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''SSX'' (standing for "Snowboard Supercross") is a series of
snowboarding 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 Paralym ...
video games
published Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...
by
EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they imitated real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" (EASN) ...
, created by Steve Rechtschaffner, who is the inventor of the Olympic snowboarding event
boardercross Snowboard cross, also known as boardercross, is a snowboard competition in which four to six competitors race down a course. Snowboard cross courses are typically quite narrow and include camber angle, cambered turns, various types of jumps, ber ...
. The ''SSX'' series are
arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated video, pinball, electro-mechanical, redemption, etc., game ** Arcade video game, a coin-operated video game ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade video game's hardware ** Arcad ...
-style
racing games 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 raci ...
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 Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...
with its fourth installment, ''
SSX on Tour ''SSX on Tour'' is a 2005 sports video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PlayStation Portable. It is the fourth title in the '' SSX'' series. T ...
'' (2005). The original ''SSX'' (2000) was a launch title for both the EA Sports Big brand and the original
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
. The franchise has received high critical acclaim, with the first three installments receiving over 90.00% on
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 ...
and
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
. The series has won numerous awards and its third installment ''
SSX 3 ''SSX 3'' (standing for "Snowboard Supercross 3") is a 2003 Sports video game, snowboarding video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label. It is the third installment in the ''SSX'' series. The g ...
'' (2003) sold over a million copies. The most recent game in the franchise is ''SSX'' (2012).


Gameplay

Starting with the original ''
SSX ''SSX'' (standing for "Snowboard Supercross") is a series of Snowboarding video games, snowboarding video games Video game publisher, published by EA Sports, created by Steve Rechtschaffner, who is the inventor of the Olympic Games, Olympic snow ...
'', 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 ''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' ...
'' 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. ''
SSX 3 ''SSX 3'' (standing for "Snowboard Supercross 3") is a 2003 Sports video game, snowboarding video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label. It is the third installment in the ''SSX'' series. The g ...
'' introduced an open mountain concept. Instead of offering individual races on multiple mountains, ''SSX 3'' takes place on one open mountain with three peaks. The runs are designated as Race, Slopestyle, Super Pipe, Big Air or Backcountry. The game also introduces new “Mountain effects” such as snow spray, snowstorms and natural disasters. ''SSX 3'' also introduces a second, intermediate set of Uber Tricks. Each character has an associated Uber Trick. The unlimited boost system was tweaked to where the player simply had to complete nine Uber Tricks to get the boost bonus but has a time limit, and after that expires, the second tier must be completed again to regain unlimited boost. Certain combinations of spins, flips, and Uber Tricks resulted in Monster Tricks, worth even more points than uber tricks. The points for the combinations are only unlocked after completing certain goals in the game, such as staying on a rail for . ''
SSX on Tour ''SSX on Tour'' is a 2005 sports video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PlayStation Portable. It is the fourth title in the '' SSX'' series. T ...
'' added more character customization and introduced the sport of skiing into franchise. All Uber Tricks in ''SSX on Tour'' are now known as Monster Tricks and are much simpler to execute than the Monster Tricks of ''SSX 3''. Where previous ''SSX'' titles used the main trick buttons and the tweak button for later titles to perform Uber Tricks, the Monster Tricks in ''SSX on Tour'' are performed by pushing the right analog stick in different directions. ''
SSX Blur ''SSX Blur'' is a snowboarding and skiing video game, published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label and developed by EA Montreal for the Wii. It is the fifth installment in the ''SSX'' series. The game was released in the United Sta ...
'' was a
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
exclusive, being one the first games to utilize the full capabilities of the Wiimote and the nunchuck. ''Blur'' introduced slalom events and the groove meter, which made the music intensify every time you stuck a trick, as well as increase your speed and height in the air. Uber Tricks this time around are now called Ubers and required the player to draw special shapes in the air with their Wiimotes. In the final ''
SSX ''SSX'' (standing for "Snowboard Supercross") is a series of Snowboarding video games, snowboarding video games Video game publisher, published by EA Sports, created by Steve Rechtschaffner, who is the inventor of the Olympic Games, Olympic snow ...
'' installment, its Uber Tricks can be tweaked with the use of additional button to gets more points. Also as an alternative to getting unlimited boost after completing six Uber Tricks, Super Uber Tricks are allowed to be performed, as opposed to Monster Tricks. Super Uber Tricks are even more intense than regular Uber Tricks; if both trigger buttons are held while performing an Uber Trick, a trick unique to the player's character is performed worth the most points out of every possible trick.


