SSX on Tour

''SSX on Tour'' is a snowboarding and skiing game, the fourth title in the ''SSX'' series of video games for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PlayStation Portable. It was released in North America on October 11, 2005 and in the PAL region on October 21, 2005. The PlayStation Portable version was released in Europe on October 28, 2005. In 2007, a prequel titled '' SSX Blur'' was released, which took place between ''SSX 3'' and ''SSX on Tour''. The GameCube version contains Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach as playable characters. This was part of a deal Nintendo had with EA Sports to have Nintendo's intellectual properties appear in EA franchises.

Gameplay

The gameplay in ''SSX on Tour'' is similar to that in '' SSX 3'', with similar controls and the overall aims of events remaining the same - snowboard down a mountain while gaining points for various tricks that can be performed. After each trick, a player's "boost bar" builds up, and once full enables a player to perform special moves - known as "Monster Tricks" now, previously known as "Über tricks". Despite the similarities, numerous changes were made to the structure of races and events themselves. Players can now create their own characters, selecting his/her symbol, makeup, height, clothes and hair, in addition to whether they are a snowboarder or a skier (skiing being a new feature in the game). Once created, their 'boarder can compete in official competitions (known as "Events"), or unofficial challenges known as "Shreds". Each completed event or challenge gains their character "Hype", raising their profile and moving them up the SSX charts, with the ultimate goal of reaching number one.

With the focus now on custom-created characters, the original SSX cast is moved into the background slightly, appearing in various Shreds against the player, and available to play as when not on the Tour itself. In addition to seven returning ''SSX'' veterans (Elise, Mac, Kaori, Zoe, Psymon, Nate and Allegra), three new characters make an appearance: Tyson, Sid and Skye. In the Nintendo GameCube version, Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach appear as playable characters. Also in this version, the slope that was named "Last Call" in other versions of the game was renamed to "Nintendo Village", with certain textures in the level replaced with ''Mario'' themed iconography. Unlike its predecessor, ''SSX3'', no online play was included on any of the versions of ''SSX On Tour''. The main focus was on improving the single-player storyline mode, implementing the character-creation system, the selection of new tracks, and the addition of skiing as well as snowboarding.

The PSP version also differs greatly from the main console versions, with limited customization to custom-characters and levels borrowed from SSX 3. It also has omitted the use of bonuses on the special "Monster Tricks".

This game is presented in the style of a sketch-book, a new direction for the SSX series. The cover artwork as well as the in-game menus are all shown in sketch formats, simplistic images often on a lined background. The special in game collectibles, displayed as snowflakes in previous SSX games, have been replaced with sketchlike doodles known as "skulvis", which were actually controversial within the team according to art director Rich Curren. "When we looked at the SSX franchise, everything was shiny and slick and felt too 'produced,'" said Curren. "We used drawings that looked like they were produced by a 15-year-old kid – not even 'good' drawings at that. We committed to this concept and it worked."

Soundtrack

One of the most highly acclaimed features of every game in the ''SSX'' series are the soundtracks and the proprietary engine that remixes the music in realtime to gameplay. Like ''SSX Tricky'' and '' SSX 3'', ''SSX on Tour'' features a licensed soundtrack, this time with more prominence on rap, punk, rock and alternative music styles. The focus of punk and rock is a departure from the more electronic hip-hop, breakbeat, and techno focused soundtracks of previous games in the series.

According to art director Rich Curren he was brought on the team to "change the overall sensibility and style of the game ... we moved away from the brand's techno/rave style to something that was more reflective of snowboard and youth culture at the time: the second coming of rock." He recalled the move was initially met with "a lot of blank stares" but after initial tests proved the music was getting the highest reception of anything in the game, they ran with the new direction.

Tracks used on the menu screens play only as instrumental versions of the ones used during races. In addition, when performing "Monster Tricks" during an event, the music will fade away, to be replaced with the sound of the wind whistling as the player cuts through the air. Upon hitting the ground again, the music cuts back in. The main song used in the intro is Iron Maiden's Run to the Hills.

Reception

The game received "favorable" reviews on all platforms according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. In Japan, ''Famitsu'' gave the GameCube and PS2 versions a score of one nine and three eights, bringing it to a total of 33 out of 40; for the PSP version, the same magazine gave it a score of three eights and one seven, while ''Famitsu Cube + Advance'' also gave the GameCube version three eights and one seven, both for a total of 31 out of 40.

Awards and nominations

Awards
*Alternative Sports Game at IGN
*Best Use of Sound in a Game at DEM X AWARDS 2005
*D.I.C.E's Best Sports Game of the Year Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) 2006

Nominations
*Best Mobile Game of the Year CAEAA 2006
*Best Individual Sports Game at Spike Video Game Awards 2005
*Best Sports/Extreme Sports title at 1UP.com

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ssx On Tour
2005 video games
GameCube games
EA Sports games
EA Sports Big games
Interactive Achievement Award winners
Multiplayer and single-player video games
PlayStation 2 games
PlayStation Portable games
Skiing video games
SSX
Video games developed in Canada
Xbox games
D.I.C.E. Award for Sports Game of the Year winners