SSX 2012 was just released and it completely surprised myself and many others with its many aspects of gameplay. It is as if they literally took the original Nintendo 64 game and brought it to the next level without leaving out any of the technology or gamplay mechanics that have come to pass over the years since that first release of the game.
There are a total of 10 riders each with their own specific perk bonuses (i.e. Speed, Trick, Boost, Wingsuit, etc.) that all come from the world of extreme sports being Surf, Snowboard and Motocross… hence the name SSX. You can play numerous places across the entire globe from Antarctica, to Africa to Mount Everest. Throughout the game there are your obvious typical races as well as trick events, but the new SSX has taken the franchise to an entirely different level, where you must survive extremely dangerous terrain from rocky environments, to complete darkness inside volcanoes, out running avalanches, falling trees and much more. You will need special gear for many of them like general armor protecting your health, ice axes, headlamps, oxygen masks for high altitude drops and even high-tech solar armor to protect you in extremely cold environments, with them strapped to your back collecting solar energy while in the sun and using it to keep your body temperature stabilized while entering a shaded area or a tunnel. The game also features a rewind button, that has consequences but can come in handy quite avoid, particularly when avoiding certain death. Each character unlocked through World Tour gives a look at a quick comic strip that gives you some background on the character and how they ended up where they are now. The ultimate story is the SSX Team versus Griff, a former member of the team that bailed on them and wants to show the team he’s better than them, in event after event.
Hang on for dear life!
Credits may even be purchased with Microsoft Points on the Xbox through the game and purchased on the Playstation 3 as well, just in case you happen to gamble away all your credits for a brutal loss. You also have a level for each player or character in the game and your boards, gear, etc. is relevant to your level. While most characters have signature boards as well as special signature gear (i.e. Mac has special head lamp, Moby has special armor) you will eventually wind up purchasing many items, even suits. Some items are more rare than others, as there are Epic Purple Items and even more rare are the Legendary Orange Items. If you see an Orange Legendary Item for sale, you might want to pick it up as it may never show up again, however you should be mindful that even the rare items have levels, so a Level 2 Epic Purple Item may be nothing compared to a common Level 8 Item. The Legendary and Epic Items sometimes have special perks attached to them, even suits have perk bonuses such as ‘Extra Tricky Time’ or ‘Extra Rewinds’ and more. You can even customize your music by either listening to the game’s soundtrack, making your own playlist from your personal library, or mixing them together.
I believe I can fly… with a wingsuit.
As long as you are connected to the internet you can collect GeoTags which are floating purple cylinders that have been placed by other players throughout levels and ranges. You can place GeoTags anywhere you’d like as well and get a certain number of credits just for placing one somewhere which you must do in ‘Explore’ Mode or online ‘Global Events’. The deal behind these GeoTags is that you want to put them in hard to find/reach places making it very difficult for other players to get as the longer the GeoTag goes without being collected, the more credits are racked up within in the GeoTag (with a limit, depending on the Tag). Once it has reached its max or anywhere in between there and collected, the person that collects it, gets whatever the GeoTag credit build up that was reached and is shown the Gamer Picture/Gamertag of the person who placed it there, while the person whole placed it receives the same. You can see them EVERY WHERE as so long as you are connected to the internet you can collect Tags placed by people across the globe in any mode. They are much like the 599 collectible snowflakes scattered throughout the ranges on the globe by the developers with each one collected giving you a specific amount of credits.
