While everything has an arcade-like glamour, the course and character designs are over the top. Also due to the game being on DVD format load times are greatly decreased.
The inclusion of celebrity voices (David Arquette, Jim Rose, Lucy Liu, Oliver Platt, etc.) has really added a level to this game. Before and after races, there are segments where the racers talk to each other, which goes hand in hand with the Aggression system, where friends will help you out and enemies will try to knock you down. The music is your usual techno/drum and bass/trip hop done by none other than Mix Master Mike from the beastie boys fame. The feel and speed really comes across in the soundtrack, Gameplay SSX Tricky takes the solid gameplay of the original and beefs it up. On top of the numerous regular tricks, the player can try ’’Uber Tricks’’ when their boost meter maxis out (either by performing a number of tricks or knocking down opponents). Each of these ’’Uber Tricks’’ are over-the-top, only surpassed by the ’’Signature Move’’, which can be pulled off after spelling TRICKY (through pulling off 6 ’’Uber Tricks’’). Within the game are single runs, Showoff Mode and a competitive season-like mode, where the gamer can build up stats of his/her favorite racer, all the while unlocking courses and new racers. As with it’s predecessor, SSX Tricky is easy to pick up but challenging to master. There’s a lot of fun to be had and once you learn where to take a short-cut, The races will be a synch.Lasting Appeal Tricky as we will call it is easy to pick up however, hard to master. The game will appeal to fans of the original as well as fans of extreme sports. The overall arcade feel of the game might be a turn off for fans of the Cool boarders series. Conclusion With only a few minor gripes such as how the water don’t look as it should, and that sometimes when going down the mountain something invisible knocks you down. SSX Tricky is one of this years finest extreme sports titles. Definitely worth the money if your a fan of the first SSX. | 
