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SSX Tricky Updated Preview

Check out hands-on impressions of SSX Tricky for the PS2.

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When SSX hit the PlayStation 2, it was met with universally solid reviews from critics and a very positive reception from gamers. Its trick-based gameplay went down well with gamers and left them hungering for more. While not quite ready to unleash the next evolution of SSX yet, EA has managed to offer gamers a solid snack to tide them over until the main course hits in the form of SSX Tricky. While Tricky isn't being touted as an all-out sequel to SSX, the early build of the game we received certainly seems as though it has enough new additions to satisfy fans of the original game.

Five new characters round out the mix...
Five new characters round out the mix...

SSX Tricky has been given a lot of little extras, like total stat tracking, which lets you know how many times you fell on a particular run or how many times you caused another competitor to wipe out. The big changes between SSX and SSX Tricky can be found in the character roster and tracks included in the game. There will be at least 11 characters, six returning from the original game and five completely new ones. All the characters have their own default abilities, which tend to make them better for speed or tricks, as in the first game. You can augment these speed and trick abilities by upgrading their boards, which you unlock as you progress through the game.

You'll find nine tracks in all, seven from the first game and two brand-new ones--Garibaldi and Alaska. Garibaldi is a fairly straightforward circuit-style snowboard course that almost immediately starts off with a dramatic drop through a veil fog that hides the course below for a few seconds. The first time you leap off this ledge and find yourself falling through the fog, you'll experience some serious anxiety as you simply force yourself to continue executing tricks and hope for the best. Alaska features a portion of the course that's made up of a steep slope covered with moguls, which make it hard to keep your character in control. These moments during play, in which you find yourself racing at high speed, barely in control, are what the designers of SSX Tricky wanted each and every course to be full of, which is why they went back and reworked all the old tracks as well. This insight into the making of SSX Tricky can be seen and heard firsthand by all who get the game since EA is including a special DVD extra section, which features behind-the-scenes footage of interviews, as well as the process that went into bringing the game together.

The game's control scheme has been for the most part left completely unchanged, which, if you never played the original SSX, is a good thing since the game's controls are incredibly intuitive and responsive. For anyone who hasn't played SSX, playing SSX Tricky is an experience that requires a great deal of hand-eye coordination. The game's all about catching big air, executing fantastic tricks, and building your speed. As the announcer will tell you during the game "tricks equal boost". Boosting in the game is essentially a turbo that allows you to not only get ahead of your fellow snowboarders, but also catch bigger air off jumps, which in turn lets you perform more tricks for more boost. This cycle of boosting, jumping, performing tricks, and going really fast is the heart of SSX Tricky's gameplay.

...and celebrities have contributed their voices to the game.
...and celebrities have contributed their voices to the game.

Visually, SSX Tricky really isn't that much different from the first game. From the early build of the game, it looks like EA might be able to optimize SSX Tricky so that it doesn't feature any of the slowdown that the first game had. The character models and animation look a bit cleaner, but aside from costumes and obvious character model revisions, the game still has the same look. One hard-to-miss addition the game has is the Matrix-style camera pan. During a certain point on a track, which is usually midflight off a big jump, the game will stop, and the camera will pan around the character and then simply return control back to you.

One area where it's completely clear that SSX Tricky has received some sprucing up is the game's audio. The prerace flyby track now comes with an announcer who points out each track's key jumps and features. In addition, the characters are much more vocal than before; they now taunt each other and talk back and forth much more often than they did in the original SSX. If you pay close enough attention, you may be surprised at what you hear. EA has enlisted an eclectic mix of Hollywood talent, DJs, and musicians--including David Arquette, Lucy Liu, Oliver Platt, Macy Gray, and Billy Zane to voice all the characters.

So, while we'll wait till we get our hands on a more complete version of the game, it's already fair to say that the game looks like it's shaping up quite well. The early version of the game we've been playing is quite enjoyable and seems as though it has quite a few new additions. We'll bring you more information when we get our hands on a newer build of the game.

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