16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible, but not without flaws, October 23, 2003
This review is from: SSX 3 (Video Game)
Brand new from EA is the latest in the successful SSX snowboarding saga, SSX 3. Whether this is your first SSX game or you're a faithful follower of the previous two, this game will flat-out amaze you. No other snowboarding game so perfectly combines the reality of the feel, touch and appearance of gliding through the snow with the jaw-dropping physics defying stunts you'll be able to easily execute from the moment you pick up a controller.
Several new additions are found in SSX3, most notably the Conquer the Mountain mode of play. In this mode you select a snowboarder and build him or her up - like in the previous versions of the game - except this time you're doing it for cash in order to purchase various accessories and abilities.
Rather than take you all over the world to snowboard, SSX3 keeps you in one location - a gigantic mountain with 3 separate peaks. Each individual peak is bigger than entire contents of the SSX Tricky (wow). You begin on peak one and as you win medals in different venues, you eventually unlock peak two, and so on. The events you'll compete in on each peak are the old familiar ones - racing and freestyle - as well as some very cool new ones: Freeride, where you collect icons for money and perform various missions; Big Air which is usually a very short run where you try to land huge scores in only a few jumps; Rival Challenges where you have a one-on-one duel with your nemesis down the mountain, trying to beat their score or best time; the Superpipe, an event where you ride the length of a pipe garnering unbelievable air; Slopestyle, which has you basically in a gigantic downhill snowboard park. It's up to you to find your own route down and score the most points; and the enormous Peak Events. This is worthy of its own section. There are 3 Peak Events, one for each peak. After you have medaled in all of the freestyle or race venues for a given peak, you'll then compete in the Peak Event where you'll race from the top of that peak to the bottom, usually encompassing 3 - 4 of the venues from that peak. Peak one's race is over ten minutes. Peak two includes not only it's own trails but also peak one's trails. This race is over twenty minutes. Lastly, Peak three's event takes you down all three peaks for over a half hour.
Back also are the Uber-tricks, but there's a new slew of super-Uber-tricks, as well as rail Uber-tricks and board presses, which allow you to spin on the tip of your board while either on the ground or on a rail. The addition of the rail tricks are great, but I'm not thrilled with the Uber-tricks. Many of them are simply the same exact ones that the characters performed in SSX Tricky.
Most of the old characters make an appearance here as well as a few new ones, the most popular sure to be the 12-year-old prodigy Griff and the cute 18-year-old Allegra. Each character has a designated enemy with whom they'll square off in the various one-on-one Rival competitions throughout the game.
The graphics are far better than its predecessor, SSX Tricky, which was outstanding in its own right. The snow is amazing. As you change from powder to hardpack to ice, you can not only hear and feel the difference of the board on the surface but you can also tell by the way the light glistens of it.
This game provides seemingly endless game play, allowing you to travel literally hundreds of unique routes down each of the dozens of trails with ten different riders, each with their own special characteristics.
The music is one-of-a-kind. With everyone from the Black Eyed Peas to Fat Boy Slim, you'll never get bored of hearing the same lame soundtrack over and over again. SSX3 also employs a unique mixing system - The music is mixed in real time as you play, meaning it changes depending upon how you're performing. If you are cruising along with tons of momentum expect the music to be busy, loud and aggressive. If you catch air, often the drums will drop out while you soar, which will usually lead to a huge musical entrance perfectly timed with your landing.
However, a few negatives. Everything can't be perfect. The game is touted as allowing you "go anywhere" and true, there is a huge realm in which you can travel, the biggest I've ever seen in a game. But every once in a while if you stray off the beaten path only a little - and I mean only a few feet (in the game scale obviously) - you will be out of bounds and reset to the path again. They would've done better to expand these narrow areas of play, since it brings down what is otherwise a huge game universe.
