SSX was hands down the best launch title when PS2 debuted. It had amazing control and gameplay, and the graphics were some of the best at the time. With SSX Tricky (formerly known as SSX DVD), EA Sports made the right choice by staying with the same format. It contains all of the levels from SSX (all so redone that you will hardly notice any similarities), and a couple brand-new ones. Now with bigger jumps, AWESOME new tricks, and somewhat of a storyline, Tricky is basically what SSX should have been.

There are three basic modes, World Circuit, Single Run, and Freeride. World Circuit is where you take you character through various courses trying to up their stats, and gain partnerships with other riders. You can either race, or go for points. Personally, I hate racing, but you may like it. With seven other racers on the the track, you attempt to knock them down and come in first. The trick mode is just you and the snow. The object is to get as many points as possible by doing insane tricks, massive grinds, and collecting colored snowflakes. The snowflakes multiply how many points you get for trick by 2x, 3x, or 5x. You can even get more than one at a time to get even bigger points.

A major addition are the Uber Tricks. By building up you trick meter, you can get "tricky". Now when you go off a jump, it will tell you to hold a trigger or both and hold one of the buttons. The character will take their board off of their feet and do some sort of specialized spin or maneuver. These get you huge points, and, mixed with a snowflake, it is possible to achieve point values of 100,000 and above.

Not much better than the original, but that isn't a bad thing. The colors are vibrant, the background are detailed and alive, and the characters have a cartoonish, animated feel to them. The character animation during tricks and wipeouts are great, and the character's facial expressions are realistic. (Note that on the XBOX the graphics have been improved to include lens flare and texture mapping.)

This is the one area of Tricky that I really don't like. The music is identical to the first game, other than the song entitled, "Tricky." They get old really fast, and are too quiet to be heard anyway. The character voices are really annoying, and the addition of celebrity voices doesn't help at all. I have two words that might steer off a lot of people: Macy Gray. Yep, that's right, that horrid, raspy voice is in the game. I recommend hitting the mute button and playing a good CD.

Just like on the PS2, the controls are very easy to use but the learning curve is a bit steeper than the PS2's. The only real problem you may encounter is that some people have a problem with the button layout on the xbox controller. If you're having this problem you should try a third party controller like the x-wing or the new japanese controller. Which both have a easy to use diamond layout for the four main buttons.

An excellent game, and one you shouldn't miss. If you liked SSX, you'll love Tricky. Everything that was good about the original is back, and the new stuff is MOSTLY great.