SSX is probably THE BEST PS2 game at launch. While this extreme snowboard game from EA may not push the envelope with what the PS2 can do yet, it still does everything else right. With numerous tracks and options to choose from, any player can pick this game up and enjoy it.

The greatest accomplishment with SSX is that it's both easy to learn and difficult to master. People who have never played sports games like this can easily pick it up and have fun with it, while experts in the genre can find the immediate challenge they want. With numerous tracks, characters and outfits to unlock, any dedicated gamer can spend weeks just trying to get it all.

Characters:
All the characters in the game have well-defined personalities and winning races allows the player to increase their stats (much like an rpg). Pulling off stunts with the characters is like the rest of the game: easy to start but challenging to fully command.

Courses:
As much as the characters are a charming addition to the game, the courses prove to be well-thought-out and excellently planned. Gamers will easily find courses they love more than others, each with their own identifiable challenges.

Gameplay:
The arcade action of SSX is addicting and fun. Probably one of the nicest features is that if you manage to get off the course, you're not penalized. The game lets you make your own way back onto the course, often to your own benefit in finding short-cuts. In previous games, if you had a great stunt going, but you were leaning out of bounds, you had to cut the stunt short. In SSX, that is not the case. Let the stunt finish and land out of bounds and then find a way back onto the course.

The only real drawback that I have with SSX is the painfully long loading times before the player can actually start a race. Hopefully this will be resolved by the time the next version of this excellent game comes out. In all, this is a fine game and well worth the price to get.

- - kinderfeld