SSX Tricky - Playstation 2

Intense snowboarding excitement comes back to the PS2 in this remix of the fan-favorite SSX. Whether you're interested in high-flying tricks or high-velocity racing, you'll find plenty of what you're looking for in SSX TRICKY. Take your pick from a field of more than three-dozen boarders and vie for the highest rating in each unique event. Training mode allows you to get your chops down before entering the competition, World Circuit mode is a full-fledged competition that spans several events, and Show Off mode challenges you to pull off as many dangerous stunts as you can within an allotted time period. This installment of the game features all-new tracks, more character interactions, and a cool, new soundtrack. Of course, the game is packed with shortcuts and secrets to uncover, plenty of bonuses, and loads of other thrills. The graphics are built on the same model as the original game, but a few new flourishes add to the visual landscape of this nerve-wracking ride.
When Sony released the PlayStation2 last year, there were only a few standout games. One of them, SSX, brought snowboarding to people who didn't even like snowboarding. Now, only a year later, PS2 fans get a new reason to stay indoors during the cold winter months. SSX Tricky is the game, and it more than lives up to the moniker.

Tricky removes two characters from the previous game and adds five new ones. It adds two new race locations to the already beefed-up World Circuit (Garibaldi and Alaska). The developers also added features to the older tracks, effectively making them new again. Tricky improves the graphics a bit and refines the controls. The game even tweaks the basic gameplay by letting you upgrade your boarder's stats in races, but also forcing you to attempt and master the showoff mode. And EA improved the challenge by evening out the learning curve. SSX tended to be a cakewalk until the later races in each set, but this time your rivals get more intense and aggressive depending upon the lap you're taking.

As in the first game, personality is everything. This is true not only in terms of voice acting, but also in how you treat opponents. The game has a few basic attitudes. If you block and attack characters too much, they'll remember and actively seek you out. If you help one or two of them, they'll become your allies, warning you of danger or fending off attackers.

In many ways, SSX Tricky is only an upgrade of the previous game. Admittedly, the additions don't look like enough to justify buying the game all over again. But the changes are deep enough to change quite a bit, and they'll delight even fans who are tired of, or who mastered, the first game. Maybe that's the most impressive über-trick of them all. --Bob Andrews

Pros:

• Refined controls and new tricks
• Excellent computer intelligence and challenge

Cons:

• The graphics are only slightly improved

Please note this DVD may be Region 1 and will only play on the appropriate DVD players