Development

The development of ''SSX'' began with series producer Steven Rechtschaffner, who began his career as a professional
skier Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International ...
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 Fox Broadcasting Company, LLC (commonly known as Fox; stylized in all caps) is an American commercial broadcast television network serving as the flagship property of Fox Corporation and operated through Fox Entertainment. Fox is based at Fo ...
. Rechtschaffner said he "ran out of ideas" for segments and came up with the idea to combine
motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
with skiing, later deciding
snowboarding 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 Paralym ...
would be more suitable than skiing. Because of this idea he invented the sport of
boardercross Snowboard cross, also known as boardercross, is a snowboard competition in which four to six competitors race down a course. Snowboard cross courses are typically quite narrow and include camber angle, cambered turns, various types of jumps, ber ...
, which is an Olympic event today. Rechtschaffner then spent six years building a brand for a wristwatch company called
Swatch Swatch is a Swiss watch company founded in 1983 by Ernst Thomke, Elmar Mock, and Jacques Müller. It is a subsidiary of The Swatch Group. The Swatch product line was developed as a response to the "quartz crisis" of the 1970s and 1980s, in whic ...
, which had a focus at the time to combine
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
with
action sports Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk of injury or death. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extre ...
, which became later influential in Rechtschaffner's pitch for ''SSX''. Rechtschaffner became interested in tv and film production at the same time his wife wished to move back to her home of
Vancouver, Canada Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Me ...
, where Rechtschaffner landed a job as a producer at Electronic Arts Canada in 1991 after presenting his idea to make games more appealing. Rechtschaffner used his experience as a television director to help develop the cameras for EA's then emerging 3D sports titles. In this time Rechtschaffner created the ''Triple Play'' series for EA. Because the series was successful, EA gave Rechtschaffner the blessing to work on his own side project, which began the development of ''SSX''. Rechtschaffner's approach was to "build it at an arcade or
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
-level quality, and really making it about fun, not about being a simulation. But having great physics and control, things that anybody could pick up and play but it would be hard to really master the game." In 1999, EA revealed ''SSX'' was being developed for the
Sega Dreamcast The is the final home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was released in Japan on November 27, 1998, in North America on September 9, 1999 and in Europe on October 14, 1999. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, prec ...
, however EA's relationship with
Sega is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...
was severed after disagreements over the choice of
CPU A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor, main processor, or just processor, is the primary processor in a given computer. Its electronic circuitry executes instructions of a computer program, such as arithmetic, log ...
Sega designated for the Dreamcast, as well as a new licensing deal that meant less money going to EA for games sold. EA presented ''SSX'' to
Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...
who responded enthusiastically, offering the team help as well as access to their engineers if the team promised to make it a
launch title Since the origin of video games in the early 1970s, the video game industry, the players, and surrounding culture have spawned a wide range of technical and slang terms. 0–9 A ...
for their upcoming
Playstation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
console. Despite Sony's proposal, some at EA were still uncertain of the project, but Rechtschaffner was allowed to continue due to a "silver bullet" concept at EA, which according to Rechtschaffner was "an opportunity to try something, even if you were to fail, as long as you were building on top of a success." Rechtschaffner's ''Triple Play'' series was his earned silver bullet. ''SSX'' appeared to be shaping up to a higher quality than that seen of the normal
EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they imitated real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" (EASN) ...
games of the time, which Rechtschaffner said averaged "about 74" with game ratings at the time. Inspired by this early reception alongside his background in marketing and branding with Swatch, Rechtschaffner proposed a new label within EA Sports called EA Sports Big for similar, more experimental titles, and pulled this branding together weeks before the launch of the first ''SSX''. ''SSX'' was released as a launch title for the
Playstation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
on October 26, 2000 and received a 93 on
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, making it one of the highest rated games in EA's history and the 19th best-reviewed game on PS2. This inspired EA to continue forward with EA Sports Big, giving Rechtschaffner influence over the brand. EA Sports Big released 21 games, 4 of which were ''SSX'' sequels.


Main series


''SSX'' (2000) and ''SSX Tricky''

''SSX'' was released for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
for its launch in October 2000. ''SSX'' was developed by
EA Canada 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 ...
, while ''SSX Tricky'' was developed by
EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they imitated real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" (EASN) ...
. The game was critically acclaimed. ''SSX Tricky'' was released November 5, 2001, for the PlayStation 2,
GameCube The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...
,
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
, and
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as application software, applications (games), the streaming media, streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox networ ...
. ''SSX Tricky'' was so similar to the original that many considered it an update rather than a
sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
. In ''SSX'' and ''SSX Tricky'', 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. The courses in both games are located around the world. Tokyo Megaplex is a course resembling a giant
pinball machine Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails call ...
, and Merqury City takes place in the downtown area of a city. The snowboarders are from around the world, and speak in their primary languages.


