''SSX 3'' is a
snowboarding video game
A sports video game is a video game that simulates the practice of sports. Most sports have been recreated with a game, including team sports, track and field, extreme sports, and combat sports. Some games emphasize actually playing the sport (s ...
developed by
EA Vancouver
EA Vancouver (formerly known as EA Burnaby, then EA Canada) is a Canadian video game developer located in Burnaby, British Columbia. The development studio opened as Distinctive Software in January 1983, and is also Electronic Arts's largest a ...
and published by
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
under the
EA Sports BIG
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
label. The game was originally released on October 20, 2003, for the
GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
,
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
, and
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
. It was later ported to the
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
by Visual Impact on November 11, 2003, and to the
Gizmondo
The Gizmondo is a handheld gaming console developed by Tiger Telematics. It was released in the UK, Sweden and the U.S. starting in March 2005. Its first-party games were developed in studios in Helsingborg, Sweden, and Manchester, England. Giz ...
by
Exient Entertainment
Exient Entertainment (also known as Exient Company) is an independent video game developer based in Oxford, United Kingdom with additional development studios in Leamington Spa, United Kingdom, and Malta. Mainly developing for handheld gaming s ...
on August 31, 2005, as a launch title. It is the third installment in the ''
SSX
''SSX'' is a series of snowboarding and skiing video games published by EA Sports. It is an arcade-style racing game with larger-than-life courses, characters, and tricks. While the general focus of the series is racing and performing tricks on ...
'' series.
Set on a fictional
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
, the
single-player mode
A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. A single-player game is usually a game that can only be played by one person, while "single-player mode" is usually ...
follows snowboarders competing in the SSX Championship. Players choose from a variety of characters and take part in various events in different locations, earning points and money by performing tricks, winning races, completing goals, and finding collectables. Money can be used to upgrade character attributes, buy new clothes and boards, and unlock music and extras. Multiple players can play against each other in
local multiplayer
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
* Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...
modes, and an
online multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
mode also allowed players to connect to games and play against each other online on the PS2 version of the game, but it has since been discontinued.
Development of ''SSX 3'' initially began in 2001 following the release of ''
SSX Tricky
''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 Vancouver. A direct sequel to ''S ...
'', the previous title in the series. The development team was composed of people from various different employment backgrounds, including an
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology), ...
-nominated visual effects designer who worked as one of the game's art directors. The game includes thirty different types of snow and general visual improvements over the previous game, such as enhanced models and shadows. It was initially confirmed through a trailer in ''
NBA Street Vol. 2
''NBA Street Vol. 2'' is a basketball video game, published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label and developed by NuFX and EA Canada. It is the sequel to the original ''NBA Street'' and the second game in the ''NBA Street (series), NBA ...
'' in 2003. A soundtrack album, ''SSX 3 Soundtrack'', was released on September 30, 2003.
''SSX 3'' was critically acclaimed, with reviewers praising the game's open world, trick system, presentation, and soundtrack. It was the first game in the ''SSX'' series to sell 1 million copies.
[ '']IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
''s Douglass C. Perry called it the best snowboarding game he had ever played, and ''GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
''s Greg Kasavin recommended it not only to veterans but also for novices of the series. ''SSX 3'' received the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' awards for Console Action Sports Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Licensed Soundtrack. Its 2018 re-release for Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
was also a success and was critically acclaimed.
Gameplay
''SSX 3'' is a snowboard racing game
Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic rac ...
played from a third-person view
In 3D video games, a virtual camera system aims at controlling a camera or a set of cameras to display a view of a 3D virtual world. Camera systems are used in video games where their purpose is to show the action at the best possible angle; m ...
. Players control one of various snowboarder
Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympi ...
s and compete in events set across individual courses in peaks Peak or The Peak may refer to:
Basic meanings Geology
* Mountain peak
** Pyramidal peak, a mountaintop that has been sculpted by erosion to form a point Mathematics
* Peak hour or rush hour, in traffic congestion
* Peak (geometry), an (''n''-3)-di ...
on a mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
. Unlike previous games in the series, which contain unconnected courses, a freeride mode also allows players to freely roam the open world consisting of all the courses in the game; it is possible for the player to ride from the top of the mountain to the bottom without stopping or reloading each course. New areas are progressively unlocked throughout the game.
Players can gain points by performing tricks, such as grabs, grinds, flips, and spins. A feature returning from previous games in the ''SSX
''SSX'' is a series of snowboarding and skiing video games published by EA Sports. It is an arcade-style racing game with larger-than-life courses, characters, and tricks. While the general focus of the series is racing and performing tricks on ...
