SSX

[Muskrat Catcher]

SSX! The awesome series of snowboarding games all about pulling off epic stunts, extreme speeds, and now, perilous plunges. Personally, I only own the most recent game, Deadly Descents, otherwise known as SSX 2012, but I have played SSX 3, and seen SSX tricky. I wanted to start a discussion about the franchise for a few reasons:

1. I want to find out if anyone still plays this game. If so, friend me? I need more records to beat since all my other friends stopped playing it a while ago. Maybe I like snowboarding too much in general.

2. Why did SSX Deadly Descents get such bad ratings from all the critics, and was basically pushed aside, and looks like the end of the series? Personally, it is one of my favorite games I own. In a nutshell, all the critics are denouncing it for "changing up the formula" and because "survival events are stupid". First of all, since when are we discouraging changing up the formula. SSX 3 was fun and all, a seriously solid game, but it only came with 3 peaks, and had inferior graphics, customization, and friend interactions. Deadly descents has 9 different regions to play in, basically one in each continent, and 3 peaks in each region! (the himalayas had 4 peaks!), as well as the wingsuit, customizable equipment, and I loved survival events (okay, maybe the oxygen and darkness ones were not too enjoyable, but without a doubt the other ones were)! Even if you didn't like the survive events, the trick and race events are still in the game, and have been polished very well. I have seen 3 different reviews so far, and each one hates the game, or at least says that it is worse than its previous installments, and the only reason they have to explain is "ITS DIFFERENT KILL IT!". SSX 2012 is basically the Sonic '06 of snowboarding games, and I don't understand why. If you agree or disagree with me, please let me know!

3. Is the SSX series dead? I really hope not. No other snowboarding game values fun and disregards realisticness as much as SSX. As the tag line goes, you can "Defy reality, own the planet", and it is the only game I know that lets you do just that!

4. TRI-KAY! UH! (I want that sound on a button on my watch that I can play at any time)

 

[Kurri ★]

1. I want to find out if anyone still plays this game. If so, friend me? I need more records to beat since all my other friends stopped playing it a while ago. Maybe I like snowboarding too much in general.

I could always start up playing again. I think it'd be fun breaking a few records here and there.

2. Why did SSX Deadly Descents get such bad ratings from all the critics, and was basically pushed aside, and looks like the end of the series? Personally, it is one of my favorite games I own. In a nutshell, all the critics are denouncing it for "changing up the formula" and because "survival events are stupid". First of all, since when are we discouraging changing up the formula. SSX 3 was fun and all, a seriously solid game, but it only came with 3 peaks, and had inferior graphics, customization, and friend interactions. Deadly descents has 9 different regions to play in, basically one in each continent, and 3 peaks in each region! (the himalayas had 4 peaks!), as well as the wingsuit, customizable equipment, and I loved survival events (okay, maybe the oxygen and darkness ones were not too enjoyable, but without a doubt the other ones were)! Even if you didn't like the survive events, the trick and race events are still in the game, and have been polished very well. I have seen 3 different reviews so far, and each one hates the game, or at least says that it is worse than its previous installments, and the only reason they have to explain is "ITS DIFFERENT KILL IT!". SSX 2012 is basically the Sonic '06 of snowboarding games, and I don't understand why. If you agree or disagree with me, please let me know!

Well that's because SSX Deadly Descents never came out. Now I know what you're think, "Kurri what do you mean, it came out in 2012!" Watch the Deadly Descents trailer:

Spoiler

Then watch the SSX 2012's launch trailer:

Spoiler

Yeah, you're doing the same thing in both games, going down various mountain ranges, many deadlier than others. But the presentation between the two are completely different. Deadly Descents had this really dark and gritty tone to it. The trailer was fitted to orchestral music, and the logo was made too look "mature" and "edgy". Deadly Descents was met with a lot of criticisms because it didn't fit the tone of previous installments, that being very bright and vibrant and over-the-top. Thankfully, that whole idea was scraped. The 2012 Launch trailer, was a return to the original style of SSX, full of vibrant scenery, crazy stunts, and wacky fun. The music was... I believe dubstep, it's closer to the older soundtracks. And the logo was just "SSX", no edgy subtitle like "Deadly Descent", and it was designed to look fun, rather than mature.

SSX 2012 was actually received very well, I think the problem was less to do with the game itself and just the timing of it's release. It was a game that stood out during the time, but I don't think people were too interested in a snowboarding game that year. I don't know the sale figures, but I don't imagine it did too well, at least, not well enough to warrant a sequel, sadly.

Although, I suppose the SSX "Community" may not have enjoyed it as much as the other games, for good reason. SSX 3's Metro City vs Patagonia; SSX Tricky's Hawaii vs Himalayas. When you think of snowboarding, you're already thinking about going down a mountain, so past SSX mixed it up by placing you in weird places. One level you're snowboarding through a city, another you're racing down tubes in Hawaii, Tokyo was a circuit with laps. Sure, there were a lot of tracks set in more realistic settings, but even then they were made to be zany. And even more, they all pushed the idea that SSX was this huge event with people watching in the stands and fireworks and announcers blaring out the name of first place, it felt like a Snowboard Super-Cross (Get it? SSX?). SSX 2012 has pretty crazy and out there ideas, but the entire time, it's not this event, it's just you and the mountain. No awesome halfpipes that you have to go through, no jumping over skyscrapers, no grinding through the subway, no crowds of people cheering your name, and DJ Atomika is only in cutscenes. Again, that's not to say the things you do aren't cool in SSX 2012, but they ain't no Hawaii.

To add to that, the customization of 2012 left much to be desired. Oh cool, look at all the jackets I get to wear, that are all just different textures... SSX 3, set the standard of customization for the series. There wasn't much, but you were able to change a character's hairstyle, make them wear a bikini, and snowboard down a mountain with a flaming board, that was fun. This sort of customization isn't present in 2012, it's actually more or less a callback to Tricky if anything.

Oh, and regarding the online, 2012's was ass. The entire time you were racing real-time ghosts, when in previous games you were racing physical entities. This goes back to the whole, "You against the mountain" thing, SSX has always been more than that, I wanna actually be able to punch my opponent.

That said, the rest of 2012 was actually a great. It's my second favorite, right behind SSX 3

3. Is the SSX series dead? I really hope not. No other snowboarding game values fun and disregards realisticness as much as SSX. As the tag line goes, you can "Defy reality, own the planet", and it is the only game I know that lets you do just that!

Snowboarding games, and Extreme/Arcadey sports games in general have been dead for a while now. I think there was one NBA Street game on last gen consoles, and I think the last Amped was a 360 Launch title. If Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5 does well (which looking at it, I doubt it will) I think we could see a revival, but till then, consider it in limbo.

4. TRI-KAY! UH! (I want that sound on a button on my watch that I can play at any time)

to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time
It's Tricky, it's Tricky (Tricky) Tricky (Tricky)

 

[Muskrat Catcher]

@Kurri Thank you very much for that reply. Just that allows me to understand a lot more about why the game was how it was. I guess my comment about how all the critics said it was bad was a bit of an exaggeration, as I found out that some reviews were actually really good (IGN gave it a solid 9/10). What they did wrong is that they didn't realize that the market for these games is disappearing, and the only way they could have kept the series alive is by calling to their existing fanbase, and making a game that would please them. I have a feeling that they made a game that is awesome for newcomers (like me), but didn't really carry on the event-like traditions and the even less realistic settings you mentioned. I didn't realize that these types of games were on the decline until you mentioned it, but now I see you are right, and that is sad because I always enjoyed those games. Thanks for clearing all that up for me!