SSX On Tour Updated Hands-On

At its press event today, reps from EA's Canadian studio were on hand to let us get our hands on the latest work-in-progress version of SSX On Tour, the latest entry in its winning SSX franchise. We got our first look at the game last month and were pleased by the new gameplay twists and impressive new art style. The version on display today showed off even more of the impressive new game, and it whet our appetites for the promising title.

This version offered us a brief taste of the character customization that you'll engage in when you start a game. We got to see one more step in the process but have yet to be able to truly customize our virtual rider. We picked our rider's gender, as we did before, but rather than hop into a race as we did the last time we saw the game, we were also able to pick a "persona." Your persona determines both the base look of your skier and the icon that will appear in the game HUD when you ski. Once we sorted that, we hopped into a race. The reps on hand noted that in the final game, you'll be able to customize your rider's appearance after you select a persona.

Once in the game, we were able to try out a variety of races that showed off the expanded gameplay and got us excited about the upcoming game. We played through six different races that offered us a tantalizing taste of what the final game will hold. The airtime competition challenged us to clock in a cumulative time of 30 seconds in the air before time ran out. Size matters was a challenging run on a tree-filled course that required us to get a 125-meter lead on our competitor. Trick off required us to rack up a set score before time ran out. Other races tasked us with collecting a set number of icons spread out through the course, as well as performing the best along different heats.

The controls in the game are good and tight, ensuring a good time. We're pleased by the responsiveness that complements the game's insane speed. The new trick system and its use of the right analog stick feels tighter since we last played the game, which ensures some snowy combo insanity once players master it.

We doubt it's going to surprise anyone to hear that the visuals in the game continue to improve as the team polishes them up so they have the glimmering sheen we've come to expect from an SSX game. The various new tracks we saw were truly impressive, thanks to "traffic" in the form of assorted newbie skiers and obstacles, some of which you could demolish. The effects used during speed boosts and when you're "in the zone" (for when you hit insanely fast speeds) were looking sharp. As before, we continue to be taken by the fresh art style being used throughout the game, as well as by the inventive way it changes as you navigate menus and load races. (We're really hoping to see an extensive gallery of art from the game that you can unlock.) There were very few rough spots that caught our eye in the visuals, aside from an odd camera angle here and there. The frame rate had a few instances of inconsistency but hardly anything of note, despite the busy tracks and insane speeds we found ourselves tearing along at. The audio--always a strong part of any SSX game--was in top form, with a collection of catchy rock and hip-hop tunes that did a fine job of setting the tone for the races.

Based on what we played, SSX On Tour doesn't appear as though it's going to disappoint fans of the series. The improved gameplay, eye-catching art, and cool tunes are all coming together very nicely and have left us excited to see more of the game. SSX On tour is currently slated to ship this fall for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. A portable version for the PSP is also slated to come as well. Look for more on the games in the coming months.