Of all the video game remakes, why not SSX?

Arcade style sports games there was quite the following in the early and mid-2000s. From Tony Hawk’s professional skater to the many iterations of FIFA and NFL titles, these games had a lasting impact on players, with many continuing to play new games or seeing remakes or remakes of their favorites. It was one such series SSX, the popular snowboard game that was released a little over 20 years ago.

SSX was the first EA Sports Big title, a new addition to the EA developer umbrella at the time. The game received critical acclaim and received several awards, including the 2001 Console Game of the Year from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.

The franchise saw several sequels and a complete restart of the series was released in 2012 with quite positive reviews (although fans seem to have had mixed reactions). But not much has been said about it since SSX. Other popular games from the PlayStation 2 era have received remakes or remasters in recent years, such as The professional skater of Tony Hawk 1 + 2,, Dark cloud, and several Grand Theft Auto games. But why not SSX?

When we talk to the fans of the series, it becomes quite clear that there were certain key elements that attracted them to the game in the first place. Matt Paproki, a freelance writer and game collector, shared what initially interested him: “Immediately? It felt new. Compared to Cool Boarders or 1080 Snowboard,, SSX uses light, color, and sound in a way that demonstrates next-generation hardware. This and its systems were completely devoid of games that they imitated Tony Hawk. Super affordable design. ”

And as any player may know, there is a sense of nostalgia and love for the games that can remain for years after the first release. For Flora Eloise, co-founder of the gaming website Epilogue Gaming, there is definitely some nostalgia. SSX.

“Homesickness? This is the name of SSX game for me. I grew up in a low-income household, where I was lucky enough to even get a game for my birthday or Christmas, so if the games had some rough spots, they were still deeply ingrained in my memory. SSX, however, is one of the few games from that era that I would defend as still supporting from a mechanical and design point of view. It’s just as much fun to play now as it was then, and I can say that with nostalgia glasses.

SSX there is a real support in the memories of the players. Whether because of the color graphics or its focus on fast-paced gameplay, players are still ripping out the PlayStation 2 to revisit the title. Paprotsky says he is returning to the original SSX and its continuation, SSX Tricky, often. “The discs load somewhat regularly when the weather allows. I will say this: If I run PS2 or Xbox, SSX there is no doubt in the rotation, if not the reason why I included them in the first place. ”

So, with fond memories of the game, what do players think of a hypothetical remake or remaster in the future? On the other hand, the fans seemed quite approving. Chris Alaimo, who runs the YouTube Classic Gaming Quarterly channel, said: “It’s a pity we didn’t see a new record on SSX series for a long time. Since my best memories are from the game of the original game, I would like to see a remaster for modern consoles, but honestly, each new entry in the series will probably be a first-day purchase for me. ”