Review: Rock the mountain in 'SSX' downhill

By Marc Saltzman
Gannett News Service

Catch big air in "SSX on Tour."

EA Big: 'SSX on Tour'

YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS

Consider it the most fun you can have on a mountain without fear of breaking a leg: "SSX on Tour" is the latest in the popular extreme sports series that lets virtual snowboarders and skiers race down the slopes and perform over-the-top midair stunts.

The game is a veritable rush the whole family can enjoy.

Now available for all consoles, the overall goal of this sequel is to travel to tracks to compete for medals and respect as you build up your reputation as a "rock star" of the mountain.

In fact, music is a common thread throughout the game, from the blaring guitar riffs of Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills" in the intro movie, to the doodles of unicorns playing electric guitars during load screens, to the 41-song soundtrack that combines rock, rap, hip-hop and trance.

Before your snowboard or skis touch powder, you must choose a persona and customize his or her physical attributes, or you can choose from one of the existing characters.

Then it's time to make your way from amateur hack to celebrity status by completing the many missions thrown your way such as winning races, catching big air by going airborne during a run, collecting points earned by performing tricks or finding scattered "collectibles" littered on the mountain.

Gamers also will need to earn "hype" to improve rank by completing bonus challenges and other mini-games.

You also will unlock new challenges, mountains and licensed equipment and apparel as you begin your slow climb to stardom.

Shredding down the mountain is as simple as moving the left analog stick in a given direction, but performing big moves takes a bit of practice. A dramatic slow-motion camera view from multiple angles rewards the player for fancy moves.

Along with the dozen new day and night tracks not found in its three predecessors ("SSX," "SSX Tricky" and "SSX 3"), the game also offers options for two players on the same television (split screen). Too bad online play isn't an option.

Another issue: The game isn't very accessible to novice players. The Microsoft Xbox manual is a paltry seven small pages, and despite the odd screen revealing hints and tips, there isn't a tutorial for newbies to get up to speed.

Nevertheless, "SSX on Tour" is the undisputed king of the mountain. An equally impressive Sony PlayStation Portable version is also available for $49.95.

Story Tools

Click Here to try 4 Free Trial Issues of Time!

Home Page

Get up-to-the minute news from CNN

CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

Home Page

Get up-to-the minute news from CNN

CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.