SSX 3

As the best snowboarding game on GameCube, Xbox, and PlayStation 2, SSX 3 is the best way to chill out this winter.  The golden rule says that all good console games must be made for the Game Boy Advance as well, so it's no surprise to see SSX 3 sitting on store shelves next to FIFA, Madden, and Tony Hawk.

What will surprise you is the technology behind the game.  Whether you find enjoyment in its gameplay or not, SSX 3 is dressed to impress.  Its 3D engine (yes, you heard right, 3D) isn't the most powerful thing we've seen, but it will startle at first, especially if you've played any of the GBA's sprite-based snowboarders.  The levels have little-to -o relation to those featured in the console versions, but they are a decent mixture of surreal and realistic designs. 

The top-down and isometric views of yesteryear are finally left in the past.  Although it's nowhere near as breathtaking, SSX 3 could be compared to the N-Gage version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.  The camera is placed behind the boarder, moving up and down to the appropriate location as you jump, flip and roll.  The half-pipe really looks like a half-pipe.  The course tends to pop up in chunks in a less impressive way than the PSone and Nintendo 64 snowboarding games, but the creators of this game's engine still deserve loads of credit.  SSX 3 goes beyond the semi-3D games in a way that no other has.  Conceptually this title exceeds expectations.

There is another thing to consider though: reality.  The reality of a game is how good it is when you play it.  How entertaining is it?  How much are you compelled to return?  As wonderful as the graphics and technology are, SSX 3 didn't compel me to do much of anything.  The game moves faster than most but it is still too slow to enjoy.  We hate facing it, but the fact of the matter is that Game Boy Advance is not a 3D system.  It can produce 3D visuals, but in thinking long and hard I couldn't come up with any 3D game that played well. 

That said, SSX 3's gameplay did impress me a little.  The jumping is a little clunky; players usually launch higher into the air than they should for the amount of speed gained.  Nonetheless, this allows the player to take a stab at all of the game's cool combos.  They're not as cool as they are on the console version, but you can still grab your board, flip around, change the trick and continue racking up the points until it's time to land.  Grinding takes no practice at all – just ride over a rail and the game will do the rest for you.  Jumping off of it can be problematic, but you don't have to do that.  You could just let the game glide the player off the rail for you.  It won't open up as many trick options, but it'll ensure a safer landing.  The boost meter is easy to fill and easy to use.  When it comes to the long races, you're going to need to use every bit of leverage the game gives you to succeed.

The biggest challenge you'll face in this game is the most important thing you'll need to master: landing.  It doesn't matter if you're being a trickster or if you're just jumping off a low ledge, SSX 3 is a beast when it comes to landing.  The terrain is never perfectly flat in a snowboarding game, but the console versions kept the action high by not letting the player know that.  In this version, however, there is one major problem that comes into play.  Although the game is 3D, it's never quite clear as to how angled your boarder is.  Nailing tricks is the easy part, but when it comes time to land it's nearly impossible to not fall on your butt.  The board never looks straight, and the game rarely seems to interpret it as being so.  Consequently, you end up falling down on a frequent basis.  The player doesn't get back up immediately either; he or she will stumble around in an unrealistic fashion, exacerbating the situation.

Christmas is just around the corner, so if you haven't already asked Santa for the GameCube, Xbox or PS2 version of SSX 3, you'd better do so immediately.  On the other hand, if you've sent him a letter begging for the Game Boy Advance version, cross your fingers that the request gets lost in the mail.  You might want to send another to let him know you've changed your mind, or take a trip to the North Pole to tell him in person.  This game is a cool rental for all you technology nuts, but it doesn't have any redeeming gameplay qualities that make it worth playing.  The console versions are great, but this mobile version is a BIG disappointment.

Gameplay: 5
Not even close to the exciting console versions.

Graphics: 8
Three-dimensional courses on the GBA?  No-way!  It's true though.  The engine that's powering this pint-sized version of SSX 3 is mighty powerful.  Game Boy Advance has seen some cool stuff in the form of tech demos, but it wasn't until now that the system proved it could actually do it.

Sound: 5
SSX 3 is based around somewhat advanced technology, so it makes sense that the music is techno.  It's too bad that the genre is more often repetitive than entertaining.

Difficulty: Medium
You could suffer through and conquer all, but only if you have an impervious sanity level.  The game itself isn't a huge challenge, but try to land a trick and you'll start looking for a wall to bang your head against.

Concept: 8
The developers did what no other has been able to achieve by making the first 3D snowboarding game for the GBA.

Multiplayer: 4
You won't want to play this game with a friend.  Trust me.

Overall: 5
Technology superior, recreationally inferior, SSX 3 is another game that falls victim to the limitations of the Game Boy Advance.