Customer Reviews

SSX 3

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This game is great. If you enjoyed the first two SSX games, this will not dissapoint. This game is HUGE. Some of the courses are 20 minutes and longer - that's not to say there aren't short courses. There is an entire half-pipe as one run. So cool that the SSX designers expanded on the level-design.

In fact, it seems like they took every aspect of SSX Tricky and bumped it up a notch. This is a fully-thought out, true sequel to the SSX series. I'm getting antsy just writing about it. I want to get out of work so I can go home and play! I don't think any snowboarding game is going to come close to the fun factor SSX3 delivers for quite some time.

My nine year old kicks my *ahem* in each racing game we do, and this one was no different. She wants to board now this winter. I think this game rocks because of all the different ways you can advance. Even on my little 20 inch Sony Wega the gameplay is wonderful. We rented SSX Tricky, then I bought SSX 3 and the advances are incredible. Just a great experience from top to bottom.

This game is even better than SSX Tricky. The Mountain Design is great, there are even more insane tricks, and there is an awsome music sound track. The only problems of this game are only two players can play, and only the PS2 supports online play.

Those worried that SSX 3 would merely be a facelift to the series (much like Tricky was for the original SSX) have nothing to fear. SSX 3 packs so much new gameplay into an absolutely massive package, delivering hours upon hours of challenge and fun. Instead of a string of isolated courses, as in the previous installments, SSX 3 goes for a more cohesive design, with courses and freeride elements that blend seamlessly into one another. There's a lot to do here, from countless trick showcases, to mad dashes down the mountain.

Graphically, SSX 3 is amazing, with excellent special effects and great animation. In the sound department, SSX 3 also shines, with excellent sound effects, and a extensive licensed soundtrack. If there's one complaint that could be lodged, though, it's that the music doesn't follow the action as well as it did in Tricky, and personally, I miss the RUN DMC riff every time your boost bar was maxed out. The new DJ follows the action well, and provides a lot of commentary and info about the tracks you are about to tackle, but I sort of miss the beatboxing of Rahzel from Tricky.

SSX 3 controls very well. New this time is the addition of the ability to grind the nose of your board as well as handplant. These additions are not just cosmetic, as just like in the Tony Hawk games, these grinds allow you to string together tricks ad infinitum. The only control complaint that could be lodged is that even right off the bat, the characters control way too easily and pull off tricks way too quickly. The last game gave you more of a sensation of building your character.

With all the tracks, all the areas to explore, and all the hidden features and unlockables, SSX 3 offers a ton of gameplay for your money. I highly recommend this game.

SSX 3: Out of Bounds Review

*Sound 5/5

Ok, with so many songs, and the ability to make your own playlist, this soundtrack rocks!
Here are a few of the artists who make a great appearance on the soundtrack:

Red Hot Chili Peppers (remixed)
Fatboy Slim
Andy Hunter
Yellowcard
Finger Eleven
N.E.R.D.S.
X-ecutioners
....and more!

Also, the sound is great. When you're riding down the mountain, you'll be immersed.

Voice-acting is top-notch, although in the cutscenes after a race when your rival approaches, you can't really hear them talk; the music is drowning them out. However, this is one flaw in an otherwise perfect sound category.

**Replay Value 4.5/5

Ok, SSX 3 can be played in a lot of different ways. While Peak 1 somewhat resembles the SSX Tricky courses, Peak 2 and Peak 3 are very unique. You'll be even more glad you bought this game once you try the freestyle mode on Peak 3---lightning, rockslides, and high winds make the gameplay explosive.

There are many different characters, all with a different feel to them, although it's not terribly noticeable. There are also tons of cheat characters, so the roster is quite large. However, the cheat characters are freeride only, and you can't change their clothes or gear. The cheat characters don't seem to have gotten the same graphic overhaul either; but since they're more of a fun addition, this factor doesn't detract from the game.

I would say that you have an unlimited amount of replay value, as you can try to go a different course with your character, or try beating the game with all the characters. Or just simply try to get a better race Medal or a better Freestyle score. You've also got the 2 player mode, which allows you to ride an unlocked course with a friend.

There are also tons of toys, posters, art, trophies to collect/earn. This adds more replay value, and it gives it a SSBM/SC II sort of feel. However, the trophies are for accomplishments, so there aren't too many, but there is a reasonable trophy count.

***Graphics 5/5

This game has great graphics. The characters look great, the courses look great, and the lightning and special effects are clear and awesome. I'd say the visuals are in the same league as Metroid Prime, and that's a major compliment.

****Control 4.5/5

The controls are tight, and although they're loose at first, they tighten up as you buy experience. The trick system is the same as SSX Tricky, except for the Uber-tricks. You can buy tons of new uber tricks for each trick category, and assign one to the required button combinations.

The tricks are easy to pull off, but timing is crucial to rack up major points. This game very challenging for all you hardcore gamers, but a casual gamer can still enjoy it.

*****The Final Score: 5/5

SSX 3 is a ton of fun. It's cool to customize your rider from head to toe, and it adds to the gameplay experience a lot. You can receive messages from other riders and your rival, making you feel more immersed in the gameplay. You can't send messages, but hey, this isn't Animal Crossing.

The effects are great, especially on Peak 3---I love the lightning, wind, and snow effects. Even if you have Tricky (like I do), you'll be glad you have it. If you're somewhat cautious about buying it, at least rent it. SSX 3 is the best snowboarding game I've played, and a great game for everyone.

I'm not too big on racing games and had a bad experience with 1080 for N64, so snowboarding wasn't on the top of my list either. I played SSX Tricky and got a feel for it, so when SSX3 came out I decided to give it a shot. It's by far one of the best games I've ever played on the GameCube!

You get pretty adapted to the controls fairly quickly and landing tricks couldn't be easier, all you have to do is make sure the board is the first thing to touch the ground. All the tricks are so insane that it makes real life snowboarding look dull.

The best part is when you unlock the All-Mountain Race. You're given 30 minutes to board from the top of Peak 3, through all the racing levels in the game, and to the bottom of Metro City. I don't know how they did it, but you actually snowboard for a full thirty minutes straight without running into any load screens, so it reall feels like all the racing levels are attached to one continuous mountain. Whenever I take a study break I pop in this game and do the All-Peak Race, trying to finish it even faster than the previous time. It's definitely worth the money.

The SSX series highlights somewhat non-realistic snowboarding with cool tricks and plenty of fun things to do. Tricky had so many different tricks, I couldn't possibly believe SSX3 could outperform it in that regard.

But it does. Where Tricky had UBER moves ( that you could do after building up your trick meter ), SSX3 builds on that with UBER and SUPER UBER moves, plus a variety of new grinding moves such as hand plants and head stands. The controls are even better than Tricky's, which were quite good to begin with. The yellow C-stick for GameCube now has some interesting functionality, letting you lean forward, back, left and right, even in a stand still.

The new tricks are not all that SSX3 adds to the already hugely popular Tricky though. Those of you who've played Tricky remember the limited soundtrack with Run-DMC's "It's Tricky" playing every time you completed an UBER trick. While this did improve the fun factor, it got a bit old after a while. SSX3 however boasts an all new soundtrack with a large library of songs including some from N.E.R.D., The Chemical Brothers, and many others. This soundtrack is enhanced with what EA terms "EA BIG Radio", which is simply a mix of the songs with a DJ who interjects ocassionally between songs. While this could've been quite annoying, EA did an excellent job with both the quality of the audio and the choice of announcer making it a smooth and welcome part of the game.

Not only does SSX3 boast these new songs and BIG Radio features, but you can purchase songs to add to your own personal playlist to listen to the music you specify. An added bonus for those who don't want all of the songs all of the time. Of course you can always turn off the music and listen to the beautifully peaceful sounds of the mountain, in stereo or even surround sound mode, while you descend one of the three mountain peaks.

While a new soundtrack, audio features, and special tricks sound like a nice addition to the SSX franchise, these alone would not make SSX3 the game to buy. Instead, EA took the gameplay to another level. Where Tricky offered a number of separate courses, some of which were completely unrealistic, SSX3 offers up exactly what real snowboarders dream of; an entire mountain of fun.

SSX3 has three different peaks to explore, each with a ton of paths, secrets, and jumps to find. By challenging other players in both race and freestyle competitions, you complete sections of the mountain and then are able to race the entire peak right down to the bottom. This may not sound that impressive, but the smallest peak takes about 13 minutes to tackle, where the tallest is around 30 minutes. That's a lot of snowboarding.

The peaks are yours to explore, and this open atmosphere is what really puts SSX3 in the top notch of games. No boundaries, no rules, just do your thing. That type of attitude will be sure to attract many gamers alone.

As far as gameplay goes, the old Tricky feel is still there, but with some new perks. At the top of peaks you find yourself slowing down through some heavy powder which feels much different than the usual snow. The second analog stick is useful for leaning and creating huge combo tricks to boost your score. If you mess up a trick, tapping the B button ( on Gamecube ) allows you to recover and right yourself before you really wipe out. Tricks are smoother, turning is easier, and even grinding has gotten more simple to start.

And of course there are all the collectibles, customizations, and other things you can earn and buy over the course of the game, over 1,000 to be exact. Each character has new gear and UBER tricks you can purchase with your winnings and then choose to equip them with. There are old characters, new characters, hidden characters, and a ton of other things to unlock and purchase. Even if you do manage to complete the whole game ( after 5 hours I was only 8% done with 1 character ), the multiplayer mode will always keep you busy.

All in all, SSX3 could be the best game of the year in my opinion. Where Tricky left off, SSX3 picks right back up and continues on down the path of stardom. If you want a game that sets you loose and gives you hours of new and exciting gameplay, pick up a copy of SSX3 for GameCube, PS2, or XBox.