GameCube

SSX on Tour

Like all other SSX games, the courses are loaded with obstacles, lights, fireworks, roller coaster-like rails, and strategically-placed ramps. While never boring, they do tend to be a bit "much". I would have preferred a few open, natural-looking trails. SSX On Tour features a classic rock theme and menus that resemble doodles from an old high school notebook. The hard rock soundtrack sounds dated at times, but Def Leppard's "Let It Go" and Iron Maiden's "Run To The Hills" are standout tracks. All in all, SSX On Tour offers high-speed thrills that even the most casual gamers should appreciate.

EA has given us another must-have SSX. Perfect controls and near-perfect courses make each race more fun than any the developers have previously made. It's BIG without being repetitive; it's exciting and at times unbelievable without being ridiculous. The rock-dominate soundtrack shows that EA is listening to what we say, replacing SSX Tricky's blasphemous tunes with high-quality music from artists that, with the right promotion, could easily make into Billboard's top 40.

It's easy to get caught up in next generation hype and shift focus to an array of games that won't be on store shelves for months to come. EA is a company that is large enough to boast a full line-up of sports sequels that are both scheduled to launch with Xbox 360, as well as close out the current generation. While we've come to expect a continuous flow of sequels from EA sports titles, we've recently begun to question how much new content is required to make a sequel worth buying. Other titles this year have brought just enough to the table to justify their continuation. While On Tour isn't exactly an original experience, the core gameplay of SSX is such a blast that we're happy to hop on the lift one more time.

But no matter which platform you go with, you're going to end up with a really fun game. The subversive style of SSX On Tour is unlike anything the series has seen before, and it's pretty unique in the overall world of video games. The game expertly balances the fresh and the familiar and creates an engrossing experience that will have fans falling for SSX all over again, while undoubtedly bringing plenty of newcomers into the fold.

SSX est une série que l'on a énormément de plaisir à retrouver sur consoles, et ce dernier opus démontre qu'elle a encore beaucoup d'atouts en réserve pour nous impressionner. Inutile d'aimer le sport pour apprécier SSX On Tour, tant les sensations qu'il procure sont incroyables. Dévaler les pentes enneigées dans la peau d'un skieur ou d'un snowboarder n'aura jamais été aussi grisant, et vous risquez de mettre beaucoup de temps avant de vous en remettre.

I like SSX On Tour. I like Amped 2 better. SSX is missing a couple of key elements that would have put it on the same level as Amped; namely online gameplay. But the trade-off is a very good control system that you have to get used to; but is arcadish enough to let first time players really get into things. And it's the first time skiing has been incorporating skiing into a snowboarding game! All in all, it's a fun game to pop in now and again, especially when you just want to relax and shred the mountain.

In the end, SSX On Tour offers enough newness for a purchase, but fans that have been there from the beginning might begin to wonder when the series will take that next step in evolution.

As extreme sports games go, this is an incredibly fun game. If you've never picked up any of the SSX games, this is a great one to start with. The graphics are sweet, the gameplay is fun and easy, and the moves are truly sick. And if you're an SSX champion with the missing limbs and blood transfusions to prove it, there are definitely enough new elements here to come [or, more likely, stagger, crawl, or claw - ed.] back to the slopes. Just don't actually try any of this at home, kids. Life, as anyone who lives in New York and has tried to steal a car will tell you, ain't no video game. But if anybody could tell me what to do with the freaking Yoshi in my apartment, I'd really appreciate it.

SSX: On Tour's snowy environments look quite beautiful on the PS2. Detailed shadows litter the ground as you race through the dark forests, and gorgeous rays of sun illuminate the open snow. Also, when you're using your boost (or just moving very quickly) the camera zooms in a bit and the edges blur, showing you just how fast you're moving, making the game come even more to life. The game also sports a diverse and impressive soundtrack. Blasting tracks from Jurassic 5, to Avenged Sevenfold. The music fades out the bigger the air you get, making your height seem all the more impressive. So while SSX: On Tour isn't as revolutionary as the other installments of the franchise, it offers plenty of fun for gamers that are new to the series and seasoned veterans.

On Tour is a great game. But if you're tracking its release with the same feverish anticipation as the SSX faithful, there's a caveat: it's a great game in the same way its predecessor -- SSX 3 -- was a great game. It is not, however, a great game in the same way SSX Tricky was before that -- that is to say, it won't go on to be one of the greats. And that's the truly unfortunate thing: like a fine, handcrafted European sports car dolled up in spinners and ground effects, SSX On Tour is -- still -- nothing but awesome under the hood.

It's a shame that things like repetitive events and lack of online hurt SSX On Tour so much. Visually the game is top notch and incredibly unique and the new indie inspired soundtrack is a nice change of pace when stacked up against the last's installment's exclusive techno offerings. For every good aspect of the game there seems to be a bad one, and when you balance that out across the board (or ski), it just adds up to a game that tries to evolve a winning formula but falls prey to its own ambition.

Even though there's a lot to love about SSX On Tour, the game doesn't feel as groundbreaking as its predecessors, even with the new additions. Since just about every trail is unlocked from the beginning, you won't get to feel the satisfaction of making your way to a new mountain (one of the best parts of SSX 3) and exploring it for the first time. Still, there's no denying that this is yet another stellar entry one of the most consistently excellent series around today. Now, strap on your skis and go find some fresh powder!