'' series is the adrenaline meter, which gains adrenaline when the player executes tricks. It can be used to provide a speed boost or, once it becomes full, perform advanced tricks called übers, which grant more points than regular tricks. Performing übers increases the level of the adrenaline meter, which leads to progressively more advanced super über tricks and faster adrenaline boosts. Performing multiple tricks of different kinds creates a combo, doubling the points acquired from tricks, while repeating the same trick causes the number of points it earns to drop. Landing tricks poorly or hitting an object in mid air will cause the snowboarder to wipe out, falling over. The player has the ability to recover their snowboarder more quickly by tapping a button, or alternatively reset the snowboarder back to the course if they get stuck in an area. Both wiping out and resetting result in a loss of adrenaline and the ability to perform übers until the adrenaline meter is filled again.
Players complete peak goals—set objectives—to progress through the single-player mode and unlock all three peaks of the mountain. Peak goals are achieved by completing events, earning money or completing big challenges and finding collectables, both during freeride mode, which can be accessed outside of events. The player only has to complete one of these goals to progress to the next peak. Completing each peak goal unlocks a trophy for the player.
Each course in the game has a designated event that players can compete in. Events fall under two categories: race and freestyle. Coming first in an event provides the player a gold medal, coming second provides the player a silver medal, and coming third provides the player a bronze medal. It is also possible to obtain a platinum medal by beating certain times or getting a high enough score. The race event objective is to get to the end of the course as quickly as possible. Players race against other snowboarder NPCs
A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...
on the same course.
Races contain multiple routes and shortcuts, which can give the player an advantage over opponents. Players can also use melee
A melee ( or , French: mêlée ) or pell-mell is disorganized hand-to-hand combat in battles fought at abnormally close range with little central control once it starts. In military aviation, a melee has been defined as " air battle in which ...
combat to knock other snowboarders over, slowing them down and providing the player with adrenaline. Race events have three heats, and the player must come third place or above in each heat to progress. Once all race events are completed on a peak, the player's snowboarder is challenged to a backcountry race by their rival snowboarder. Winning unlocks a peak race, where the player aims to beat their rival's best time from the peak to the bottom of the mountain; both races have only one heat. Completing the races unlocks the next peak.
The freestyle events include slopestyle
Slopestyle is a winter sport in which athletes ski or snowboard down a course including a variety of obstacles including rails, jumps and other terrain park features. Points are scored for amplitude, originality and quality of tricks. The disci ...
, big air
Big air is a high-injury-risk sports discipline where the competitor rides a vehicle, such as a motocross motorcycle, a skateboard, a snowboard, or a pair of skis, down a hill or ramp and performs aerial tricks after launching off very large jump ...
, and super pipe. Their objectives are to get as many points as possible. Slopestyle courses are similar to race courses, as players must ride through a downhill track with multiple paths. While the goal of slopestyle courses is for the player to gain points by performing tricks, big air courses are short, with one or two ramps that are designed to allow the player to perform large jumps and multiple tricks in a small amount of time, and super pipe courses contain half-pipe
A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, skating, and scooter riding.
Overview
The structure resembles a cross-section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ramp ...
s that the player can repeatedly perform tricks on. Freestyle events are structured similarly to race events; each have three heats, and the player is invited to backcountry jams and peak jams, where points are scored through performing tricks. Completing the freestyle events unlocks the next peak.
Outside of events, players can take part in big challenges. The objectives of the challenges include jumping through hoops and collecting items, among others. Collectable crystals items can also be found on every course, and can be collected in any event and in freeride. Obtaining enough crystals and completing enough big challenges on a peak unlocks the next peak. In addition to peak goals, ''SSX 3'' contains smaller challenges called career highlights. Similar to big challenges, objectives can vary, and include holding a handplant for five seconds or doing a certain number of übers in one event. In freeride, players can travel to any courses they have unlocked and can also go to stations; these areas contain lodges, which allow the player to save their game, edit music playlists, buy attributes to improve their snowboarder, purchase new übers, and buy or equip gear and boards to change the aesthetics of the snowboarder. Money can also be used to buy extras, such as videos, cheat characters, and game art. Money can be earned in game by performing tricks, completing big challenges and events, or collecting crystals. Earning enough money on a peak will unlock the next peak. In station areas, game narrator DJ Atomika talks to the player via EA Radio Big, a fictional radio station. He gives the player information about events and weather, as well as other miscellaneous information. While the player is on a course, the soundtrack of the game is played through EA Radio Big. Depending on how well the player is performing, the music becomes quieter and louder. The player can change what music is allowed to play at lodges.
The PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
version of ''SSX 3'' had an online multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
mode that allowed two players to race against each other over the internet. The service required an EA account to use. Players could join lobbies, where they could challenge players to races, view player statistics such as the global rank of a player, and chat with players using supported USB headsets
Headset may refer to:
* Headset (audio), audio headphone(s), particularly with an attached microphone
* Head Set (band), an American alternative rock band
* Headset (bicycle part), a bicycle part that connects the fork to the frame
* Head-mounted ...
and keyboards. Players could send messages and add up to forty friends, called buddies, using EA Messenger, an in-game instant messaging
Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat allowing real-time text transmission over the Internet or another computer network. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties, when each user inputs text and trigge ...
service. The online service has since been discontinued.
