SSX - PlayStation 3

See More Of Mt. Eddie In New DLC Trailer

Jeff Marchiafava — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:20:00 GMT

Earlier this week, we took a look at a clip of SSX alum Zoe Payne making her way down the SSX Tricky-inspired Mt. Eddie. Today, we're taking another trip down the mountain with the retro version of that stupid Eddie character.

The Mt. Eddie & Classic Characters pack contains a new mountain inspired by SSX Tricky, nine race and trick drops, seven retro characters from SSX 3 and SSX Tricky (Elise, Mac, Zoe, Kaori, Moby, Eddie, and ~~Psyduck~~ Psymon), and three classic songs. Unfortunately, it looks like that bum Eddie still hasn't gotten a haircut.

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The Mt. Eddie & Classic Characters DLC pack will be available May 1 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. For more on SSX, read our review, then check out these totally serious pro tips for the game.

SSX Review: Fighting For Survival, Fighting For Fun

Phil Kollar — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 07:59:00 GMT

When EA originally unveiled this SSX reboot under the title SSX: Deadly Descents, many long-time series fans scoffed at the dark look of the new game. SSX used to be about doing crazy, unrealistic stunts and defying gravity in absurd ways. Why did this reveal trailer feature grimacing snowboarders jumping out of helicopters in a scene that looked straight out of Call of Duty?

Perhaps sensing the negative buzz, EA changed the name and refocused the game’s marketing on the more familiar parts of SSX. Unfortunately, the gameplay additions remained, and they drag down what is an otherwise welcome revival.

The main problem in SSX is a new mode called “survive it.” These courses require special equipment, such as armor for staying alive in rough terrain, oxygen tanks for surviving in thin atmosphere, and pulse goggles for seeing your way through whiteouts.

Each piece of equipment comes with its own complications. For example, using oxygen requires occasionally tapping a button to make your character breathe. The longer you go without breathing, the more the screen whites out until eventually your character passes out and you lose the event. Especially cold mountains in Antarctica force you to equip solar panels that need to be recharged by staying away from shaded areas. Spend too long out of the sun and you freeze to death.

No matter which add-on you’re stuck with, all of the “survive it” challenges share a common trait: They aren’t very fun. The SSX series has always empowered players to pull off superhuman tricks while spinning around in the air at light speed. Suddenly finding yourself in realism-based, trial-and-error situations where you’re constantly dying and restarting doesn’t capture the classic SSX feel at all. The limited rewind ability fails to ease the frustration much.

These annoying events are especially unfortunate given how fun the old-school SSX tracks feel. Race and trick runs successfully capture the exhilaration I felt when I first loaded SSX Tricky into my PS2. Every run in the game is based off of a real mountain, but the level designers have wisely populated the courses with crazy pipes to grind and strange debris to trick off of.

When you first begin SSX, the game forces you into World Tour mode, but don’t stick around in this lame single-player portion any longer than you have to. World Tour allows you to unlock new characters, but even the standbys from previous games have been robbed of their personalities. The only serious reward for playing through World Tour is a series of laughably bad motion comics. The real meat of the game is in Explore mode.

Explore mode is overflowing with content – over 150 drops in all – but it’s disappointing how many of these I didn’t want to touch because of the survival element. Even if you ignore any specifically designated “survive it” runs, many of the courses are designed with survival in mind, which means they’re peppered with bottomless pits and other health hazards. Make a single bad jump or don’t time the use of your wingsuit right, and you’re stuck reloading and starting from the beginning (or rewinding and incurring serious penalties). I want to feel like an insane snowboarding legend when I play SSX, not like I’m trying to memorize a difficult platforming level.

Despite its many problems, I’m still tempted to recommend that long-time SSX fans check out this relaunch. The tracks that click with the old formula are fantastic, and they’re supported by one of the most impressive and robust online challenge systems ever. Inspired by Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit’s Autolog, SSX’s Ridernet constantly updates with new score and time challenges from friends, recommends which events you’re closest to beating someone in, and even earns you in-game credits while offline for every time a friend fails to beat your records. This asynchronous online system has the potential to make SSX a game that sucks fanatics in for a long time, and it would make it a must-buy if it didn’t have so many bad tracks.

As someone who’s waited years for a new SSX game, the frustration I discovered in EA Sports’ latest snowboarder stings. Between the strong online infrastructure and the excellent controls, the foundation is here for the SSX reboot the franchise deserves. I can only hope that this team gets another chance to go for the gold and cuts out all of the unnecessary realistic flourishes next time.

Playing well with others

In addition to the regular asynchronous multiplayer mode, SSX features a mode called Global Events. Events run 24/7 and can have up to 100,000 people competing at the same time (though you’ll only ever see four others). Players can do an event over and over until the timer runs out, tweaking runs to get the highest score possible and improve their position and the amount of money they take home at the end. Keep in mind that you won’t collect any credits won in Global Events unless you have an online pass, which is packed in with new copies of the game.

