SSX: Snowboarding without being cold

Screengrab from video game : SSX (PS3 X360) by EA Credit: Handout/

By CHRIS CAMPBELL. Scripps Howard News ServiceMarch 16, 2012

A man and his snowboard. This pairing can deliver the most heart-pounding, gravity-defying and thrilling sports action you are likely to have this year. And just when you think you've seen it all, SSX tosses you a helicopter, parachute and a flying-squirrel suit to crank up the adrenaline rush.

Outrunning an avalanche or surviving pitch-black forests or oxygen-deprived descents of Mount Everest -- these are just some of the exciting moments constantly thrown at you in SSX.

There is a lot of speed here, which means it's crucial to maneuver quickly and be agile in an ever-changing environment. The slopes are a wide-open expanse of possibilities, which means every trip down feels as fresh as newly fallen snow. Ramps, icy caves, rails and more dot the landscape, so there is rarely more than a half-second or more when you aren't executing another trick.

Tying tricks together is the basis for scoring points and earning tons of credits (the game's currency system) to spend on new gear and other features. SSX has a robust single-player World Tour mode as well as online multiplayer competitions, though the AI opponents in World Tour are more difficult than they should be and sap some of the enjoyment from the action.