SSX 3

Infobox VG| title = SSX 3


developer = EA Canada
publisher = EA Sports BIG, Gizmondo Games
designer =
engine =
released = October 20, 2003
genre = Sports
modes = Single player, multiplayer
ratings = ESRB: Everyone (E)
platforms = PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Gizmondo
media =
requirements =
input =Gamepad

"SSX 3" is a snowboarding video game published by Electronic Arts and developed by EA Sports BIG, which was released in late 2003. It is the third installment in the "SSX" series, and is THX approved.

Gameplay

As in previous "SSX" titles, players choose one of several characters, participate in races or trick competitions, and earn rewards.

The most obvious change to the series is the location. 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. The race tracks are connected; it is possible to board through these tracks from the top of the mountain to the bottom without stopping or reloading each track.

The reward system is also revamped and improved. 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 collectibles. Outfits, stat improvements, "cheat characters" (character models) and game art are all available.

Graphically the game is improved over previous installments by featuring a new graphics engine which adds various visual improvements such as 'Mountain effects': special effects to the game's mountain, such as thunder. Furthermore, the game is based around a "freeroaming" architecture akin to the later instalments of the "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" series.

Other notable changes include the introduction of a second level of "über tricks"; the elimination of freestyle/BX/Alpine boards in favor of a single board type, and the elimination of statistical differences between characters, and the continuity in tracks linked together by "Stations." In general, the game emphasizes customization much more than in previous games; for example, different boards no longer have different effects on how they perform, allowing the player to choose between them based purely on aesthetics as opposed to taking the statistics into consideration, as was common previously.

There are four ways to "Conquer the Mountain" and advance to higher peaks:

One is to earn medals in racing events, eventually leading to a challenge by the master of that peak in a backcountry event, and then a full peak challenge, which covers that peak's backcountry all the way to the bottom of Peak 1. There are 5 official race courses in the game, not including the 6 rival challenge races.

Freestyle works similarly, given that there are more freestyle events than there are races. Also, the full peak challenges for Peaks 1 and 2 only cover their respective backcountries and slopestyles. There are 9 official freestyle courses in the game, not including the 6 rival challenge freestyles.

Freeride works in an entirely different way. The player can earn a certain percentage of the collectibles for the peak and also win a certain number of the peak's "Big Challenges" (special challenges that range from breaking glass panes in superpipes to punching targets in "The Throne"). The "typical" Big Challenge has the player score points in a race track or speed down a slopestyle track.

Earnings is a set amount of money the player is supposed to earn while playing the game normally.

Characters

"SSX 3" features 10 main characters, 6 of which are returning members of previous SSX games. The game's four debuting characters are Allegra, Griff, Nate and Viggo. Finishing various in-game tasks earns the player money, with which they can buy their character accessories (as opposed to previous games, where unlockable "costume" skins were available). Each character features a number of shared accessories as well as unique items designed specifically for them. Purchasing accessories allows the player to create a distinct version of their character to distinguish them from others.

In addition to these characters, there are unlockable "cheat characters". While these hidden characters are entirely playable, most of them do not have unique animations, voice acting or equipable accessories. Cheat characters range from past characters from the "SSX" series to bizarre fantasy snowboarders, such as a snowman or a beaver.

Main characters

*Allegra Sauvagess (French-American)
*Elise Riggs (Canada)
*Griff Simmons (USA)
*Kaori Nishidake (Japan)
*Mac Fraser (USA)
*Moby Jones (UK)
*Nate Logan (USA)
*Psymon Stark (Canada)
*Viggo Rolig (Sweden)
*Zoe Payne (USA)

