I’ve been a big fan of the SSX series of snowboarding games by EA Games since their release in 2000. The stunning terrains, the mind-expanding views as they fly by on your way down the side of the mountain, and the amount and variety of trick combinations all make this series a top selling game with great ratings. Primarily using the PS2 console, I have taken every shortcut, performed every trick, and taken place in every competition – I love this game series more than any of the other games in my selection. After we bought our Wii and hooked it up, I think the first few words out of my mouth were “We should get SSX Blur for our console!”
I was fortunate that my sister-in-law bought me SSX Blur for Wii as a gift this year, and I spent a good chunk of time cruising the slopes. I plugged through the first series of competitions and checked out the halfpipe on Peak One – it’s a fun game that is pretty physical and takes a good amount of movement of both hands to play.
Between its predecessor consoles and the Wii, the control system is vastly different. This is a two-handed, standing-upright game (not required, but definitely recommended) that will require the player to get accustomed to managing the controls. Some of the control aspects are more intuitive than the previous two-handed button combos like jumping and ollie-ing, but certain ones require yet another step of mastery. Turning and cutting, for example, is now a joystick on the left hand with tilting of the Nunchuk required for fine left and right tilt and cut. Add another step for grabs and holds and flipping up, down, left, and right for the right hand – there’s some getting familiar time needed for the novice player.
If you’re never played the SSX Series before, don’t be frustrated when you need to run the tutorials a few times. The tutorials for SSX Blur are actually quite helpful – they add combinations of skills together in just the right order to get the player on the mountain quickly. However, mastery of the moves in SSX Blur is definitely going to separate out the players from the posers.
Graphics and rendering for SSX Blur are a little better than previous consoles’ versions in standard resolution (viewed via video from RCA cable out of standard video port on Wii), but I noticed some almost replica sections of SSX 3 courses. For me this was positive because it made me able to mix some familiarity into the game and focus in on tricks – enough of the course is new and unfamiliar enough to not be a bother. Some of the view functions of SSX 2 and SSX 3 – like the Race Completion Percentage meter – are presented differently, and took a few rounds to get accustomed to reading. All of the views are still stunning, and the landscapes that fly by are still phenomenal, hands down.
Ubertricks are completely different in SSX Blur for Wii. The ol’ two-index-finger-button days are gone, friends. Ubertricks in SSX Blur are accomplished by holding down “A” on the remote, and then tracing a pattern with one or both of your hands. Some players will never be able to master this skill correctly – veteran players might have a bit of trouble with this at first, but it improves quickly. There is also a section in he tutorials that lets you practice these shapes and get a thumbs-up or thumbs-down on your accuracy. The challenge of the Ubertricks in SSX Blur is refreshing, and once you master performing these tricks, your score goes crazy. There are several Ubertricks you unlock throughout game play, and each becomes increasingly more difficult.
In every game there are things you wish were a bit different – SSX Blur by EA Games for Wii is no exception. Overall, this is an exciting game that most players, SSX enthusiasts included, will enjoy and play frequently. Don’t take my word for it, get a copy and check it out for yourself.
SSX Blur by EA Games for Wii