SSX Takes Flight In Wingsuit Trailer

Jeff Cork — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:19:15 GMT

The SSX series has always been about tricks and big air, but the latest installment is taking it a step further. Characters can equip wingsuits, which will allow them to thumb their gloved noses at gravity while whizzing through the air. A new trailer shows the suits in action, in preparation for the game's launch next week.

As you can see in the clip below, the wingsuit turns your racer into an energy-drink-swilling flying squirrel. OK, it's technically gliding, but there's no reason to split hairs here.

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The game launches February 28 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A demo is currently available, too, and the video below provides valuable tips on how to tear through one of its courses. You can also check out part one here.

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New SSX Trailer Heralds Tomorrow's Demo Release

Bryan Vore — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:01:00 GMT

If you want to post hot times on the SSX online-enabled demo releasing tomorrow, check out some of these tips from EA Sports.

This trailer focuses entirely on the Race It mode, which tasks players with finding the fastest line while throwing in tricks to build up boost. Even if you don't plan on downloading the demo, the following video offers universal tips for the full game which releases only a week later on the 28th.

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Take A Deep Dive Into SSX's Online In New Dev Video

Jeff Cork — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:38:49 GMT

SSX has never been a game for loners, and its latest iteration isn't breaking that multiplayer tradition. In the first of two developer diaries, creative director Todd Batty explains how social networking has inspired the game's online component. Using RiderNet, players will be able to take on their friends, whether they're online or not.

Part one focuses on the game's Explore Mode and RiderNet. If you've played any of the recent Need for Speed games, you're familiar with Autolog, which provides challenges to drivers based on how their friends have done. RiderNet seems fairly similar, serving as a nice overall guide to player progress, highlighting points of strength and runs that need attention. Explore Mode drops player ghosts (which are generated automatically) into their friends' games. Beat their times, and earn in-game currency. If you fail, they'll earn a nice little bonus.

Check out the trailer below.

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We interviewed Batty about SSX a while back, and you can check that out here, too.

SSX Gets Tricky Once Again In New Trailer

Dan Ryckert — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:33:00 GMT

SSX Tricky is one of the best (if not the best) snowboarding games of all time, and the action was frequently backed by Run DMC's catchy "It's Tricky." In the new trailer that you'll see below, EA has brought the track back via an annoying dubstep remix.

In addition to the tricks shown off in this trailer, click here if you'd like to take a look at some of the new SSX's locations.

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Spanning The Globe

Matthew Kato — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:00:00 GMT

SSX's boarders will go anywhere for a challenge, and this new video from the game's dev team showcases three of the title's locations.

Patagonia has steep ice ridges that provide little margin of error. The ice caves of Antarctica can kill you in seconds. New Zealand's dam structure is huge set piece in the game that has tunnels you can explore, as well as a sheer face you can bomb down.

For more on the game, take a look at the first video in this series.

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The Best Parts Of Need For Speed's Autolog Hit The Slopes

Phil Kollar — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:15:00 GMT

I'm a long-time SSX fan going back to the original release on PlayStation 2, so I was psyched to get my hands on EA's series revival at Gamescom. As it turns out, the publisher isn't just rehashing the awesome tricks and tracks of past games, though; SSX will also feature a completely revamped and awesome suite of multiplayer options.

SSX's online implements a feature called RiderNet that is heavily inspired by Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit's much-loved Autolog. Essentially, even when you play solo, you'll be connected to EA's servers so they can upload your score and time data and challenge your friends to beat it. When you replay a track, you'll be able to play against a ghost of your best run as well as a ghost of a friend who has challenged you through RiderNet.

This asynchronous multiplayer seems like a great solution to constantly pushing a sense of community and competition even when you're playing by yourself. When you turn on SSX, the game will automatically point you toward friends who are dominating you on specific tracks, allowing you to immediately jump in. The game will also offer bonus rewards for taking on and conquering these challenges.

Even sweeter? If you're currently ahead of your friends on a course, you'll win money for every time they challenge your lead and lose, even when you're offline. The EA representative said it's totally possible for you to log on one day and discover you've earned tons of in-game currency because your friend tried to take on your time or score over and over again without success. The in-game currency can then be used to purchase thousands of snowboards, outfits, and other items in the in-game store that will in turn improve your chances are setting even higher scores.

Beyond the asynchronous multiplayer, SSX also has a slightly more traditional Global Events mode, but the team wanted to get rid of the need for lobbies and waiting around. To accomplish this, they essentially created a persistent, constantly active tournament that players can drop into at any time. All 150 to 180 drops in the game will have events associated with them that you can drop into at any time.

The game's servers can support an unlimited number of players on any track in Global Events mode, although it will limit the number that you see to something manageable. SSX will smartly choose to populate tracks with your friends first and then with strangers who are in the area.

