Too cold outside and don't want to drive 5 hours to go snowboarding? Want to try that slick trick without breaking your back? Ah, now you can do it all in the comfort of your living room (or wherever you happen to have your PS2 setup).

In the past most winter sports games I've played with have been mediocre at best. Cool boarders didn't have enough tricks and the boarder was hard to control. Snocross Extreme seemed promising at first but after I took it though it's paces, driving the snowmobiles felt like driving your car on an oil slicked road.

SSX is the second game I've played on the Playstation2, with Smuggler's Run being first. If you like the thrill of being airborne and doing some really complicated (but awesome) tricks, then you'll love this game.

PROS
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High speed, high flying, high adrenaline rushing snowboarding. You can do amazing stunts in this game that you couldn't do in real life (and trust me, you wouldn't want to, your life insurance company would drop you in a heartbeat).

The graphics are stunning and attention to detail is superb. The graphics are very smooth and don't exhibit the "jaggies" that once plagued 3D gaming.

The tricks are complex but amazing. There are the basic 360 degree flips and turns. You can then work off of those so learning the tricks and key combinations aren't too hard. It's the timing and speed that you have to get used to, because this game is all about speed.

You can buy an actual PS2 snowboard to use. Though the idea seems fun, you still have to use a controller to jump and do tricks, which makes me wonder: "Hmm, do I want to play this game on my comfy couch or do it standing on a plank of wood wiggling my butt?"

There's no blood or gore so kids of all ages can enjoy it. You don't lose an arm when you side swipe a pole going 130mph nor does your grey matter implode when you hit a rock wall.

Character upgradability. Each snowboarder in the game has his/her own special abilities. Some are better at turning, others at doing tricks yet some will leave you in the dust if you dare challenge them on a straight downhill dive. The coolest thing is that as you race you earn experience points which you can use towards upgrading your equipment (your snowboard) or upgrading your skills.

CONS
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Unreal physics. But hey, who needs physics when you're doing a 360 degree backflip with a flying squirrel at breakneck speeds? The way you land when you don't make the trick..."Ooo. Ouch. Eee."

The tracks are somewhat limited, but for now I enjoy most of them. There is one huge track that is just plain open snowboarding through what seems like the Alps. It's the best place to practice your tricks. If this game had a random track generator it would be unbeatable and provide eons of playability.

Two player at best. You can play two players but that means you each get a smaller pie of the screen, and when you play games like this with such immense speed, timing becomes essential. Being able to see what's ahead of you becomes essential.

IN THE END
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If snowboarding runs in your blood this game will take you to new levels. So far to date the best winter sports game I've played.

Recommended: Yes