Any friends that you have playing the game are automatically seen as Rivals and you are given the opportunity to beat their scores, for credits, bragging rights and medals. There are TONS of medals in the game, that can be viewed by pressing back/select, then clicking on medals to see them all, with ones specific to each mode, game type or more general ones and more. When it comes to gameplay, it is as smooth as ever as the controls flow so well with tricks easily nailed while landing simply comes down to letting go of all your buttons and sticks for the most part. There is a bar on the bottom that represent your multiplier (for trick score) and the level of boost you have. Flares are strewn across every level and collecting them adds to your level of boost while you can also gain more boost by pulling off tricks. Once you reach a maximum boost level you go into Super Tricky mode where you have infinite boost and you must pull off enough tricks in time to gain Super Uber Tricky Mode in which it becomes all out trick madness. In this mode, the word Tricky is highlighted in orange where the boost would be, you also have unlimited boost and all tricks look much different then they normally do. Now when I say much different I mean they look totally awesome in a way that does not even look humanly possible, while your hands/feet are streaming an orange glow as you flip your board in so many directions all while the classic song ‘Tricky’ is being played the original artist who wrote it, Run DMC with it being slightly remixed for your amp adrenaline pleasure.
You can grind on a lot more than railings in SSX.
While grinding backwards and doing certain moves can alter the music it seems. SSX has come a long way from that Nintendo 64 game that everyone loved so much. The levels or ranges in the game are so dynamic and you can tell a lot of time went into making them not only flow well but giving the player multiple ways of doing things whether it comes down to tricks or racing. You almost feel like you can do things on these mountains that the developers never though possible because of their creative, open end stretches. There are so many things to do in SSX, whether it is leveling, trying to find that legendary or Epic Glowing Suit for a character, to dominating the online events. With surviving the Deadly Descent challenges, to Racing through some of the most unique places in the world, to pulling tricks off of a helicopter, to gliding at incredible speeds down mountains with a wingsuit… this game has something for everyone. Old fans of the franchise will be over joyed while new comers will see the most fun snowboarding game to date with more than just that feeling of snowboarding.
SSX Official Press Release
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) announced that EA SPORTS™ SSX™ is available in retail stores throughout North America today and by March 2 around the world.* For the first time ever SSX, what IGN® calls “An amazing, exhilarating ride” and “The game this generation has been missing”, is available in high definition on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. One of the most critically-acclaimed titles coming out of E3, SSX is currently featured on 15 ‘Most Anticipated Games of 2012′ lists.
“We’re extremely proud to finally bring back the SSX franchise, one of the greatest wholly-owned IP franchises from EA SPORTS,” said Dean Richards, General Manager, Team & Action Sports, EA SPORTS. “We’ve built SSX with the latest technologies giving it a more modern look and feel, but everyone who has played it has agreed — this is 100 percent SSX at its core.”
A modern day reinvention of one of the most critically acclaimed arcade franchises of all-time, SSX will allow players to experience the franchise’s signature fun and adrenaline-packed gameplay across iconic regions all over the world. Using NASA topographical satellite data, SSX has a massive world for players to explore. Throughout nine expansive regions, SSX packs reality-defying gameplay into every run letting players Race, Trick, and Survive as they descend huge open mountains. In addition, Explore, Global Events and RiderNet — the SSX recommendation engine – headline an online feature set that will redefine social competition for gamers, making it fun and easy to compete with friends with no lobbies or wait times.
Become a fan of SSX on Facebook via www.facebook.com/easportsssx or follow us on Twitter @EASPORTSSSX. For more information visit http://www.ea.com/ssx. SSX was developed by EA Canada and is rated E by the ESRB, and PEGI 3.
For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game communities, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete. To download assets for EA SPORTS SSX, please visit the EA press site at http://info.ea.com
EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, global videogame competitions and breakthrough digital experiences. EA SPORTS delivers personal access to the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports simulation videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA JAM basketball, NCAA® Football, Fight Night boxing, EA SPORTS MMA, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, and EA SPORTS Active. For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.
*March 15, 2012 in Japan
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company’s game franchises are offered as both packaged goods products and online services delivered through Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 100 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.
In fiscal 2011, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.6 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster franchises such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield, and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.
EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Active, SSX, The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mass Effect is a trademark of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. Battlefield is a trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. John Madden, NFL, NHL, NBA, NCAA, Tiger Woods, PGA TOUR and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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