Finally, if you'd rather play online with friends alone, you have the option to create custom online events at any time. You can set these events to completely open, friends-only, or visible to friends-of-friends as well.

RiderNet will also be fully active via the SSX website as well as iPhone apps, Twitter, and Facebook. While away from your console, you'll be able to log in, see what your friends have been up to, and queue up tracks and challenges to take on as soon as you get home.

EA seems to be going all out in creating the most robust and interesting online experience possible around SSX. I've always loved the over-the-top tricks of the series, but I never thought I'd view online as an essential element of the series. RiderNet has convinced me, and I can't wait to take on my friends when SSX launches in January.

If you'd like to see more of SSX, check out the screens and trailer that were released for Gamescom.

Trailer And Screens Give You A Face Full Of Snow

Joe Juba — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:49:32 GMT

Everyone knows that snowboarding is radical. But did you know that it can also provide you with a robust online social competition? Well, if the latest look at the return of SSX is to be believed, it can.

The trailer and screens below showcase players' ability to race against ghosts as the barrel down the slopes doing tricks. If that's not enough, a guy almost flies into a helicopter at one point. Extreme!

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Moby Jones Enjoys Snowboarding, And We Have Proof

Jeff Cork — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:35:00 GMT

EA revealed another character from the SSX roster, series veteran Moby Jones. This will be his sixth SSX appearance, having competed in every game except for SSX On Tour. It's true.

Here's what Jones was up to when we last saw him, in 2007's SSX Blur:

Moby's extreme side was born out of his youth riding his bike EVERYWHERE in Brixton, England. There are only a few tricks he hasn't tried, and a few hidden slopes he hasn't found, and he plans to fix those problems this year!

    Nationality: British
    Height: 5'10"
    Weight: 195 lbs
    Age: 21
    Blood Type: A-
    Stance: Goofy
    Likes: Footy
    Dislikes: Small talk
    Trait: Assured
    Partner: Zoe
    Rival: Psymon
    Motivation: Try to beat his personal gold-winning records.

Don't ever change, Moby Jones.

For more info on the game, check out our interview with SSX's creative director, Todd Batty.

NASA Data Used To Recreate Mountains In SSX

Annette Gonzalez — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 01:15:00 GMT

SSX was first announced at the Spike Video Game Awards last year revealing a slightly edgier direction for the series. Earlier this week at the EA press conference the company announced a January release date and saved gameplay details for a show floor demo. The team at EA Canada showcased some of the real-life locations players will race, trick, and survive on when SSX launches in January. [Excerpts]

With the SSX reboot, the team is leaving fictional mountain ranges behind for the real thing. EA Canada is using publicly sourced data for earth from NASA as a starting point for artists and level designers to create trick-worthy paths in real-world environments. To navigate through SSX’s different mountain options the team also created a Google earth inspired interface that allows you to rotate a globe featuring drop pins and region information to select your favorite slopes without going through menus. Select a location and drop right in via helicopter to start the wild ride.

Players will be able to race, trick, and survive along multiple paths in frozen volcanoes, trick off of the Great Wall of China, and more. Helicopters will also play a role in races by dropping flares in darker levels and carrying players across chasms after leaping toward them.

The physics engine in SSX transforms terrain for a different racing experience every run through. In Survival events new to the series were also detailed and were compared to boss fights of traditional games. In the case of SSX the boss is the mountain. Each survival event will be themed with an environmental challenge. In one Survival event, the player raced down the mountain to avoid getting swept away by an incoming avalanche.

SSX is only halfway through development and looks promising. Longtime fans of the series looking to perform over-the-top tricks with old and new characters can look forward to SSX next year.

Climbing to the Summit

Matthew Kato — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:00:00 GMT

At the Electronic Arts Season Opener event in San Francisco, SSX creative director Todd Batty talked about the game's past and how it's both present in the new game (which is no longer subtitled Deadly Descents, by the way) and yet being greatly expanded upon for the January 2012 title.

It's been six years since SSX on Tour, and a lot has happened since then in both EA Canada's mind as well as with video games at large. Batty told the crowd that one of the main differences in terms of SSX is that whereas the original SSX had 8 levels and On Tour had 13 tracks, this new SSX will have 200 to 300 runs over 18 major mountain ranges across the globe from the Andes to Everest.

Batty and the team at EA Canada have come up with this impressive number using NASA satellite footage of Earth and a tool the developers at EA Canada call Mountain Man. This tool allowed them to created some spectacular runs (some of which will run into each other and provide different vantage points from which to approach cool parts of the same mountain) that capture the best essence of terrifying, challenging mountain ranges all around the world.

