[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/ssx3/cover.jpg[/floatleft][author]Snowcone[/author]
SSX has been one of the SB favorites since it first debuted on the PS2 way back when. I actually own my PS2 as a result of us needing some way to play SSX while out of town. I was rather surprised with this newest version though. EA Big is known for their over the top games and I felt like SSX 3 stepped away from that and went more towards the realistic end of the spectrum. While these courses are still very unrealistic, they are much more realistic than the Tokyo Megaplex style levels we had grown accustomed to.

[author]Pretzel[/author]
I would have to agree and disagree with my good friend Cone here on many levels. SSX has always been a game where we would try and have udder domination with massive points. And how did you do that? With the help of insane slopes and dope uber tricks. The newest version of SSX does not have many of the original style slopes with the crazy obstacles and the insane air, but I still think it holds its own. What I really enjoyed about SSX 3 was the entire “Counquer the Mountain” bit. I enjoyed being able to upgrade my character and giving him new outfits and boards. Although that’s not far from the past two its still a cool option to have. At first I had a little trouble unlocking the other peaks of the mountains, but then it all came back to me. In order to unlock new peaks, you must be like my good friend Cone here… FREAKING RULING!! You have to be able and win the gold in almost all the events before going on to the next peak.

[author]Snowcone[/author]
I do have to say that the “Conquer the Mountain” was a nice addition. Even though they didn’t really change the overall goals of the game with this release, it was nice that they mixed up the feel of it. It really made you feel like you were snowboarding on a mountain instead of some synthetic course built by a mad scientist. The fact that you ride down to different parts of the peak to get to different levels and lodges was truly appreciated. A transport menu is available from the start menu should you find this aspect annoying. You simply select where you want to transport to and you get dropped off right in front of the entrance to that stage. Very handy for quick runs. It should be noted that with the release of SSX 3, I have switched from the PS2 version to the Xbox version. The controls were a drastic difference and took some getting used to. The PS2 controller is horrible in my eyes, but it is like the holy grail for SSX. Having the grab buttons accessible with your fingers instead of your thumbs made things very easy. The Xbox layout was not as intuitive but now that I am used to it, it doesn’t bother me and the graphical improvements more than make up for the learning curve. Control wise nothing changed so you should feel right at home if you have any time with the previous versions of the game.

[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/ssx3/ss05_thumb.jpg[/floatright][author]Pretzel[/author]
Although, I can’t express the same feelings about swithcing to the Xbox version of SSX, I can still say that playing it on my PS2 still feels like gold. The controls are freaking great, and the graphics look nice for being on a PS2. Now another aspect of the game that I really enjoyed was the ability to customize your tunes when dominating the slopes. You are given the option of listening to EA BIG’s Radio station or just some awesome tunes. Either way you are getting great sounds when riding the powder. I actually enjoyed the various recording artists that are on this game. Overall the sound in this game is totally awesome and if nothing, the EA radio Station provides a new sense of realism.

[author]Snowcone[/author]
That is one great thing about SSX, it looks great on every system. When playing SSX 3 you can expect the game to feel just as it has in previous versions. The game mechanics are just as great as they ever were and I just can’t get enough of it. EA Big has done a superb job with the SSX franchise and they continue to amaze me with each new release. You will notice a slew of new characters in the mix and a new attribute system has been implemented. No longer do you earn attribute points, you have to buy them with the cash you get from beating courses. The Lodge is where all those transactions take place. My only complaint with this release was the loading times between each level as well as entering and exiting the Lodge. I know these are immense levels with tons of detail, but I found myself getting bored while waiting for the levels to load.

[author]Pretzel[/author]
Yeah, I would have to agree with the loading times fault in this game. It was crazy to see how long these maps would take to load. I really believed that EA did a great job with this title in its third version. The atmosphere is exciting, the tricks are insane, the music is HOT, and it still feels like the original. That’s’ what I think makes a game franchise successful. If you stay true to your roots you can’t go wrong. I enjoyed playing this game for countless hours on my PS2 and I know Cone enjoyed it on his Xbox, so if you get this title for either console then you should not be disappointed.

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/ssx3/ss12_thumb.jpg[/floatleft][author]Snowcone[/author]
Exactly. SSX 3 is a great game and I would highly recommend it to anyone that has been a fan of SSX in the past. You will not be disappointed.