Ohh, thanks for that news. I didn't know it was only one on one, and nothing more - that's bogus.

I may now buy it for the X-Box. :)

So, has anyone seen any framerate issues in SSX3? I was bothered by the bad framerate (in places) in Tricky.

Also, can you create your own character from scratch in SSX3?

Never noticed any "framerate" issues on Trick or 3, Xbox version.. and no you cannot create a character from scratch.. but with all the dress up options and strange accessories you get for the exsisting characters, there's plenty of fun to be had.

I really want this game. . .

As far as I remember, this is only the third game I've paid full price ($49.99) for this year, and the second that was worth every penny.

(BTW.. the other 2 were Zelda and F-Zero, Zelda was worth it, F-Zero would've been happier at $29.99).

I noticed slowdown on the Xbox version of SSX3 on one of the early races (I haven't played it much yet). The slowdown occured when I took a sidepath on the city level.

Awesome... thanks!

And I've noticed slowdown on the PS2 version, and I'm not even close to being done with Peak 1. But still a very good game. :)

The X-box version of Tricky had TONS of slowdown due to some unoptimized graphical improvements over the PS2 version.

SSX3 has very little slowdown and what there is, is not too noticeable unless you are looking for it.

:confused:

Really? I never had any problems with it, and I played the living snot out of the game. I did notice the slowdown in 3 right off the bat but I never noticed any in Tricky.

Thanks, I found it.

40 BIG Challenges on Peak One alone? Holy crap. I thought I was off to a good start to find two on Peak 2. Same with demolishing the Bronze qualifying score on the Peak 1 Slopestyle run... it still only got me a Bronze.

Anyone know how to switch pipes in the superpipe (half pipe) competition. I know you can grab, but how do you move onto one of the other super pipes when they are lined up next to each other?

Do a handplant between the two pipes and lean towards the pipe you want to enter. If i explained it wrong its also in your message folder in the game it explains so much if you have any questions.

OK, I picked it up for the Xbox, but haven't opened it yet (tons of games to play right now). I'm still not fully commited to the Xbox version. I loved the PS2 controls on the last game and also, I still think the online play will add some depth. The IGN review says the graphic improvements on the xbox are minimal. What was the head-to-head results? Any insiders here?

Which version of this game are you playing? The Xbox version does not offer DTS, and there is no option to choose anamorphic. I looked for a 16X9 setting on the menu and in the manual, and it's just not there. This disappointed me because I have an HDTV, and the back of the box says the game supports 480p. I've enjoyed lots of other Xbox games in 16X9 format, but this is the second EA game I've bought that doesn't support 16X9. When is EA going to get on board?

Why does EA ignore the extra features and power of the Xbox?

I have this version and an HDTV. I thought 480p implied 16X9 (anamorphic) format so it would correctly fit a widescreen TV, but I guess I was wrong. This game is 4X3, and there is no option on the menu or in the manual to change the aspect ratio of the game. Soul Calibur II and Burnout 2 are two Xbox games that are presented in widescreen, and they automatically fit my TV correctly; I don't have to make any adjustments within the games as along as I have correctly set up the Xbox on the dashboard menu. I'd rather EA have made this game in widescreen than 4X3 progressive. I hate playing games with bars on the side of the screen or with the picture distorted from stretching it. Hell, I'd rather EA have put money and effort into making this game widescreen instead of THX certified. I can live without THX. The game still would have sounded fine in plain old in 5.1 DD. As the price of HDTVs drops and more people buy them, I think every video game should offer gamers a choice of aspect ratios.

Lowest common denominator.

They focus on the PS2 (and rightly so given it's sold in the 50-60 million range world wide with GC and X-box combined being in the 20 million range) and basically port over to the other systems.

Not to mention EA and MS don't have a good working relationship with the scuffle over online gaming.

Yeah, 480p can be either 4:3 or 16:9. However, 720p and 1080i DO imply 16:9. Read the FAQ titled "HDTV Myths, Misnomers, and Mysteries" in the DVD & Home Theater Gear Forum. An excerpt:

(from table A3 of the ATSC Digital Television Standard, Revision B):

480 interlaced (i), 4:3 aspect ratio
480 progressive (p), 4:3 aspect ratio
480i, 16x9 aspect ratio
480p, 16x9 aspect ratio
720p, 16x9 aspect ratio
1080i, 16x9 aspect ratio
1080p, 16x9 aspect ratio

This is important info that every HDTV owner and prospective buyer should know.

do the rail tricks rack up a signifficant amount of points? it seems really hard to get the gold on some of these peak 3 levels, and i'm thinking its because i'm not incorporating any rail moves? how do you pull these off? i know you grab the rail, but can you then uber out of the hold?

Do you mean other than grinding and uber-grinding on the rails? That'll net you good points, I'm pretty sure. I haven't done a grab anywhere but a pipe just to try it out.

When you are "Uber Ready" press any of the grab or tweak buttons on a rail and you'll do a rail trick.. this will also add a letter to the "SUPER UBER" meter.

Head-to-head went to PS2, but bearly, and only because of it's "online" mode.

As for me, I like the button layout of the ps2 better, but I much prefer the analog sticks on the S-controler to the shoddy sticks on the dual-shock. Also, it's much easier to switch your thumb from the stick to the pad (to pre-wind) on the S-controler than it is to do on the dual-shock.

