Snowboarding is a rather cool extreme sport which takes a lot of skill and patience to master, the same can be said for skiing. The sport has really diversified over the last 5 years and has evolved into something spectacular to watch. Well if it seems like too much effort to force yourself onto the slopes to try it out for yourself (with the added risk of an injury here and there) then have no fear because from the comfort of your own home you can embark on the slippery slide downwards in this latest SSX title.

Gameplay

SSX3 follows the same path as its predecessors but also injects some new blood into proceedings such as the chance to choose either a snowboarder or skier. There are 2 modes of play which are the main tour mode and a quick mode where you can select a character and then jump into an event from the offset with no added fuss. The tour mode is probably the most rewarding part of the game because the premise is to create your own character and then steer them in the right direction to snowy stardom. The character creation is a basic feature but also the main starting point for the game’s tour mode. Choose a male or female skier or snowboarder, tweak their size and then select the hair and makeup and voila you have your own snow rider. The tour mode operates a system whereby you win races, complete challenges and your reputation or hype as it’s called in the game, improves which in turn unlocks more stuff. Money also seems to be a key factor in this mode and is used to buy extra items of clothing, equipment and dare I say it make up!

Controlling your character is pretty simple as the left stick or d-pad can be used for performing moves such as tucking (for greater speed) and steering your rider. The levels have a lot of obstacles to avoid and these include other skiers and snowboarders who are on piste trying to enjoy themselves. Hit any one of these and expect to be thrown off course slightly or slowed down. The levels have loads of jumping opportunities and so the skill is to line up correctly and then charge up the jump by holding the A button. You can also charge up the spin moves you will perform prior to hitting a jump by holding the D-pad in the desired direction. Once you have hit air then pressing the Y button will allow you to perform tweaks to the trick and further presses of the triggers and D-pad will perform more aerial moves.

There are a number of varying events to take part in when climbing the ranks to snowy stardom. You have a basic down hill race which is you verses 7 opponents; the onus being on you reaching the finish line first. Performing tricks whilst racing earns you boost power which can be used to give you that little extra speed when required. You also have one on one challenges with various cool and maybe not so cool people. Then there are challenge events such as being 250 meters ahead of your opponent before the time runs out or being more points ahead of them when the timer runs out. There are loads of varying events to participate in which adds some variety to simply riding down a slope game play.

Graphics

The graphics are very busy and with lots of stuff going on as you slide down the snowy slopes and remains interesting from start to finish. There are plenty of obstacles and moments where fireworks will go off as you pass certain points on the course. The characters do look a little on the basic side but are drawn well enough to convey the icy action and aerial tricks. The sense of speed is also quite good and with the huge variety in layout of the courses means there are multiple routes to take down the same mountain. The in game menus are presented using a hand drawn look and are very much MTV inspired and despite sometimes looking as if drawn by a 5 year old has a certain charm of its own.

Sound

The sound is of a high quality here as many licensed music tracks are available featuring various well known artists that I’m sure most players will either love or hate depending on your tastes. The soundtrack is cool and fits the on screen action pretty well; so if you’re a music lover then not only will you be sliding down the mountain in style but also nodding your head. Other in game sound effects are what you would expect and this includes things like grunts, groans and the sound of skis/boards on snow or ice. One neat feature is when you grab some big air and the music suddenly fades in and out to emphasise the height. An announcer is also present and I must say he’s not intrusive at all, which is surprising!

Longevity

SSX On Tour is not for the feint hearted as there are plenty of challenges that range from very easy to extremely tough. There is also the fact that you can create a Skier and a Snowboarder with different profiles so essentially you get two experiences for the price of one. Sadly there is no Xbox Live play available here but two players can duke it out for mountain top supremacy in split screen mode. I think the game will last as long as you want it and with the create a character options means you can have as many different creations as you like.

Overall

SSX On Tour offers something slightly different to previous SSX games in that it feels like a more refined game with lots more added content to mess around with. This is a good a thing and I’m sure most gamers will have fun playing around on the slopes with their nurtured character. The whole package is very much in the “cool” mould and this translates to a fun game. If you have any previous SSX games then I suggest you take a look at this title and if you are a first time player merely interested in what SSX games have to offer then I suggest this be your first venture into the series. I had fun playing and you will as well. A solid title!