As previously mentioned, the Uber-tricks are basically the same as in other versions of the game, except for the new characters. I was really hoping for more amazing stunts. Additionally, I would've liked more interaction with the "plot" section of the game. There could be more inter-character drama, more clothes to buy, etc.
Lastly, it can be a little complicated to know what you're supposed to do. It's not easy to figure out how to get into the lodge, buy attributes, compete in different events, etc. If you're wondering, you need to go to the transport, then pick which course you want to go to. Once there you'll find yourself snowboarding and you'll see signs for the different events, simply follow the sign to the event you want to do. And to get to the lodge, you need to go to the transport, select which peak you want (each has it's own lodge), then select the "station" option. Once there you'll be snowboarding along and you'll see the signs for the lodge. Just glide in and enter.
Even with the flaws, I couldn't give the game less than five stars. It might be the deepest game you'll own.
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kaori's back with avengence!, June 14, 2005
= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: SSX 3 (Video Game)
SSX 3 is a must-have for a video game collection. A lot of things went right in this game, such as the characters and their personalities. But many other items have succeeded in here to.
CHARACTERS: All I need to say is that the personalities were well tweaked, they even surpass SSX Tricky. With Mac bullying Griff, the normal school routine for many kids; The psychotic man Psymon who can't get enough of the dare devil babe Zoe; and the list goes on and on. The most developed personalities are:
Griff
Kaori
Psymon
Mac
Moby
Elise
But the other characters were wll-thought out as well.
EVENTS: All the snowboarding events from the race on Happiness to the big air competition at Crow's Nest have a maze of shortcuts and special items; And three peaks of this stuff will make you beg for more when completed. But no worries - none of the tracks get old and you can do them over and over again without getting bored.
OUTFITS: Not much to say here except amazing! Unlike in SSX Tricky, SSX 3 gives you more designing options for your characters. Their outfits match their personalities as well. Really creative- five stars most definitely.
EVERYTHING ELSE: What can I say? Almost everything rocks in this game! Rewards, extras, and the radio system- all exceptional.
This game is worth any money spent on it- absolutely a best buy. Ten out of five stars.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SSX 3 Snowboarding Game, January 8, 2005
A Kid's Review
= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: SSX 3 (Video Game)
In SSX 3, there are incredible new features. New events like Slopestyle including R&B on Peak 1, Style Mile on Peak 2 and Kick Doubt on Peak 3 are packed with rails, gap jumps, halfpipes and massive areas to jump. Another new event is the Big Air events including Crow's Nest on Peak 1, Launch Time on Peak 2 and Much 2 Much on Peak 3 are packed with the most massive jumps on the mountain, rails and gap jumps. The last new event is the Super Pipe event including The Junction on Peak 1, Schizophernia on Peak 2 and Perpendiculous on Peak 3 are full of halfpipes and rails. The Race events include Snow-Jam and Metro City on Peak 1, Intimedator and Ruthless Ridge on Peak 2 and Gravitude on Peak 3. There is also the Backcountry where the Rival events are held. There are Peak bosses too. On Peak 1 the Peak boss is either Mac or Griff. On Peak 2 either Nate or Zoey is the Peak boss. On Peak 3 either Psymon or Elise is the Peak boss. If you want to get to the next Peak you have to beat the Peak boss on whatever Peak you're on. There are only 3 Peaks on the SSX 3 mountain so if you happen to beat Psymon or Elise you will not get another Peak pass because there isn't one. There are some new charecters in this game. They are Griff Simmons, Allegra Sauvagess, Nate Logan and Viggo Roiling. DJ Atomika will give info about the mountain on EA Radio BIG. He will play songs that he picks randomly or he'll play a song off your Custom List of Songs. If you win a gold medal in a compatition, you will recieve money and an accessory for your charecter. If you have enough monney you can go to the Lodge on the Peak your on (or a previous one) and buy accessories, songs (for your Custom List on EA Radio Big), Attributes to impriove your charecters Speed and Tricks.
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