''SSX 3''

''SSX 3'' was released in October 2003. It was released on all the same platforms that ''SSX Tricky'' was released on, as well as the
Gizmondo The Gizmondo is a handheld gaming console developed by Gizmondo Europe. Its development was led by Swedish entrepreneur Carl Freer, who served as chairman of its parent company, Tiger Telematics. The device was originally launched on 19 Marc ...
, and was developed by
EA Canada 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 ...
. ''SSX 3'' makes use of an open mountain concept. In earlier games, individual tracks were located around the world. In ''SSX 3'', the entire game takes place on one mountain, with three peaks and several individual runs. Runs are designated as race, slopestyle, super pipe, big air, or backcountry tracks, and are designed accordingly. Tracks are connected; it is possible to board down the entire mountain without stopping. The game also uses a new graphics engine. The reward system is also revamped. Although some rewards are still tied to what medals the player gets, most rewards are bought using money earned in competition or when finding hidden snowflakes. Outfits, statistic improvements, hidden characters (character models), and game art are all available. Other changes include the introduction of a second level of Uber tricks, the elimination of Freestyle/BX/Alpine boards in favor of a single board type, and the elimination of statistical differences between characters. In general, the game emphasizes customization much more than in previous games; for example, different boards no longer have different effects on how your board handles, allowing the player to choose whatever board they like the most, instead of the best board statistically. ''SSX 3'' also offered online play; once in a lobby, a player could initiate a two-player versus match:
slopestyle Slopestyle is a winter sport in which athletes skiing, 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. Th ...
,
halfpipe A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as skateboarding, snowboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, Inline skating, skating, and scooter riding. Overview The structure resembles a cross-section of a swimming pool, essentially t ...
, or race event; however,
Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by former Apple Inc., Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry ...
(EA) closed this option in early 2006 by terminating all servers designated to EA games released during and prior to 2005.


''SSX on Tour''

''SSX on Tour'' is the fourth title in the ''SSX'' series of video games for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, PSP, and Xbox. It was released on October 13, 2005, in North America. Unlike its predecessor, ''SSX on Tour'' has no online play as the main focus was improving the gameplay and maps. There are many new characters, new maps, new tricks and
skiers Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International ...
. One main variation from other consoles is the GameCube version since it has Nintendo characters and a special track. ''SSX on Tours main gameplay mode The Tour allows the player to create a character and select one of a number of challenges available at any one point in time. Progressing through challenges, including medal events, earns the player both cash and hype; earning hype advances the player from amateur to pro level and unlocks harder challenges. ''SSX on Tour'' is a departure from the previous incarnations of the series in several ways. Courses are no longer closed; the player will frequently encounter other skiers and snowboarders when freeriding or doing minor challenges. Additionally, the presentation of ''SSX On Tour'' significantly different from the previous games as well, taking on a sketchy, punk rock aesthetic. For the GameCube version, Mario, Luigi, and Peach from
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
are included.


''SSX Blur''

''SSX Blur'' launched February 27, 2007, on the
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
. It makes full use of the motion controls for turning and tricks. Uber tricks are performed by drawing shapes on the screen, while flips/spins are performed by simply flicking the Wii remote in certain directions. Twelve playable characters are in the game (Mac, Elise, Kaori, Zoe, Moby, Psymon, Allegra, Griff, JP, Skye, and newcomers Felix and Maya), all of which can use either skis or snowboard. Only four characters are available at the start of the game (Mac, Elise, Kaori, and Moby), and players unlock additional characters through completing tasks. In common with ''SSX 3'', the game takes place on one mountain with three peaks, and it is possible to travel non-stop from the top of the highest peak to the bottom of the lowest. All the race tracks are taken from previous games (''SSX 3'' and ''SSX on Tour''), put together onto a new mountain. ''SSX Blur'' offers fewer customization options for the characters than previous SSX games, and characters do not talk in the game.


''SSX'' (2012)

''SSX'' features real world environments mapped by
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
satellites. The game's slogan was "Defy Reality. Own the Planet". It was released on February 28, 2012. Unlike previous titles, it did not include local multiplayer. Players have the ability to upload their own music to ''SSX'' to create custom playlists for menu and in-game music. ''SSX'' also features a new dynamic music remix tool that will automatically remix licensed tracks and custom music based on the player's actions and performance in-game. The objective of the game is to beat Griff, Team SSX's rival, and conquer all nine deadly descents. The story takes the player across the world with nine different characters, one for each descent, and it also features two special add-on characters.


Other games


''SSX Out of Bounds''

''SSX Out of Bounds'' was released on the N-Gage in January 2005. It is a port of the console installment ''SSX 3'' but downsized for the handheld. The game features multiplayer capability over
Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is li ...
.