Development
''SSX 3'' was developed by EA Vancouver
EA Vancouver (formerly known as EA Burnaby, then EA Canada) is a Canadian video game developer located in Burnaby, British Columbia. The development studio opened as Distinctive Software in January 1983, and is also Electronic Arts's largest a ...
and published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
under the EA Sports Big
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
label. Its development began after the release of ''SSX Tricky
''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 Vancouver. A direct sequel to ''S ...
'', the previous title in the series, in 2001. During the development of ''SSX
''SSX'' is a series of snowboarding and skiing video games published by EA Sports. It is an arcade-style racing game with larger-than-life courses, characters, and tricks. While the general focus of the series is racing and performing tricks on ...
'' and ''SSX Tricky'', there were plans for both games to allow the player to explore a mountain, but this was never implemented, and was instead made the focus for ''SSX 3''. EA Canada stated that ''SSX 3'' was designed so "just about anyone can pick up and play". Larry LaPierre, the producer of the game, stated that the developers wanted "to give people the first ever full mountain experience" and allow players to choose what they wanted to do on the mountain. The game was initially confirmed through a trailer in the 2003 game ''NBA Street Vol. 2
''NBA Street Vol. 2'' is a basketball video game, published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label and developed by NuFX and EA Canada. It is the sequel to the original ''NBA Street'' and the second game in the ''NBA Street (series), NBA ...
'' with the working title ''SSX 3'', which later became the official title. The game was available to play by journalists before release at the July 2003 Camp EA event, and earlier in May at E3 2003
E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publishe ...
. The Gizmondo
The Gizmondo is a handheld gaming console developed by Tiger Telematics. It was released in the UK, Sweden and the U.S. starting in March 2005. Its first-party games were developed in studios in Helsingborg, Sweden, and Manchester, England. Giz ...
version was also available to play by journalists at E3 2005
E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publisher ...
.
The open ended nature of the game was influenced by ''Battlefield 1942
''Battlefield 1942'' is a 2002 first-person shooter video game developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. The game can be played in single-player mode against the video game AI or in multiplayer mode a ...
'' and ''NBA Street Vol. 2'', both EA titles, as the developers of ''SSX 3'' enjoyed features in both games that allow players to choose the way they want to play. Developers were also inspired by their own personal experiences with snowboarding at Island Lake Lodge. EA Canada hired people from various different work backgrounds to develop the game, including the Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
-nominated visual effects designer Henry LaBounta, who worked as one of the game's three art directors. The game contains thirty different types of snow, ranging in consistency, and rendered using various shading techniques and more realistic lighting effects than ''SSX Tricky''. Improvements to graphics over the previous game in the series also include better models and shadows, as well as more reflections in the in-game snow. ''SSX 3'' is the first game in the ''SSX'' series and one of the first games in general to be THX
THX Ltd. is an American company that develops the eponymous high fidelity audio/visual reproduction standards for movie theaters, screening rooms, home theaters, computer speakers, gaming consoles, car audio systems, and video games. Founded ...
certified.
Reception
''SSX 3'' received critical acclaim upon its release. Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
calculated an average score of 93 out of 100 for the PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
(PS2) version based on 41 reviews, and 92 out of 100 for the Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
and GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
(GC) versions, both based on 27 reviews. All scores indicate universal acclaim. It is EA Sports Big's second-highest rated game on Metacritic before the first title in the ''SSX
''SSX'' is a series of snowboarding and skiing video games published by EA Sports. It is an arcade-style racing game with larger-than-life courses, characters, and tricks. While the general focus of the series is racing and performing tricks on ...
'' series. On aggregate website GameRankings
GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
, the game holds 92% for PS2 and GC based on 60 reviews and 38 reviews, respectively, and 90% for Xbox based on 41 reviews. Reviewers liked the addition of an open world, the presentation, and trick system, while finding issues with the difficulty of the controls and customization options. Douglass C. Perry of ''IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' stated that it "expands upon ''Tricky'' in every way", while ''GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
''s Greg Kasavin wrote that it "delivers a rush like few racing games or action sports games have ever achieved".
Reviewers particularly praised ''SSX 3''s technical advancements, with ''Game-Revolution
''GameRevolution'' (formerly ''Game-Revolution'') is a Video game, gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, ...
''s Ben Silverman calling the game's snow effects unrivaled, while also recognising its "consistently high" frame rate. ''Eurogamer
''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson.
Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...
''s Tom Bramwell directed his praise at the game's draw distances, seamless animation and colourful environments, and GameSpy
GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1996 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for the game, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...
