Retro Corner: SSX Tricky

GodisaGeek: "Snowboarding games began to rise to prominence in the late 1990′s, as the sport started to enter the mainstream. Titles such as Cool Boarders and 1080 Snowboarding had enjoyed great success on the previous console generation, but the hardware limitations meant that the speed and adrenaline of a downhill race was never re-created in an entirely pleasing way that captured the adrenaline and occasion of a big racing meet.

In time for the launch of the PlayStation 2, the newly-christened EA Sports BIG studio put together the game SSX (short for Snowboard Super Cross). Being the launch title for a development label that would specialise in extreme sports or arcade versions of traditional ones, snowboarding was a good place to start. The title featured over-the-top jumps, special moves and bright, colourful courses, which made the game more visually exciting than a regular snowboard title may have been. The game was loved by critics, but unfortunately never sold very well. It failed to connect with the audience in a major way, and the game never fulfilled its potential."