Is SSX Tricky a sequel, an update, or something in between? After spending time with the game, most players will agree that even though it retains many aspects of the original, SSX Tricky is indeed its own game. It is full of new ideas, updates, and fun content that flesh out the SSX concept completely. Still, for all the changes that have been made, the game feels very familiar, perhaps even detrimentally so when it comes to replay value.

The control, as in the original, is dead-on. Never before has a snowboarding game felt so intuitive and precise. The trick system is perfect, the boost system, sublime, and the additions to this area are nothing but stellar. The Uber Tricks, which can be performed when a player's boost reaches the maximum, are easy to pull off, so long as you grab some big air. These tricks are creative and impossible, and wouldn't fit in any other snowboarding game. But in SSX Tricky, they're right at home.

The Race mode itself has been spiced up, thanks to the Aggression meter. Now you get a tank full of boost when you knock someone over, but if you make them too angry, they'll become your enemy and do anything they can to knock you out of competition when they race you. This element adds even more personality to a game that was already positively boiling over with it.

The Show Off mode is even stronger in this incarnation of SSX. In the previous game, these levels played similarly to the Race mode. But in Tricky, a whole host of pipelines have been added, giving players more paths to choose from and more strategies to develop. The only complaint in this mode is the striking difficulty differences in levels. In some, it is very simple to exploit level elements to get the gold. In others, it's nearly impossible.

The new characters are striking enough, and their designs and tricks are top-notch. Featuring voice acting by stars from the movie and the music industries, the game certainly possesses celebrity cred. And while their attributes haven't been changed, the Trick Book has been turned into a more essential part of the game. There are fewer tricks per book level now, but there are more levels, giving players a better sense of progression.

The levels look and play with finesse and style. Each of the returning levels has some familiar stretches, but they've all been reworked to a great degree and filled with new main paths and secrets to discover. The visuals of these levels are crisp, and the draw-in distance is absolutely remarkable. And of course, one couldn't review SSX Tricky without mentioning the sound design. It takes the mixing and fading of the first game and enhances it, rounding out the game with great voice work and sound effects. When it comes to graphics and sound, SSX Tricky is the total package.

Alas, for veterans of SSX, everything will be so familiar that getting through the game won't be a problem. Still, there are 12 characters to finish, and it's definitely worth the ride. And for those who've never experienced SSX, there's no better sports game out there to enjoy. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

There's very little you could possibly criticize about the game's graphics. They're crisp, colorful, robust, and fully realized. The look might not be as completely impressive as it was the first time around, but it is still downright amazing. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

One of the best sound architectures in games today has been improved and enhanced, with great hip-hop music that actually reacts to gameplay, making players feel like a bigger part of the action. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

There are few things in video games that can compare to the visceral thrill of taking on an SSX track, with it's visual splendor, secret paths, and sheer size. There are so many ways to play this game and so many things to do, and the fact that it has one of the best control schemes ever to grace a game doesn't hurt, either. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

Even though there's a ton of new things in the game, those who've already played SSX religiously won't find a tremendous challenge contained within the game. Still, it's a great time while it lasts, and newbies will find a truly amazing amount of gameplay. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide