Grapes’ Gold Standard Revisited – SSX Tricky

Alan hits the slopes and returns to this sixth-generation snowboarding game

 

In this new series I will be revisiting classic games to see whether they still hold up today, and we kick off with SSX Tricky, the snowboarding game released by EA Sports BIG in 2001 for sixth generation consoles, as a follow up to the original SSX.

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Some things are timeless. They are crafted so well and meet their purpose so perfectly that they never feel old. If you are lucky enough to own a Rolex watch, travel in an E-type Jaguar or even watch an episode of Fawlty Towers, you aren’t remotely interested in the date it was made, only the quality, the precision and the way it makes you feel.

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So the big question is - is SSX Tricky timeless? At 22 years old, does it still provide the same enjoyment that it did the first time around? Let’s find out...

 

Hit The Slopes

The game offers eight levels, which you can work your way through as one of 12 characters in four play modes.

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Freeride and Practice modes enable the player to hone their skills and learn a course. World Circuit sees you competing against other opponents in either a series of races or trick events, and Single Event allows one or two players to play a single stage from the World Circuit section of the game.

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When racing in World Circuit mode, your simple aim is to be the first across the finish line. You have the option to race respectfully (Ed. – “But where is the fun in that?!”) or you can be more of a hooligan and try to knock your opponents over. The twist is that your fellow racers react depending on how you treat them; if you impede them, they will reply in kind. 

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Jumping For Joy

The other mode within World Circuit is Showoff and this is where the real fun is to be found. Here the focus is all about doing tricks and clocking up big scores. In this mode, each course is littered with ramps and rails. Holding down the jump button and releasing it just before you reach the edge of one will send you into the air. Your tricks aren’t limited to the ramps and rails either; you can launch a jump from any part of the course. 

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Spins and flips can be performed while airborne using the D-pad and the shoulder buttons add flourishes and board-grabs. Landing a jump successfully sees you awarded points and your boost-bar will start to fill. This boost can be used to gain greater speed, which in turn gives you more air from your jumps, allowing you to pull increasingly impressive tricks. 

 

Did Somebody Order An Uber?

If you fill the boost-bar completely, you can perform Uber tricks by holding one (or a combination) of the shoulder buttons along with the Uber button (for example – square for the PS2). Uber tricks are crazy-flamboyant, defy the laws of physics, and can earn huge points.

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If you land an Uber trick, a letter in the word Tricky (which sits on-screen) is illuminated. Complete the word and your boost is maxed out for the remainder of that level. Tricks score points depending on their complexity and your stage score is rated against the opposition.

 

Big Points = Big Fun

Liberally spread around each course are yellow, orange and red snowflakes floating temptingly in the air. If you manage to jump through one while pulling a trick, your score for that trick is multiplied by two, three or five times respectively. If you can nail a couple of Uber tricks (or more) through a five-times multiplier your scores can skyrocket.

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Each course contains hidden routes to be explored. The first are relatively sensible, but by the time you reach Tokyo Megaplex they are insane, featuring a myriad of ramps, rails, chutes and air-vents that propel you high into the air, ensuring that you spend very little time at ground level. There is no quest for realism on display here, this is pure video game lunacy turned up to 11 and it’s brilliant!

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In both Race and Showoff mode you compete in three rounds with a top-three finish ensuring progression to the next race, while a medal placing in the final unlocks the next course. You are also rewarded with medals (which unlock new characters, outfits and boards) and power-up points (which can be spent improving your character’s speed, edging, stability and trick-speed).

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Risk and Reward

The graphics are fantastic and look much better than the screenshots convey, with each course and character having a distinctive and individual look. The courses are well designed and feel solid, with enough freedom to let you pick your route, but not so much that you feel lost. The sound and music is excellent, and the character voices were provided by celebrities such as Lucy Liu and Macy Gray.

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But it is in the gameplay department that this game really shines. The controls are intuitive, precise, and once you get the hang of landing your tricks, hugely satisfying and rewarding. When you land your first Uber trick you will be smiling like the Cheshire Cat, and when you nail your first double-Uber through a red multiplier you may well find yourself becoming a tad moist! (Ed. - “Oi, this is a family magazine!”)

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Uneven Slopes

Negatives? Well the game is really all about the Showoff events in World Circuit mode; everything else feels a bit bolted on. There is nothing particularly wrong with the racing element per se, but Showoff is just so much fun you will spend most of your time there! 

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Also, the Showoff levels, while well designed and nicely diverse, are a little uneven in terms of difficulty level. Some can be cleared on a first attempt, but Mesablanca and Aloha Ice Jam in particular can be pretty tough to qualify from. That’s not to say that it isn’t fun trying (and of course there needs to be some challenge) but the difficulty curve isn’t particularly linear.

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A True Gem

In the years since 2001 there have been numerous incarnations of the SSX franchise across many platforms, but none properly captured the essence of SSX Tricky. Here you are always working within a defined play area, with the rails and ramps nicely placed and easier to find and hit. Later versions provided the player with a far greater open-world experience, offering a game that was significantly more realistic and impressive, but ultimately not as much fun.

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I am not a snow-sports enthusiast and before I played the original SSX this was not a game that would have appealed to me. But this is so well executed and is such fun, it is impossible not to fall in love. A great selection of characters, courses and tricks provide a comprehensive gaming experience. It will take many hours of play to unlock everything and even after you have there is still enormous replay value as you search for that elusive perfect run.

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Thoroughly enjoyable, challenging, rewarding and brilliantly executed, SSX Tricky is genuinely a timeless classic. As much fun today as it was in 2001, this is an absolute gem and deserves to grace any collection.

 

Graphics – 91%

Impressing in all departments, this is perfect gaming eye-candy. The courses, while being increasingly insane and outrageous, manage at the same time to always feel solid and real.

 

Sounds – 92%

Great effects, music and celebrity voice samples.

 

Grab-factor – 95%

Instant pick-up-and-play. Once you get used to landing your tricks there is no looking back.

 

Playability – 97%

In reality the game is predominantly about the Showoff section, but this section alone offers one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I have ever encountered. So good in fact, that I will forgive the slightly more ordinary racing element.

 

Verdict – 94%

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AG May 2023

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Featured in Pixel Addict magazine, issue 13. 

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© Words and pictures copyright grapeswriting.com

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