When it comes to snow-boarding, this particular reviewer definitely
isn’t one to call on for tips and tricks. Vaguely can I recall the
event that took place atop a snowy peak a few hours from my hometown. I
can also remember some overconfidence, a concealed tree root, and a
sprained wrist. What one can sum up from this assembly of mishaps is a
sense of unwanted realism. An attribute that we try to avoid when
playing anything belonging to the extreme sports genre. Being able to
defy gravity, exceed speeds of 60 MPH, and pull off a 1080 all while
playing your board like a guitar, is definitely something we’d enjoy
dreaming about. SSX 3 continues EA Sports’ excellent arcade oriented
series, adding plenty of new features, all the while keeping the
premise surprisingly simple.
Those familiar with the Tony Hawk series, have seen just why it isn’t a
good idea to delve into trivial gimmicks. One could even say that
forming a partnership between a game and a television show is an
immediate cause for dismissal. If it can be done correctly then it
would definitely be something worth checking out, however that is
almost never the case. What the SSX series has done and done well is
that it has stayed true to the sports’ roots, all the while maintaining
the near flawless execution. With a couple pushes of the shoulder
buttons you can pull off flips and turns, all in the aspiration of
attaining that first place score. Doing so will net you quite a profit
and open the door to better attributes, gear, and trails. The
role-playing perspective is what sets this one apart and gives you an
incentive to progress. Isn’t that the reason we even play games?
Pick a character from the skillful, but lazy Mac to the disturbingly
bad-ass Psymon, and take off to the first peak. There you can take on a
variety of events including point runs, races, or just a free ride down
the mountain. As you take the high place seats in primary events, you
can unlock additional challenges and the far more difficult stages,
plump full of hazardous terrain and clearing requirements. Each rider
has a preassigned rival which will challenge him or her to a variety
of contests and boy can they can get on your nerves. Shove the trash
talk back in their face by dominating the ten minute point trial or
leaving them behind in a one on one speed run. Ah, nothing like
finishing up a race by leaping from a ten story high cliff edge, and
pulling off so many moves the game can’t even give it a proper name.
“???” for the win.
A plethora of items and power-ups are strewn throughout each zone and
help encompass the title’s arcade side. Lightning bolts that
dramatically increase your acceleration; trickster emblems that improve
your performance speed ten fold; or the traditional multiplier
insignias that can help you chain your bonus total exponentially. Each
are scattered conveniently throughout the area, accessible from ramp
jumps to rail grinds alike. As you stay on your feet and keep up the
pace, you continue to add letters to the side of your screen, until
they affectionately spell out:
"SUPER UBER!"
Suddenly the music picks up the pace and your score steadily climbs
with each flip, turn, spin, and landing. With the numerous displays of
manliness, the money begins to come in, and with the additional
character customization, you can perform tricks with unbelievable
precision and awesomeness.
That is why I play SSX 3. The infectious addiction that surfaces is
from that ever-present nature for improvement. The fusion of realistic
environments with the mind-set of going beyond the norm help provide
the reason to play these types of games over and over again. The
addition of a multi-player mode continues the time sink, with plenty of
half-pipes and eye-catching drops to go around. Coinciding with the
fluid game-play is an impressive soundtrack that plays upbeat tracks
across several genres, even a few from some known bands. The DJ can get
a little obnoxious after a while, but you can always silence him with
the push of a button. All in all, these features are what helped make
the Tony Hawk series so much fun to play and it is what provides the
foundation for the tried and true formula of success.
I could go on and on about every relevant detail, but I’ll try not to
sound like too much of a nerd here. Corny voice samples and some
irritating button placements aside, this is by far the best board-based
series out today. There is plenty to take in and the title provides
enough replay value to keep you coming back, time and again. And while
there is an astute lack of rocket launchers, guest stars, or
gas-powered unicycles, those of you itching for a dash of zaniness will
still have something to find here. It is the attention to what makes
the titles of this genre so great, that will hopefully keep the quality
around for quite some time. I mean we have all come to expect
consistent quality from EA haven’t we?
“...”