's Bryn Williams commended the game's lighting and particle effects. Reviewers also recognised ''SSX 3''s open world as innovative, with Williams finding that the loading times allow players to ride across long distances "without having to wait a single second for the environments to load into memory". With a score of 9.4 out of 10, Louis Bedigian of ''GameZone'' called the PS2 version "extremely fun. The gameplay is as good as snowboarding games come." Carlos McElfish, Bedigian's colleague, was a bit less positive of the GC version but did not rate it below a score of 9.0 out of 10, saying: "The lack of fantastical obstacles and other ''Tricky''-exclusive elements is admittedly missed, but the inclusion of so many other excellent improvements makes you quickly forget that this ain't ''Tricky''." Tim Surette, also of ''GameZone'', gave the Xbox version a score of 9.7 out of 10, which is a higher score than the other console versions, and called it "one of the tightest games out there... there's nothing that stands out as a negative, and everything else is a glaring positive. The abundance of 'stuff to do' keeps the gameplay fresh and makes 100% completion a task for the gods." In a slightly less positive review with a score of 70 out of 100, the reviewer for ''GamesTM
''GamesTM'' (styled as ''gamesTM'') was a United Kingdom, UK-based, multi-format video games magazine, covering video game console, console, handheld game, handheld, PC game, PC and Arcade games. The first issue was released in December 2002 and t ...
'' stated that "given the constraints of the sport", the game does a great job of staying as open as possible.
The trick system was well received. Bramwell called the new super-über tricks "astonishingly cool" and stated that he was pleased that the game introduced "a much more clear-cut combo system". Perry said that the addition of board presses "make playing ''SSX 3'' an entirely new game", adding that performing tricks is "a pleasure on the PS2 and Xbox", but criticised the GC's controls, citing that "the controller just doesn't provide enough buttons to do" the game justice. Kasavin also said that the PS2 pad was "especially well suited for the game". ''SSX 3''s sound and voice acting were widely praised, with Silverman commending the "varied soundtrack and great effects", stating that they make the game "sound terrific". Perry commented that ''SSX 3'' is "a legitimate THX endorsed game, ensuring high-quality sound clarity". Williams thought highly of the voice acting, calling it "clear, simple, and not annoying in the slightest". He also considered the DJ commentary to be slick and unobtrusive. Kasavin praised the soundtrack, calling it "one of the highlights of the experience", and gave recognition to the way it layers in with the racing, saying that "it contributes heavily to the intensity and excitement of playing ''SSX 3''".
Non-video game publications sang the praises of the game. Noah Robischon of ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' gave the PS2 version an A and said that all of the smooth music, "along with the 'Uber' and 'Super Uber' combo tricks, will have you stumbling away from the console at 4 a.m., your fingers aching and your voice hoarse." ''Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.
K ...
'' gave the GC, PS2, and Xbox versions a score of 100% and said: "While other snowboarding games run out of steam mid-shred, the ''SSX'' series continues to gain momentum." The Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
(GBA) version of ''SSX 3'' was more poorly received, gaining a score of 63 out of 100 based on 14 reviews on Metacritic, indicating mixed or average reviews. On GameRankings, the GBA version received a score of 57% based on 12 reviews. A review by ''Computer and Video Games
''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website ...
'' called the game slow and sluggish, and its controls unresponsive. Craig Harris of ''IGN'' said that the graphics engine has difficulty "keeping up with all that the designers throw at it". In a more positive review, Frank Provo of ''GameSpot'' wrote that it "duplicates many of the same features found in the console versions", stating that the game's 3D graphics engine is "unrivaled by anything else currently available for the system". Bedigian of ''GameZone'' said that this version was "not even close to the exciting console versions".
''SSX 3'' won the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) is a non-profit organization of video game industry professionals. It organizes the annual Design Innovate Communicate Entertain summit, better known as D.I.C.E., which includes the presentation ...
' Console Action Sports Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Licensed Soundtrack awards. By July 2006, its PS2 version had sold 750,000 copies and earned $28 million in the United States. It was the first game in the ''SSX'' series to sell 1 million copies. '' Next Generation'' ranked it as the 83rd highest-selling game launched for the PS2, Xbox, or GC between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country. Combined sales of the ''SSX'' series reached 3 million units in the United States by July 2006. ''SSX 3''s PS2 version also received a Gold sales award from the ELSPA
The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) is a non-profit trade association for the video game industry in the United Kingdom (UK). Ukie was originally founded as the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), and the ...
, indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
''SSX 3'': Behind the Scenes
at YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ssx 3
2003 video games
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Multiplayer and single-player video games
Multiplayer online games
Open-world video games
PlayStation 2 games
SSX
Video games developed in Canada
Xbox games
D.I.C.E. Award for Sports Game of the Year winners
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