Apart from the sheer number of runs available, the game is also breaking from the past with a new physics model that allows gamers to trick off of all parts of the terrain. This means that there isn't the need for artificial barriers to keep you hemmed in to the trickable portions of the track like in previous games. It also means that half-pipe formations no longer have to be restricted to isolated events (although there still are dedicated half-pipe courses), but can be seamlessly entered and exited as you're tricking down the slopes. Terrain ridges can also act as ramps to launch you into new parts of the level. This new physics model tears down the artificial barriers of previous titles and truly opens up the mountains for you to experience.

As much as SSX presents a new world to fans, Batty told us that basic racing "is still going to be the foundation that I believe this game is based upon." Batty assures SSX fans that the series' core tennets of exaggerated speeds and tricks is still very much at the core of the franchise. It's not a sim. Fans can be comforted by the fact that original characters like Elise will return alongside new racers, and the SSX community will also get to vote for their favorite characters from past titles for inclusion in the game.

EA Carves Up A World Of Mountains In SSX

Ben Reeves — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:00:00 GMT

When EA debuted its new SSX game at the Spike Video Game awards, fans began to fear that the series was straying from its roots – that it was taking on a more realistic, darker edge. In truth, developer EA Canada is taking everything that made the original SSX snowboarding titles great and shaping it into something that will be relevant in today’s market. SSX (now the game’s official title) features a global playing field of at least 70 mountains for players to race down, and will boast significant upgrades to the series’ trick and upgrade systems. We talked with creative director, Todd Batty, who melted away any fears we might have had regarding the franchise’s long-awaited return.

It seems like SSX has been on the shelf of awhile, and the last few titles didn’t perform as expected. Why bring the series back now?

SSX is a franchise that fans have been calling out for, for years and years now. I can’t think of a press announcement where EA has talked about announcing a new game that doesn’t have hundreds of posts under it going, “OMG, I hope it’s SSX.” We’ve always thought that the series had a fanbase out there that still had affinity with the franchise and we’ve always thought that it was a really strong, wholly owned IP by EA Sports. There have been attempts to revive SSX over the years; different teams have put together different pitches for what a new SSX could be, but it just never felt like any of these proposals knew how to reboot SSX and make it relevant to today’s market.

When you guys debuted the SSX trailer at the Spike Video Game Awards it seemed like you might be moving away from the bright colors and crazy arcade feel of the early titles in favor of a more realistic tone. Is this true?

No, absolutely not. Our core statement from day one has been, “survive it, race it, trick it.” And in that, we have designed three major types of gameplay. One being Deadly Descent, which is all about survival gameplay. It’s a new addition to the franchise. But I’ve always thought racing was the core of SSX, and we didn’t want to go away from that, so we’re going to have Speed Descent events, and of course we’ll have tricks in our Tricky Descent events. We wanted to make sure we hit the over-the-top arcadey gameplay in all of these different gameplay modes. We decided to lead with the new Deadly Descent gameplay in that trailer, but all of the classic SSX style will be there, too.

Can you go into a little more depth about how the Deadly Descent mode will work?

We thought SSX had two types of racing before: racing and trick events. We wanted to expand on the universe of SSX. We wanted to look at how we could bring the mountain alive in a way that the mountain was putting forth a challenge for the player. If you look at past SSXs you had huge chasms that you could jump, but we wanted to do other things like that. SSX 3 kind of had an avalanche, but we thought we could do that a thousand times better with the new systems. We have an amazing avalanche design. So we’ll have more things like avalanches and rockslides, and falling stalactites. In Deadly Descent the challenge will be just making it to the bottom alive.

It sounds like you guys are branching out and covering more mountain ranges than SSX titles of the past. How big is the game going to be?

If you look at past SSX titles, the tracks you ride down are far from realistic runs. We manipulate them and pile cities on top of them to make them over the top and arcadey, and we absolutely wanted to stick to that principle, but we wanted to give people the amount of content that mega hits like Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto deliver. So in the early days we started sourcing topography data for the entire planet earth. Our main menu is a 3D model of the planet with 18 different mountain ranges highlighted across the globe: everything from Alaska, to Antarctica, to Siberia, The Calanques Mountains, the Andes, The Alps, Kilimanjaro, Mount Fuji. We’re taking you all over the planet.

We’re a little challenged with how many levels we can put on the disc, honestly, but we’re thinking it will be somewhere in the vicinity of 70 mountains. By comparison, SSX 3 had one. The hub works kind of like Google Earth. You can spin the globe around and pick a mountain range you like then zoom in on that and pick a mountain you like from there, then you get to race down the crazy arcade courses that we’ve built on top of real-life mountains. You could stand on the summit of Mount Everest and look around 4,000 miles in any direction. You can see the view from the rooftop of the world. So imagine if a slopestyle team had a billion dollars to concoct a giant SSX style track experience on top of the largest mountain in the world. That’s what we’ve done in the game, but we’ve done it all over the world.