Hidden characters

From previous SSX titles:
*Brodi ("SSX Tricky") (USA)
*Eddie ("SSX Tricky") (USA)
*Hiro ("SSX") (Japan)
*JP ("SSX/Tricky") (France)
*Jurgen ("SSX") (Germany)
*Luther ("SSX Tricky") (USA)
*Marty ("SSX Tricky") (Germany)
*Seeiah ("SSX Tricky") (USA)
*Marisol ("SSX Tricky") (Venezuela)Other characters:
*Bunny San – a large man with a pink bunny's head. He sports a bamboo-stick board.
*Canhuck – an abnormally large beaver riding a single log. He can execute a special Über trick called "Nibbler", where he starts chewing on the front of his 'board'.
*Churchill – a Victorian-style robot that rides on a board made of pipes. He also has a smokestack-shaped head that puffs steam.
*Cudmore – a cow riding a fence.
*Gutless – a skeleton riding a coffin with dirt piles for foot straps. He has a unique Über trick called "Dirt Nap", where he lies in his coffin and spins like a bullet.
*NW Legend – Bigfoot; uses its feet as a snowboard. In other words, he doesn't use a board, but still acts and reacts like he has one, even when performing tricks.
*Snowballs – a snowman with a toboggan. It has a special Über trick named "Ball O' Fun", where he leaps off his board and combines his segments into one, whilst the board spins around him similarly to an electron around an atom.
*Stretch – a basketball player from the "NBA Street" series by EA Sports BIG. He has a special Uber trick named "Old School Funk" where a basketball comes out and he dribbles it around himself.
*Svelte Luther – a second version of Luther, where he weards nothing but boots, a singlet and underpants, plus a helmet.
*Unknown Rider – a mysterious character permanently wrapped in thermal clothing.
*Far East myth – a yeti. The same as NW Legend, except he has white fur. Unlike his counterpart, however, he uses a board, in this case a thin block of ice. He can only be obtained when the player has 100% All mountain stats.

oundtrack

*Alpinestars - "Snow Patrol"
*Andy_Hunter° - "Go"
*Aphrodite - "Wobble" (Stumped Up Mix)
*Audio Bullys - "We Don't Care" (edit)
*Autopilot Off - "Clockwork"
*Basement Jaxx - "Do Your Thing" (Jaxx Club Remix)
*Black Eyed Peas - "Labor Day (It's A Holiday)"
*Caesars - "Jerk It Out"
*The Chemical Brothers - "Leave Home"
*Dan the Automator feat. Q-Bert - "Bear Witness III"
*Deepsky - "Ride"
*Dilated Peoples - "Who's Who"
*The Faint - "Glass Danse" (Paul Oakenfold Remix)
*Fatboy Slim - "Don't Let The Man Get You Down"
*Felix da Housecat - "Silver Screen Shower Scene" ("Static Revenger" Mix)
*Finger Eleven - "Good Times"
*Fischerspooner - "Emerge" (Junkie XL Remix)
*Ima Robot - "A Is For Action"
*Jane's Addiction - "Hypersonic"
*John Morgan - "Buffet of Breaks"
*k-os - "Freeze"
*Kinky - "Mas"
*MxPx - "Play It Loud"
*N*E*R*D - "Rock Star" (Jason Nevins' Club Blaster edit)
*Overseer - "Screw Up"
*Placebo - "The Bitter End"
*"Powerplant" - "Avalanche"
*Queens of the Stone Age - "No One Knows" (U.N.K.L.E. Remix)
*Red Hot Chili Peppers vs. X-Ecutioners - "Higher Ground"
*Röyksopp - "Poor Leno (Silicon Soul Remix) (From their Melody A.M. album)"
*Swollen Members - "All Night"
*"Swollen Members" - "Deep End (Utah Saints Remix)"
*Thrice - "Stare At The Sun"
*X-ecutioners feat. "Anikke Coleman" - "Like This"
*Yellowcard - "Way Away"

Trivia

*"SSX 3" makes a cameo appearance in "The Sims 2" as one of the games selectable within the game for the sims to play on a computer or console.
*The logo for dnL appears several times on advertising boards, snowboards, and trick names. dnL is "7up" upside-down.
*Also, several advertisements for Honda Element are present on the slopes of SSX 3 and its logo shows up as a snowboard graphic. On some of the slopes you can board through the car on grind rails
*The characters from SSX are mentioned to be "Hanging out on the burnout track, taking a holiday" on ""Fact|date=April 2007.
*DJ Atomika is the new radio DJ in Burnout Paradise. He also says that Mac Fraser has become a mountain ranger on peaks 1 and 2.
*The character "Griff Simmons" name is the same as 2 characters from the popular web series, Red Vs. Blue, Grif and Simmons
*There is a board designed by a member of the MerquryCity.com SSX Fansite community called "Galaxy".

References

Smith, Shaun. "Prima's Official Strategy Guide: SSX 3". USA: Random House, 2003.

External links

* [http://www.merqurycity.com The MerquryCity SSX Fan Site]
*moby game|id=/ssx-3|name="SSX 3"