''SSX by EA Sports''

''SSX by EA Sports'' was released on the LG SmartWorld app storefront for the
LG G2 The LG G2 is an Android (operating system), Android smartphone developed by LG Electronics. Serving as a successor to 2012's LG Optimus G, Optimus G and the 2013 LG Optimus G Pro, Optimus G Pro phablet, the G2 was unveiled at a press event in N ...
on December 21, 2013. The game was also released in the Xperia Lounge store for the
Sony Xperia Z1 The Sony Xperia Z1 is an Android (operating system), Android smartphone produced by Sony Mobile Communications, Sony. The Z1, at that point known by the project code name "Honami", was unveiled during a press conference in Internationale Funka ...
and Z Ultra few days later. As with the 2012 console installment, the objective of the game is to beat the antagonist Griff by conquering four deadly descents: the Rockies, Siberia, the Alps, and the Himalayas. ''SSX by EA Sports'' uses four descents and four characters, and the game supports the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
's
DualShock 3 The DualShock (originally Dual Shock, trademarked as DUALSHOCK or DUAL SHOCK, with the PlayStation 5 version as DualSense) is a line of gamepads developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment (formerly Sony Computer Entertainment) for the PlayStati ...
controller.


''SSX Snowboarder''

''SSX Snowboarder'' was a plug 'n' play game made by RADICA with EA Sports and Play TV which was a full game and controller in one. With AV cables plugged into the TV or VCR unit and 4xAA batteries in the base unit the players were able to play with the snowboard controller to make it like they were actually snowboarding. It included four different game modes: Show off, Time Challenge, Pipedream, and Tokyo Megaplex. The device was made for ages 8 and up with a maximum weight limit of 91 kg/200 lbs/14.5stone on the snowboard controller.


Cancelled games


''SSX iPhone''

''SSX iPhone'' was originally given a 2009 release date by EA Mobile, later delayed to 2010, but the game was never released.


Music

The series has been universally acclaimed for its unique adaptive music system which remixes tracks in real time to fit multiple gameplay situations. The first three games predominantly featured electronic breaks and beats, which was directed under producer Mackay-Smith and sound artist John Morgan. The first and second games (''SSX'' and ''SSX Tricky'') both feature significant contributions from
Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
' DJ
Mix Master Mike Michael Schwartz (born April 4, 1970), better known by his stage name Mix Master Mike, is an American turntablist best known for his work with Beastie Boys. Life and career Born in San Francisco, Mix Master Mike is of German and Filipino desc ...
and beatboxer
Rahzel Rozell Manely Brown (born October 6, 1964) is an American beatboxer and rapper, formerly a member of the Roots. Rahzel is known for an ability to sing or rap while simultaneously beatboxing, as evidenced in his performances of "Iron Man" and h ...
who both appear in the games: Rahzel as the first two games' announcer and Mix Master Mike as a secret character in ''SSX Tricky''. Both also contributed to the intro theme of the original game, "''Slayboarder''." ''SSX Tricky'' is particularly noted for its soundtrack, specifically the inclusion of "'' It's Tricky''" by
Run DMC Run-DMC (also formatted Run-D.M.C., RUN DMC, or some combination thereof) was an American hip-hop group formed in Hollis, Queens, New York City in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jam Master Jay, Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as ...
which plays
a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
over the current track when the player fills their TRICKY meter. The fourth game in the series, ''SSX On Tour'', was noted for taking a change in direction with its soundtrack. Rather than focusing on
breakbeat Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that uses drum breaks, often sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as Florida breaks, hip-hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat ...
, ''On Tour'' introduced a more
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
-centric and
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
focus from the previous titles. The change was initially met with mixed reactions internally, but ultimately ended up receiving high acclaim as well. ''SSX Blur'' made another change in soundtrack direction by being solely composed by electronic artist
Junkie XL Tom Holkenborg (born 8 December 1967), also known as Junkie XL, is a Dutch composer, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, producer, and engineer. Originally known for his trance productions, he has moved to producing electronica and big beat music and fil ...
. ''SSX'' (2012) attempted to recapture the original fandom by again including "''It's Tricky''" by Run DMC, this time remixed by artist
Pretty Lights Derek Vincent Smith (born November 25, 1981), known by his stage name Pretty Lights, is an American electronic music producer. Pretty Lights was originally a music project consisting of Smith and Michal Menert, who left after the release of the ...
. The game also introduced a new adaptive music system called Harmony. The soundtrack included more modern popular electronic music genres of the time such as
dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...
and
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
, in addition to the electronic styles of the original titles.


Future

Steven Rechtschaffner, the producer of ''SSX Tricky'', expressed his interest and the possibility of a revival of the ''SSX'' series with a remake of ''Tricky''. He said that overall it is not his decision but of the developers and EA, who own the IP. However, in 2021, Rechtschaffner said he was working on a spiritual successor of the ''SSX'' franchise, revealed to be ''Project Gravity'', a free-to-play live service snowboarding game from Rechtschaffner's team at Supernatural Studios. In 2024, the game was reported to be cancelled. It was set to be published by 2K.


Characters


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ssx Cancelled iOS games Electronic Arts franchises Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 2000