Or How To Produce A Blinding Sequel Without Trying Too Hard...

One of the fundamental functions for a videogame is to put the player in a situation that we'd never ordinarily expect to be in - playing for England against Germany in Pro Evolution Soccer - or to sample the thrill of something which, back in harsh reality, we wouldn't (or couldn't) do, even if a cocked gun was pointing at our heads. Stunt snowboarding is one such activity. And SSX Tricky offers bone-crunching excitement in spades.

Last year's original SSX was a sleeper smash amidst a clutch of underwhelming launch titles. High-speed racing and irresponsible, trick-based showboating were united in one graphically lavish package. It was fresh, exhilarating and gloriously realised. SSX was a startlingly original title which subverted the perception that EA Sports is entirely reliant on sequels. However, when news of an update first emerged, a cynical sigh was difficult to suppress. We needn't have worried. SSX's soul has survived. For fans, it's packed with loads of new tricks, physics and features, while newcomers are in for a wild ride.

SSX's premise is of an international contest held at a variety of custom-built venues around the world. Most of SSX Tricky's tracks are the same as in the first game, but this time they've been radically tweaked to accommodate a more free-spirited approach (short cuts are more numerous and obvious, while tighter physics lead to wilder trickery including upside-down rail-rides).

The most progressive change to the environment design is the way the Race and Showoff versions of the same track are different; geared respectively towards either flat-out boosting or more considered grinding and flipping. This might sound like a minor improvement, but it makes a big difference. Although the original SSX tracks were superbly designed, many of them didn't freely translate from racing to trick-styling; now it really is like playing two games in one.

Another positive change is in the character design and interaction. Last time around, we had the standard stereotypes: bimbo, jock,hippy-chick, Brit... Now, although we're hardly talking Dostoyevsky, there's a little more variety and depth. In addition to returning favourites Moby, Elis, Mac and JP, new 'boarders include body-popping afro-guy Eddie, slinky senorita Marisol, creepy philosophy-quoting Zen dude Brodi and Psymon the psycho. This time, personalities have been fleshed out, complete with personal biographies, if you're interested. The much-trumpeted celebrity voice-overs (Lucy Liu, Billy Zane, Macy Gray, David Arquette) are cool, and the stars all earn their money, with each character boasting a unique repertoire of cheers, jeers, goads and taunts.

There's now a whole new dynamic based around character rivalry. As you progress through the World Circuit, all those sneaky shoves and shunts and forced wipeouts are logged and then translated into a pre-race breakdown of buddies, neutrals and rivals. While buddies will sail by with a blast of encouragement, rivals will be out to body-check you into the sort snow from the off. There are even post-race cut-scenes which emphasise the feuds, where Moby gets to use the words 'cack' and 'bollocks'. Shame Jurgen hasn't survived for a fruity Brit-German square-off.

To reassure any SSX die-hards fearing the worst, the basic essence of the game has barely changed. The action is still fixed around a cycle of 'tricks equals boost equals better tricks equals more boost'. After honing your skills in Practice mode, the main single-player game means taking a Novice character through the two branches of World Circuit mode: Race and Showoff. You open up new tracks and get a chance to beef up those stats by placing first, second or third in Race mode and by achieving medal-winning point scores in Showoff.

The balance is perfect - as you and your rider's skill improves, the game unlocks trickier tracks and tougher Showoff challenges. As well as the overhauled original SSX venues, there are two new runs: Garlbaldi, a steep, downhill track with plenty of big air for beginners to practise tricks; and at the other end of the scale, Alaska, an insanely difficult blend of vertical ice-walls, moguls, blind curves, multiple mini-humps and a final leap into a heart-stopping void that leads to the biggest of big air.

The developer has also tinkered with the trick system, transforming the game into a festival of ambitious multi-trickery. The word 'Tricky' is now spelt out at the top of the boost meter. Pull off enough stunts to max-out the meter, and Run DMC will kindly inform you that "It's tricky to rock a rhyme... that's right on time... *It's tricky*!" You'll now have twenty seconds to perform an air-hungry uber-trick by timing a grab with a tweak of Square. Your boarder now does something utterly unfeasible and a letter of 'Tricky' turns red - you're then invited to try a different uber-trick. Succeed in the tough task of lighting in all six letters before the end of a run and you're rewarded with infinite maximum boost (not affected by wipeouts), and, possibly, the capacity to pull off the much-rumoured super-uber trick. Infinite boost gives you a massive advantage in races, if you feel like taking the risk of so much tricking around during a speed run; when uber-tricks are combined with spins and standard tricks, the capacity for gigantic point-scoring in Showoff mode is huge.

Niggles are minor. Even picky frame rate freaks will find little to grumble about - despite the extra detail and more complex content, there are far fewer incidents of slowdown here than in the original game. Control-wise, it'd be useful to be able to cancel tricks which start to look doomed, in the way moves can be cancelled or changed in some of the later Street Fighter games, but there's not much more you can criticise about such an intuitive and rewarding trick system.

SSX Tricky is too heavily based on the original to be classed as a standalone sequel, and, to be fair to EA, it's never really touted the game as such. But while it may be SSX 1.5, the developer has taken an instant classic and polished it in practically every area, managing to achieve the near-impossible task of pleasing both fans and PS2 newcomers alike.

1. Frighteningly addictive!
2. Genuinely rewarding challenges.
3. Fantastic sound, speed and visuals.

1. Not really a sequel.
2. Er, Jurgen's not in it!

Graphics 100%
Gorgeous detail and enhanced models

Sound 90%
Music that really drives the game.

Gameplay 100%
A triumph of balance and reward.

Lifespan 100%
A huge array of challenges and characters.

Overall 90%
An instantly playable, brilliantly designed game with a perfect difficulty curve. SSX owners might find it over-familiar, but that's no reason not to buy it.