Publisher: Electronic Arts
Ages: Teens & up
Parental
Advisory:
Edgy content
Much like a winterized Tony Hawk-style game, Electronic Arts' SSX On Tour is an entertaining and edgy title that successfully recreates the underground world of skiing and snowboarding. The game succeeds at simulating breakneck speeds and it allows players to catch huge air and perform outlandish tricks. It's a first rate title that is worth the look.
Players get to create a rider, which can be a skier or snowboarder, and then build a career in the game's single-player mode. Here, players get to climb the ranks of a circuit, progressing from a slope-side wannabe to a black-diamond star. And they can compete for medals or simply shred the slopes in the game's various challenges.
The title serves three main SSX events: trick, race and slope events. The activities are varied, creative and entertaining with jumps, hand plants, grinds and more, and there are some awe-inspiring tricks to learn and perform.
The game serves a convincing illusion of speed by applying speed-sensitive cameras, motion blur and control feedback. And for tricks, the game offers lots of opportunities to catch big air and perform monster, gravity-defying tricks. Interestingly, the game rewards near collisions, but does serve a penalty when players bump others during runs.
The game serves the SSX experience through its art-style and music. In particular, the art style, which resembles the drawings of a hyperactive snowboarder, are found throughout and lend to the game's feel. The edgy music is plentiful and appeals to a youthful crowd.
The graphics present smooth animations and impressive particle effects that deliver convincing snow. There's also good multi-play modes, which include decent split screen games, but the title could have done more with this.
SSX On Tour is an excellent title that captures the feel of edgy snow sports. It's worth a look from SSX fans as well as casual gamers.
-Wayne N. Kawamoto
