SSX On Tour

[Coolskin]

Review:

SSX ON TOUR

Genre: Sport
Publisher: EA Games
Players: 1-4 (AD Hoc)
Online play: No
Firmware: 2.00

Video:
Windows Media Player: SSX: On Tour - Trailer
QuickTime Player: SSX: On Tour - Trailer

Snowboarding is fun………………………………. but skiing is even better! For the first time yet, SSX On Tour gets your adrenalin bursting on your snowboard and skis as you reach breakneck speeds, catch some serious air-time and compete across 12 new tracks to become an SSX Legend.
This game is all about looking good, whether it’s down to your clothes or your tricks, it’s all important. However, your aim is to win gold medals in all of the On Tour events.



There are seven categories of events in The Tour mode:
- Board Race
- Board Slope Style
- Board BigAir
- Ski Race
- Ski Slope Style
- Ski BigAir
- SSX Legend
Each of them are quite self explanatory, but each event will require you to flip and flick off any ramp or rail you can find to earn yourself some big scores and a great deal of boost.
The controls are kept quite comfortable and tidy, all until you’re about to takeoff from a huge ramp and then frantically press, tap and hold as many buttons as you can while airborne, to pull off an incredible trick at 75mph! As you progress in The Tour mode, you acquire medals and unlocked material, such as clothes, snowboards and skis, all of which are aimed to give you a better image and skill.



So…………. snowboard or skis?! You’re able to choose from either right from the start of the game, and you’ll have to use them both if you wish to complete the game entirely. But I think everyone will end up having their own favourite. Naturally, the tricks on a snowboard are different to those on skis, so your opposition will be using the same as you for each event, to keep things fair.



The visual on this game is amazing. While carrying out an insane trick off a 20+ meter high ramp, let your PSP show off its clinically sharp LCD and take this opportunity to view the vista of an alpine landscape in front of you. However, the sound isn’t quite the same, especially if all the EA Trax available on SSX On Tour aren’t quite to your taste. But whatever you do, don’t under any circumstances turn off the music volume. If you do, you’ll feel as though you’re casually cross-country skiing. Instead, keep the quick and sometimes weird rock music on at a background volume, so that you’re still submersed in the true mind of a boarding / skiing maniac!



SSX On Tour is lots of fun for most gamers and you don’t need to understand the physics laws of snowboarding or skiing to play and enjoy this game. The loading times aren’t particularly great, and the attempted retro styling to the main menu looks more like a 3 year olds writing, but the necessary things are easily accessible. SSX is another leading brand for EA Games, and it does not disappoint. If you’re after short bursts of fast arcade action, buy this game!

The Verdict:

Uppers:
- It’s got snowboarding
- It’s got skiing
- And it looks just as good!

Downers:
- The layout of the main menu
- No online play
- The clothes look horrible

Overall score: 80%







Henry,

27/01/2007

[evolve]

Thanks for the review. Looks like a good game, will try it.

[Steph]

Good review, but i think your score was too generous. It's a complete rip-off of SSX 3 (though that was a rip-off of Tricky, apparently) with almost everything great about it taken out, lame menu screens, terrible customisation options, and music that's been borrowed from other PSP games.

I'm not saying the game is completely terrible but so much has been cut out that the game feels hollow, like things are missing. The only great things about it is its graphics (graphically, it's the best snowboarding game on a handheld, hands down) and being able to ski, but that's really it. I have to say, i was a little disappointed with it.

Btw, i wrote a review on this while i was away: i was gonna write it up on my PC tomorrow and post it up, but you beat me to it. It's okay, i'll post mine elsewhere: i know another site that's in desperate need of handheld game reviews.