STAR FOX

Star Fox was once one of Nintendo’s most promising franchises- though certainly not on the same level as something like Zelda or Mario, it was consistently received well by critics and audiences, and definitely sold well enough to warrant several sequels and new instalments. As time went on though, it sort of faded into the background. We did get Star Fox Zero for the Wii U in 2016, but that game was a huge disappointment, to say the very least. As such, we’re now at a point where the future looks pretty dim for this beloved series.

In more recent years, the publisher has devoted itself to its yearly sports sequels. Multiplayer shooters are still a prime directive, as indicated by the Star Wars Battlefront and Battlefield series, but we began to see more different titles like A Way Out, Unravel, Fe and Sea of Solitude. The company’s reputation has still been questionable, as indicated by its loot box and live service debacles. And yet, there are positive strides being made to bring back franchises like Command and Conquer, as seen with the Remastered edition, and Skate, with Skate 4 currently being in early development.

It’s strange though – of the many IPs that EA has shelved for not being successful, SSX remains an exception. Developed by EA Canada, the first SSX released in 2000 for the PlayStation 2, having originally been planned for the Sega Dreamcast. Though snowboarding games weren’t necessarily new, none had gone quite as bombastic as SSX. With boarder-cross creator Steve Rechtschaffner serving as its executive producer and creative leader, SSX was a revolution in terms of high-speed snowboarding.

The main emphasis was on tricks and filling up the boost meter to go even faster during a race. Many of the tricks were ridiculous, feeding into the game’s arcade-like design, but it’s overall style and visual design were fantastic. It also introduced an ingenuous way for players to actually care about their performance with the music becoming louder and more pronounced as one excelled. SSX would become an overwhelming critical and commercial success, touted as one of, if not the best, PlayStation 2 at the time.

It was followed by SSX Tricky. Whether considered as an enhanced version or a clear sequel, most agreed that it was still a great game. Performing tricks for boost was still a core mechanic, but if the boost bar filled completely, then one could perform Uber moves to boost infinitely for a short time. If six Uber moves are performed and “TRICKY” is spelled, then you get infinite boost throughout the level. A new Rivalry system was also implemented – being friendly with other characters means they’re less likely to oppose you during races but act like a jerk and they’ll assault you.

The soundtrack was also amazing thanks to the involvement of Mix Master Mike (who was also an unlockable character) and other artists. It continued to change according to one’s performance, with the complete song playing if you were doing well. SSX Tricky was another critical success and it was only a matter of time before SSX 3 came along just two years later. It saw the return of a boost meter (referred to as the adrenaline meter) and a soundtrack that adapted to one’s performance. Ubers would increase the meter level and unlock Super Ubers, further increasing the depth of the gameplay.

An expanded campaign saw players completing events and challenges in order to reach the next mountain peak. The PS2 version even had online multiplayer where two players could race against each other, and even rank up. Not only was SSX 3 a huge critical success but it sold one million copies – a first for the series, with total sales for all games reaching 3 million by July 2006.

Over the years, several things would change at EA. Rechtschaffner went on to become a chief creative officer at EA Canada and wouldn’t be involved in future titles.

SSX On Tour was released in 2005 and introduced custom characters. The Uber tricks became Monster Tricks and increasing one’s Hype to rise through the leaderboards was the main goal. The presentation went for a more sketchbook-like format and even the music saw some changes with more punk rock, rap and alternative songs. The music would also reduce in volume upon performing Monster Tricks in the air before cutting back in when the player hit the ground. Despite all of these changes, SSX On Tour still received positive reviews and even some awards. EA Montreal would handle SSX Blur, a 2007 Wii title that introduced motion controls with decent results, before EA Canada developed the reboot in 2012.

A new rewind feature, nine different mountains to descend down (with challenging Deadly Descents limiting how often you could rewind) and Explore Mode helped distinguish it from previous entries. For the most part, however, this was SSX Tricky’s gameplay for a new generation, right down to the return of “It’s Tricky.” There was also the new Harmony system which remixed songs on the fly. SSX reviewed favorably and despite all kinds of competition at launch, did well in sales, exceeding EA’s expectations.

However, EA Canada was changing. From six titles, including SSX, in 2012, it narrowed its focus to a select range of sports titles like FIFA and NHL. EA Sports UFC would also be included throughout the years. This could likely be attributed to their more “guaranteed” sales status, especially with the billions that FIFA generated in Ultimate Team microtransactions. Despite the majority of its resources going towards its prime money-makers, there are plenty of reasons for EA to bring back SSX.

First, the company has seemingly realized that leaning so heavily on live-service titles, especially following Anthem and Battlefield 5, isn’t the best move. There’s also Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order which had over 10 million players within four months of its launch. Multiplayer isn’t a terrible move though – Star Wars: Squadrons proved that you could have a successful space dogfighting title with a campaign and multiplayer features that also receives updates without burying the player in microtransactions or live-service shenanigans.

There’s also another successful revival to draw on – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, which reviewed positively and sold well. And this is coming off of the reviled Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 which many felt to be the death knell of the franchise. With Vicarious Visions now part of Blizzard Entertainment and working on Diablo 2: Resurrected, the way is clear for EA to capitalize on a market that clearly favors remakes of beloved properties. Even if it didn’t go the sequel route, remakes of SSX 1, Tricky and SSX 3 in one package would be the dream.

