SSX3 is an arcade-style,snowboarding game. There are 3 modes of play: Conquer The Mountain (The main part of the game), Multi-Play (two-players playing an event unlocked in Conquer The Mountain), and Single Event (one player playing an event unlocked in Conquer The Mountain). Conquer The Mountain, as you probably guessed by now, is the main mode in the game. 

 

It features a 3 peak mountain (peaks 2 and 3 have to be unlocked) which you can travel on and is completely open-ended. There are two types of events in Conquer The Mountain: Freestyle (which features 3 different courses: Big Air, Style Mile and Half-Pipe) and Race. In these events, there are main events, which you must complete in order to unlock other events. Now, since the game is open-ended, you can choose to participate in these events or run through the the track and participate in BIG challenges (challenges such enough trick points or going through gates).

 

The trick system in the game revolves around grabs (which can be performed by holding the L,Z, or R buttons together or seperately), spins (which can be performed on the ground using the C-stick), and other moves. When you perform these tricks, you fill up the Uber meter. Once the Uber meter is full, you can perform Uber moves, which are harder than normal moves, but increase the number of points you earn. Points are used to determine who the winner is in Freestyle events. Combos can be used to rack up even more points, but moves must be performed in a certain amount of time. The Uber meter and combo meter will both be damaged if you crash.

 

For races, you are challenged by five other racers in three rounds of racing on a particular track. You can gain speed by pressing B to accelerate or by holding the A button. However, holding on to the A button will make it harder for you to turn.

 

Back to the basics of the trick system, it works well. It's all about timing based on you character's abilities.  However, some might feel the trick system is shallow.

 

Speaking of characters, there are plenty to choose. You can customize their appearance and abilities when you when money after winning events or perform tricks outside of competition. Sadly, there are no create a character options in the game. 

 

Gameplay is excellent. The open-ended in the game is a blessing. The AI is intellegent and will make necessary moves to win. SSX 3 also contains plenty of extras for you to unlock that will keep you playing for a while. One weak point though is that you can get stuck in spots. This can be fixed by hitting the Y button, which will put you back on the course. The problem in this is that you lose some juice from the Uber meter.

 

When you're tired of playing by yourself, you can get a friend for two-player. The action works very well, but it doesn't perform as well as it should. On top of that, there is no online mode.

 

The sound in this game is top notch. All of the sound effects are great, but some of the voice clips can get repetitive. On top of that, SSX3 boasts a great soundtrack with artists like N.E.R.D., Basement Jaxx, Yellowcard. When playing, the song will change depending on how you are doing and it draws the player in.

 

SSX3, besides boasting great gameplay and sound, offers some excellent graphics. From nice snow effects to detailed characters, SSX3 takes the graphics to the next level and the best part: barely any slowdown! However, there are a few graphical errors here and there.

 

In general, SSX3 is awesome. The game is enjoyable and has plenty of replayability. However, it is not a smooth as it could be, but this is easily ignorable. Buy this game now! This game receives 4.5* out of 5*