Follow-up to the first SSX that pushes both tracks and personalities. Wilder tricks, more generous courses and a rock-electro-hip-hop cocktail soundtrack. Not yet SSX 3 but already a great snow ride that screams early 2000s. Lovely to revisit.
Your verdict
Category
Sports1 player3+
Description
Snowboarders tackle dizzying slopes in this first EA Sports GameCube SSX Tricky. Published by EA Sports, released in the United States in February 2002. Snowboard game with varied Uber tricks, SSX series characters and spectacular downhill courses.
SSX Tricky review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
SSX Tricky pushes arcade snowboarding into a whirl of pop color: cartoonish, vivid characters, wild courses strewn with shortcuts and ramps, and visual explosions on every Übertrick. The flashy, hyper-charged aesthetic turns each run into a TV show. A jubilant arcade art direction, a genre benchmark for its generation.
Impossible to forget the thunderous "It's Tricky" by Run-DMC blasting at full power on the slopes. Funk, rock and hip-hop string together to galvanise every jump and every trick combo. This infectious energy, perfectly in tune with the arcade madness, remains the sonic soul of the game.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Charging your gauge with stylish tricks to unlock Uber Tricks and defy gravity: the arcade descent runs on gleeful one-upmanship. Tracks built like roller coasters and a frenzied tempo make every run electric. A touch less open than its sequel, but with an immediate fun and a punch that haven't faded.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Everything here pushes toward excess: impossible tricks, roaring descents and a gauge that, once full, unlocks supernatural acrobatics. The fun springs from this constant one-upmanship, where every ramp calls for a wilder chain. A high-octane soundtrack and spectacular runs complete the picture. Gleeful, unabashed arcade snowboarding.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Filling the meter with insane tricks to unleash an Übertrick fuels an exhilarating one-upmanship where every run chases a higher score. Unlocking riders, tracks and outfits rewards your skill, and a grudge match against the AI relaunches the race instantly. The content is compact and repetitive, but this supercharged snowboarding keeps its arcade punch fully intact.
The NTSC release of SSX Tricky is the US version of EA BIG's game in a large print on GameCube. Collector value comes from the cult status of the 2000s sports arcade game and from the full original licensed soundtrack.
Is SSX Tricky still worth playing in 2026?
A direct sequel to the first SSX, Tricky crystallises EA Big's wild arcade formula with a system of spectacular Uber Tricks and a soundtrack made mythical by the Run-DMC anthem. The compact slopes and immediate handling make it a perfect experience for short sessions. Visually dated but with perfect readability, the title keeps a mad charm and remains one of the most joyful arcade experiences in the GameCube catalogue, particularly recommendable in local play between friends today still.