There’s hope that EA could revive SSX, that too without dipping fully into the open world, seasonal model with microtransactions like Ubisoft’s Steep. If there’s one thing the publisher could learn from Activision’s handling of classic franchises, it’s to give the people what they want (and this is Activision we’re talking about). Don’t overthink it, tap the people who would best fit – like Steve Rechtschaffner who founded his own studio, SuperNatural Games – and bring it back. There may not be a huge petition or countless memes like with Skate 4 but if there’s one classic franchise that’s a great fit for EA’s portfolio and a proven success, it’s SSX.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

There may not be a new SSX game available on the current generation of consoles, but Xbox One players can enjoy one of the best snowboarding games ever made on their console anyway- SSX on the Xbox 360 has been added to EA Access’ vault on the Xbox One, meaning that it is now available to play on the Xbox One thanks to the console’s backwards compatibility- and if you subscribe to EA Access, it is available to play right there, without any additional cost.

This makes SSX the first game to enter the Vault that is not an Xbox One game- meaning that it opens up the floodgates for a whole host of great EA games on the Xbox 360 to eventually be made available on the vault, and on Xbox One’s backwards compatibility list, too. Playing something like Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age Origins on EA Access? Yes please.

EA Access is currently available exclusively to Xbox One owners. No plans have been announced ot bring the service over to PS4 so far.

Get ready to hit the slopes, members. SSX is now available in The Vault: https://t.co/U5AOz1sdqS pic.twitter.com/njIzd2xN9j

— EA Play (@EAPlay) August 10, 2016

After a couple of months with poor selection, PS+ turned it around last month with some pretty great games on offer- and that upward trend continues this month, as the selection of free games that Sony will be offering in December includes some pretty good, with games such as Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, SSX, Freedom Wars, and the first episode of King’s Quest entering rotation.

At the very least, it’s good to see that Vita owners aren’t just getting a selection of indie games this month- they are actually getting a major release for a change. These new games will be available for all platforms on December 1.

• Gauntlet: Slayer Edition (PS4)
• King’s Quest – Chapter 1: A Knight to Remember (PS4)
• Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon (PS3)
• SSX (PS3)
• Rocketbirds Hardboilded (PS Vita)
• Freedom Wars (PS Vita)

Which of these will you be trying out? Are you satisfied with the selection this month? Let us know in the comments below.

EA are at it again with the use of dynamic buzzwords to make even the simplest things sound complex. If the recently posted job listings are to be believed, EA Sports may be taking a more story driven approach with their upcoming “gripping” and “emotional” sports games.

Why EA Sports needs a “Narrative Designer” is anybodies guess, but the job listing reads, “The Narrative Designer will bring the player’s experience to explosive life in its story-telling mode, championing story to the team and ensuring that script, speech and story-telling devices are tuned to achieve a gripping emotional narrative experience.

“You will create characters that game players fully embrace and bond to, and will capture emotional experiences that drive the story forward through non-linear storytelling techniques.You’ll work closely with other designers and producers to create game worlds where story is core to the player experience and will drive an innovative story vision that is central to one of EA’s AAA titles.”

This is of course no official indication that the future sports titles under EA’s name will have a story driven narrative, but that’s certainly how it seems.

[Source]

Xbox Live Gold subscribers will be receiving a new free game today with SSX, which will be replacing Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief, through Games With Gold on the Xbox 360. This EA Sports title is one of the free games on offer this month with Xbox One users receiving Worms Battlegrounds and Volgarr the Viking.

SSX is undoubtedly one of the better free games that Xbox 360 users could receive though. As a reboot of the snowboarding franchise, it features a new World Tour mode wherein you must conquer nine mountain tops across the real world. First you’ll need to train your team’s riders for descending down the mountain which will then culminate in a dangerous race down.

Overall, it’s an excellent game despite its age and definitely worth a look. With this month coming to a close, stay tuned for more information on Xbox One and Xbox 360 Games With Gold for January 2015.

Here’s our review for SSX. Our author Jordan wrote, “SSX certainly feels like a current generation reboot of Tricky but not necessarily for the right reasons. Even with that caveat, the game still proves to be one of the most fun outings of the year thus far.”

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

SSX fans can purchase both packs as a bundle for £6.49 or download the packs separately for £3.99 each.

DLC Pack Content and Price Breakdown:

Mt. Eddie Pack (£3.99/480 MS Points)
• Mt. Eddie – an all-new, SSX Tricky inspired mountain. Includes nine event drops, featuring a nine minute peak to base run
• Three classic music tracks

Classic Characters Pack (£3.99/480 MS Points)
• Seven classic retro-themed SSX characters from SSX 3 and SSX Tricky – includes: Elise, Kaori, Zoe, Eddie, Mac, Psymon and Moby
• Each character comes with an assortment of color combinations for their outfit
• Seven character-specific snowboards

Mt. Eddie & Classic Characters Bundle Pack (£6.49/640 MS Points)
• Bundle includes Mt. Eddie and Classic Characters packs

Stay tuned to GB for more news and updates.

A modern day reinvention of one of the most critically acclaimed arcade franchises of all-time, SSX will allow players to experience the franchise’s signature fun and adrenaline-packed gameplay across iconic regions all over the world. Using NASA topographical satellite data, SSX has a massive world for players to explore. Throughout nine expansive regions,SSX packs reality-defying gameplay into every run letting players Race, Trick, and Survive as they descend huge open mountains. In addition, Explore, Global Events and RiderNet – the SSX recommendation engine – headline an online feature set that will redefine social competition for gamers, making it fun and easy to compete with friends with no lobbies or wait times.

Stay tuned to GB for more news and updates.