N00b Benefits

I have to be honest, the last and only time I ever played an SSX game was SSX Tricky on the GameCube. The only reason I played that game was because there was, frankly, nothing else to play. So, this review is coming from a relative newby to the series. I guess this makes even more sense since the game has been completely revised to take advantage of the Wii controls, so it’s all new anyways! One point to me for dodging the history of the game!

Straightforward

The gameplay is pretty straightforward. You pick your rider and compete in various “freeride” events to gain points. As you gain points, you gain the ability to unlock riders, tournaments, and upgrade your existing rider.

To access competitions you ride down one of 3 unlockable mountain peaks, or you can access them through the map. It’s a nice set-up, and gives you a free-roaming experience. You can even ride all the way down the mountain without going to a single competition, although it can take some dodging! While on the mountain you can collect tokens to learn new tricks.

There are 5 different competition modes which are Race, Slopestyle (most points during a run down the mountain), Half-Pipe, Big Air and Slalom. You will hate Slalom, and I will tell you why later.

I Heart Carving

Of course, the biggest question everyone has about this game is about the controls. It usually turns out that the smaller the game in market, the more dedicated the fan base. That fan base is their lunch ticket, so they had to make sure that they got this right, while also trying to appease new gamers. The results are pretty impressive.

First off, the controls are simultaneously easy to learn, while being crazy complicated. It really is a game that rewards you the more time you put into it, control-wise. Carving (turning) is done by twisting the Nunchuk. At the same time, you can use the joystick on the Nunchuk to make smaller turns. When used in combination it seems to make the turns extra sharp. You can lean your rider back by tilting the Nunchuk backwards, and holding long enough allows you to brake. Braking is also accomplished by pulling the joystick backwards, and speeding up is done by pushing the joystick forwards. The Nunchuk’s Z button handles grabs and also acts as your turbo button, while pulling up on the Nunchuk causes you to jump.

The carving feels really nice. It’s fun to just run down a hill carving like you would on a real hill. They really nailed that aspect of it. The only problem that arises is when you do Slalom courses. The controls don’t seem to respond regularly when you need to do multiple sharp turns.

SSX is Tricky

The tricks are mainly handled with the Wiimote. Spins are done by flicking the Wiimote left or right, while flips are done by flicking upwards or downwards. Holding B and flicking forward while releasing B, throws a snowball.

Flips and spins are easy to pull off, and when you want to land you press A so that your rider orients themselves before the landing. You really feel like you are accomplishing the moves, not just pressing buttons.

What about the famous SSX “Ubertricks”? Well, for starters, Ubertricks are performed by drawing shapes in the air while holding the A button. The problem is that you can only perform the Ubertrick that pops up on the screen, and it pops up slowly. This leads to lost time on a jump. Once more, Ubertricks must be performed at a slow pace. If you try to draw too quickly, it won’t be recognized. It gets even worse when you add the Nunchuk into the mix, and are told to draw with both. When it works, it works really well to advance the feeling of immersion, but learning how to perform the moves properly can take hours, and is ultimately frustrating.

Altogether, the controls are pretty solid. Just don’t expect grandma to be able to pick-up this game very quickly, if at all. Learning the controls requires a certain amount of dedication, especially when you consider that you NEED to pull off Ubertricks to pass certain early levels.

Stylin’

The game’s visuals are pretty impressive, particularly when you have your Wii set at 480p. There are really nice lighting effects, and plenty of particles when carving through the snow. It’s pretty awesome carving down the hill with the sun shining. Add that to the great feeling of carving using the Nunchuk, and you can easily just have fun riding all the way down the hill, without completing any objectives.

The characters are Chibi style, and many fans of the series may not appreciate the new cutesy looks. Besides that though, the characters look really nice and detailed. The game definitely has a unique style, but it is certainly not as stylish as the previously released SSX On Tour. Of course, each game seems to be for different audiences.

Concludin’

This game is definitely meant for gamers with a little bit more experience under their belt. As it is, the game could have used a bit more tuning on the controls, but it is by no means broken. If you like snowboarding games, you will love the feeling this game gives you. Just don’t expect to learn the controls instantly, as they can take a good deal of time to master.