SSX

PlayStation exclusive

SSX is the first in a series of snowboarding video games which specializes in extreme sports titles with an unrealistic or arcade feel, including exaggerated jumps, highly decorated mountain runs and improbable trick. Winning medals in a variety of events unlocks new courses, characters, and boards, as well as improved the boarder's abilities. New outfits may be earned by completing a character's trick book, by doing a number of specific tricks during play. Three kinds of boards are available to players: trick-oriented Freestyle boards, all-around BX boards, and racing-oriented Alpine boards, which are not meant to be ridden backwards.

Released: 26 October 2000
Platforms: N-Gage PlayStation 2
Genres: Puzzle Racing Simulation Sports
Developers: EA Canada
Publishers: EA Sports BIG Electronic Arts Victor Electronic Arts
Modes: Local multiplayer Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Themes: Action

About

SSX (standing for "Snowboard Supercross") is a series of snowboarding video games published by EA Sports, created by Steve Rechtschaffner, who is the inventor of the Olympic snowboarding event boardercross. The SSX series are arcade-style racing games with larger-than-life courses, characters, and tricks. The general focus of the series is racing and performing tricks on snowboards. Players earn speed boosts based on tricks they perform.

The player generally has to perform tricks in each race in order to gain speed and successfully take the lead. The series introduced skiing with its fourth installment, SSX on Tour (2005).

Keywords

vehicular combat
skiing
multiple protagonists
artificial intelligence
snow
level selection
high score
instant replay
vehicle combat
fixed camera
digital distribution
motorsports

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Starting with the original SSX, players may choose any one of a number of snowboarders, each with their own statistics and boarding style. A course is selected and the player is given the option of racing down the course or participating in a competition to do tricks. Each course is filled with ramps, rails, and other assorted objects. Performing tricks fills up the player's boost meter, which can then be used for additional acceleration, making tricks important even in a race. Players also have the option of practicing or exploring courses in freeride mode.

SSX Tricky introduced Uber Tricks, absurdly unrealistic and exaggerated tricks, often involving detaching the board from the snowboarder's feet. The player can gain access to Uber Tricks during play after filling the adrenaline bar; performing six Uber Tricks earns the player unlimited boost for the rest of the race. SSX Tricky also introduced a new feature called rivalries, where the player would face consequences from their opponents if they attacked them while on the course, which also fills the player's boost meter.

Development

The development of SSX began with series producer Steven Rechtschaffner, who began his career as a professional skier from 1978 to 1981. After retiring from skiing, Rechtschaffner became a program director for his former team, aiming to make freestyle skiing an olympic event. Rechtschaffner abandoned this career in 1983, and became a segment producer for an action sports show called Greg Stump's World of Extremes for Fox TV. Rechtschaffner said he "ran out of ideas" for segments and came up with the idea to combine motocross with skiing, later deciding snowboarding would be more suitable than skiing. Because of this idea he invented the sport of boardercross, which is an Olympic event today.

Rechtschaffner then spent six years building a brand for a wristwatch company called Swatch, which had a focus at the time to combine hip-hop with action sports, which became later influential in Rechtschaffner's pitch for SSX.