SSX Tricky

SSX Tricky
North American PS2 cover art
Developer(s)EA Canada
Visual Impact (GBA)
Publisher(s)EA Sports BIG
Producer(s)Larry LaPierre
Adam Mackay-Smith
Steve Rechtschaffner
Programmer(s)Jon Spencer
Artist(s)Ian Lloyd
SeriesSSX
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance
ReleasePlayStation 2
GameCube
  • NA: 27 November 2001[4]
  • EU: 12 July 2002
Xbox
  • NA: 11 December 2001[5]
  • EU: 14 June 2002
Game Boy Advance
Genre(s)Snowboarding, Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

SSX Tricky, also known as SSX 2 or SSX 2: Tricky, is a snowboarding video game, the second game in the SSX series published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label and developed by EA Canada. A direct sequel to SSX, the game was originally released in 2001 for PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox, It was later ported to the Game Boy Advance in October 2002. SSX 3 followed in 2003.[8]

In SSX Tricky, players can choose among twelve characters, participate in races or trick competitions, and earn rewards.[8] It is named after Run-D.M.C.'s "It's Tricky", a song that is featured throughout the game.[9] Additionally, the game includes a behind-the-scenes making-of video, which is labelled DVD Content in the main menu.[10] One of the major new features is the addition of 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.[11] Another added feature is the rivalry system, where knocking down an opponent will make them more hostile.[12]

SSX Tricky was the first game in the series to be released on multiple consoles, as the original SSX was one of the PS2's launch games.[8] Its PS2 version received a 92% score on Metacritic,[13] sold over 800,000 units worldwide, and like other games in the series achieved Platinum status. Though reviewers felt that the game was more an improved version of SSX rather than a true sequel,[14][15] it was critically acclaimed for its added features, voice acting, and general improvements,[16][17] leading to calls for a remake into the 2020s.[18]

  1. ^ "SSX Tricky ships..." Eurogamer.net. 28 November 2001. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  2. ^ "SSX Tricky - PlayStation 2 - GameSpy". ps2.gamespy.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  3. ^ "SSX Tricky - #95 Top PS2 Games - IGN". www.ign.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  4. ^ I. G. N. Staff (28 November 2001). "SSX and XG3 Race to Stores". IGN. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  5. ^ "EA Ships SSX Tricky - XboxAddict News". xboxaddict.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  6. ^ "What's New?". Eurogamer.net. 1 November 2002. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  7. ^ "SSX Tricky [GBA]". IGN. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Farlow, Sean (2 January 2017). "What Happened To SSX Games – Previous Releases and Future". Gazette Review. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bennett & Jones 2015, p. 104 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Barton, Matt; Loguidice, Bill (2014). Vintage Game Consoles: An Inside Look at Apple, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, and the Greatest Gaming Platforms of All Time (E-book ed.). Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. p. 297. ISBN 978-1-1350-0651-8. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2022 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference PS2 Manual, pp. 13–15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sinha 2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Bates, Ash (18 August 2021). "Ranking The SSX Games From Worst To Best". Cultured Vultures. Archived from the original on 19 February 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference NG was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference GameSpy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference GSpotPS2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference IGN Xbox was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference Couldon 2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).