Grave Gamer News & Views — ssx

Most days I like to start the Roundup by explaining what it is and why I’m listing off video game happenings the week over.

But that’s most days.  It’s more important that you know I originally had something really funny and clever cooking for this intro but I’m astoundingly lazy, often covering up my failings one way or another.  Speaking of: You look great today.  I don’t know if you did something to your hair or if you’re slimming down (seriously, I don’t know, I can’t feasibly see you) but whatever it is…It’s definitely working for you.  You’re going places, you.

Welcome back to the Roundup, beautiful.

SSX Goes Retro in New ‘Mt. Eddie’ DLC

EA’s big build up to a reveal on the new SSX DLC promised to deliver on classic thrills and mountain chills with a very Tricky twist.  Well, developer EA Canada has made good on their word in a mix of content that can be downloaded from either XBL or PSN; the centerpiece of all the content being the lengthy, nine drop-long course dubbed “Mt. Eddie.”  The new addition to SSX’s world wide resume can be purchased by itself for $5.99 (or 480 Bill Gates Bucks) in a pack that features two songs from SSX games that didn’t feature dubstep in their soundtracks.

To celebrate the old school mountain, you can gear up with seven classic characters that each have their own unique boards.  The Character Pack can be bought for $5.99 as well, but if there’s even a few boarders you want from the pack, it may be wiser to go for the bundle pack that includes both the classic characters and Mt. Eddie for $7.99 (or 560 digital Monopoly dollars).  You can begin your mastery of Mt. Eddie and all of its PS2-era inspired wonders on May 1st.

Too bad that whole demoing DLC thing never caught on (you had it right, F.E.A.R. 2 – even if you screwed yourself out of a sale).  Trying out a course before opening my wallet would’ve been perfectly implemented here.  But SSX has not let me down thus far, hopefully the new game’s attempt at reclaiming retro glory doesn’t remind us why the extreme sports genre flat-lined for as long as it did (I wonder if SSX saw Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Aggressive Inline beckoning it to step into the light during its near death experience?).

SSX Tricky Resurrected in New DLC?

I love EA Canada’s evolution of SSX; if a modernization of the extreme sports franchise had to happen, I’m glad it was pulled off with such care and class.  Still, I miss the days of ye old SSX nonetheless.  The franchise is evolved but unarguably changed, and some old school fans call for a return to the the PS2 era’s style of cutting virtual snow.

Apparently, EA has caught wind of that sentiment.  The above image was posted on SSX’s Facebook along with the following message from EA Sports:

SSX Launch Trailer – Defy Reality, Smash into Trees

Just picked up this blast of Winter punishment today for my PS3.  There’s a definite learning curve to hurdle over, and a few hundred trees you’ll be hugging at high speed.  But the core SSX experience I loved from the PS2 days is still there – just buried under a shit load of dub-step and modern day social networking nonsense.

If I’m not busy...

SSX Demo Hits the Slopes Today

You can find EA’s reboot-sequel-thing of SSX on your friendly neighborhood PSN and XBLA marketplace today.  Because it was either this or a Cool Boarders remake.

But let’s be honest, Cool Boarders didn’t have a Run-D.M.C. song to back it up.  The song is practically a gameplay component.  Seriously, I watch people have their subconscious hijack their brain in order to sputter forth any kind of reference to that song when SSX is brought up.  Most customers I speak to at the store act like they’ve learned something novel when I tell them the entirety of the series is not called SSX: Tricky.

“It’s Tricky” – evidently SSX’s best and only selling point.