So the control issue is almost a draw for me, but I slightly prefer the X-box controls to the PS2's for the reasons above.

Holy crap there is so much to do in this game!!!!!
I just now realized:

1) You can do tricks on rails
2) You can buy Uber's!!!!
3) You can unlock an assload of hidden characters!

Damn this game is deep.

I think the rail UBER ricks give crap for points. Only about 4,000 - 5,000. The best way to rack up points is with the combo feature. You'll notice the little timer after you complete a trick, just pull off another trick and that'll add to the combo. And you'll see the combo points adding up. If you don't wipe out after the last trick all, those bonus combo points get added to your score. On some courses, like the half-pipes, it's very easy to rack up 300,000+ points just from combos. One of the career highlights is to pull off a 100x combo. If there's no jumps to trick off of, just do a lot of little 180 jumps or forward and backward leans, and that'll keep the combo count going.

i was noticing the combo feature, it's really a nice addition. another way i've been racking up some serious points is by holding the UBERs as long as i can, which i think is another nice feature to this version. if you buy one of the UBER tricks that is "short" (for example the board doesn't spin around a lot), you can hold it for a long time with some good air. it really adds a lot to your score.

Thanks! I really appreciate your input. :D
You have me thinking I'll keep the Xbox version. I have enough to play online now and like I posted earlier, I'm not so interested in head-to-head racing. Too bad they didn't go all-out with an online mode like MS did with Amped 2.

I was concerned that the S-controller would be difficult to use without the shoulder buttons, but if you think they're acceptable, I'll go that route.

Anyone playing this online? I just hooked up my nw adapter earlier today and raced against one person. It feels very sterile I guess the word would be. With PC online games I can type really quick while playing and everyone is usually very chatty.

It's gonna be a chore unhooking the pc and powering down the modem to play PS2 online until I get a router though.

My name is the same here as it is in the game.

I wanted to build up my character a bit more before heading online. Maybe I'll hook it up tonight. Need a USB headset though. Check some od the deals websites for routers. Got a nice wireless router with 4-wired ports for $25 recently.

So is there a way to cancel a jump once you've initiated it? In the original SSX you pressed L3 I think but SSX3 doesn't seem to have that option. Anyone know how?

this game is awesome!

I'm getting my SSX callus/blister/soreness again... on my left thumb. I had it when I was playing the hell out of Tricky, and I can feel it coming back. :(

I can totally relate. All the new games this week have my thumbs aching. I need to keep them in training so I don't have to suffer the seasonal soreness!

My impressions of the Xbox revsion:
I really like what they've done this year. It does make a huge difference that now you don't have to just race. The open-ended gameplay means you can just pick it up and mess around for a half hour and actually acheive something. Very few games are like that these days. The graphics really are impressive, especially the snow. I love how the sun glistens off it -- very cool! Sound is quite imersive, though I wish they would have let you import songs.
I'm still having some trouble with the controller -- the PS2 just feels more intuitive for tricks, but that may be largely due to what I've been used to for so long. I really don't think I'm missing out on much by passing on the ps2's online mode -- I know I'd just humiliate myself.

<s>Anyone finish the Big Challenge "Tricky Gates" on Peak 2 yet? This one is driving me nuts. I think you have to go through the 32 gates to finish it and win 100,000 but every time I hit number 32 it says I fail. :mad: Either the game is buggy or they didn't spell out the info entirely for that particular Big Challenge.</s>

Nevermind, I figured out what I needed to do and feel stupid now. :)

I need some help on the Peak 3 superpipe.... how do reach the 2 upper level pipes? I tried to do a handplant on the way up or down but it doesn't seem to work.... Is there some trick to getting to the upper level pipes that I'm not figuring out?

Also I asked this before, but anyone know how to cancel a jump once you've initiated it? You could do this in the original but I haven't figured it out for SSX3. I'm using the pro setting.

I finally got Psymon maxed out and am going to be buying UBERS and accessories now. I'm pissed that you have a limit to the amount of accessories you can add on to a player! I wanted to have devil horns, the scuba gear and a flaming board but I cant! :) The snow man cheat character is hilarious too. He has a sled as his board and even has his own UBERS!

Well, I have done this only once, but I also haven't tried very many times.

Basically what I did was a bunch of Ubers in a row to get my height high and just kept trying to hit the handplant. I got it the one time, but I found it wasted WAY too much time to try and get so I have passed on trying it again.

I would be very interested in finding out if there is an easier way to get it to work right.

i unlocked the peak 3 "peak jam"... wow... it gives you 33 minutes to make it down the mountain, and you have to score 1,000,000 points to beat it. i got it on my first try. took me 28 minutes to go from the top of peak 3 and i earned 1.3 million points.

good times.

So what is the deal with "Monster Tricks"?? They talk about them over at gamefaqs.com but I'm not entirely sure where in the game they talk about this. Also, anyone know which is the best UBER to buy to give the most points?

I think Monster Tricks are the "Super Ubers" I would guess.. once you do 4 Ubers and fill up the word "Uber", your Ubers change into the crazy breakdancing ones.

No the monster tricks are something else entirely. Different than the UBER's altogether.....