The last snowboarding game I ever got the chance to play was Cool Boarders 2 on the Sony PlayStation. I'd never been a particularly big fan of the SSX series, being under the impression that it was more of a Cool Boarders lite. But when the opportunity arose to mingle with EA's best and brightest at Quebec's Ice Hotel while getting my ‘Blur' on, I couldn't resist. And taking the laborous seven hour trip to Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier to get my cold hands on EA's latest Wii offering was certainly worthwhile, as the evening proved to be both mind numbingly cold, and very very cool.To start off, while SSX Blur is not a remake per say, the title does borrow several characters and levels from previous titles. Two new characters make a debut: a ‘poutine' loving Quebecer (Felix Levesque), and a female Inuit Canadian boarder (Maya Nolet). Developers on hand at the event boasted over 100 hours of gameplay in the title, with anywhere from 6 to 10 hours per character if the user rushed though without dealing with the many unlockable extras. Unlockables in the game include additional characters, as well as new boards and outfits for each character. Characters can also be upgraded throughout the game by playing through the single player and collecting stat boosting items. Ah, but of course, being a Wii game, the real question doesn't lie in the unlockables, the replay value, or the ‘poutine' loving characters, but rather, how does it control?
SSX Blur uses the Wiimote/Nunchuk combo, and depending on the gamer's personal preference, the controllers can be held in either hand. The Nunchuk controls your movement; moving left or right by tilting the Nunchuk left or right, and pressing the joystick in the same direction will do a hard-carve in that direction. Jerking the Nunchuk upwards sends the character up into the air, although pressing the A button on the Wiimote accomplishes the same thing (and more accurately I might add), while pressing and holding the Z button boosts the character down the hill. Holding the Z button and tilting the Nunchuk also controls the various grabs. The real beauty, though, comes in the use of the Wiimote. Slice it upwards to start front-flipping, backwards to execute back-flips. Slice it from side to side and your character begins to spin, and pressing the A button slightly before hitting the ground will re-center your character and stop all flips and spins for a perfect landing. Performing the different spins and flips can all be done at the same time as your grabs, ultimately increasing your combos along your Uber meter.
Ah! Did I forget to mention the Uber meter?
Performing combos without crashing will increase your Uber meter, which once full, will grant you the ability to perform Uber tricks. Once in the air, a message will prompt you that you can press A to perform an Uber trick, and pressing A while drawing certain predetermined symbols with the Wiimote will send the on-screen character into a massive special move (don't worry, these drawings are not done using the Wiimote as an actual pointing device, a preliminary worry of mine). Each character has a specific number of Uber tricks to perform and collect throughout the game.
Personally, being right handed, I found it far easier to hold the Nunchuk in my right hand and the Wiimote in my left, though with more time with the title, I may change my mind. It seems difficult to decide which hand is best for which peripheral, as having precise control for your Uber tricks is important, but being able to carve down the hill precisely can also have its benefits.
The only real downfall with the game seems to be the multiplayer. Two player multiplayer is the only method supported with the split-screen function, with multiple modes to play through. Four player multiplayer is also available, but not simultaneously, as each player takes their turn one after the other in trying to best the other players' scores.
The game's graphics contain some of the most vibrant use of colors and contrast seen on the Wii yet, and if anyone doubts the abilities of publishers to create stylized visuals with the underpowered white wonder need only look at EA's latest offering. The game's music is the work of Junkie-XL, the Netherlands-born electronic music artist. Rather then utilize a licensed soundtrack, the developers decided to go a different route. Taking a key from other titles such as Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Rez, the music in SSX Blur is based on your Uber meter. With five separate ‘levels' to the meter, each time a new level is reached, the music becomes more pronounced, creating a groove like feel to the title. Actually performing Uber moves themselves also works with the music, causing it to slow down or affect it in various other ways. Though ultimately not a gameplay mechanic, the effects are a great touch and do serve to help bring the player into the game.
SSX Blur is available in North America on February 27th and in Europe on March 15th. Stay tuned to N-Philes for the full review!
