It’s been 13 years since Electronic Arts graced us with a new SSX game. Despite being a quintessential title of the PlayStation 2 era, one that sold well over 12 million copies and kicked off EA’s iconic imprint of over-the-top arcade sports games, it never quite made the leap to the next wave of consoles.
With SSX leaving a hole in the gaming landscape, solo developer Nathan Dearth took matters into his own hands. His early-access project, Tricky Madness, is a pitch-perfect spiritual successor to EA’s seminal series, and there’s never been a better time to check out this hidden throwback gem, as it's on sale for less than a cup of Starbucks coffee.
Like the game that inspired it, Tricky Madness is a snowboarding game that emphasizes cruising down a mountain in style, racking up big speed and even bigger scores as you pick a rider and compete in a series of events that test your skills on the slopes. Tricky Madness isn’t about recreating the feeling of hitting the powder in real life — it’s a hyperactive, cartoon version that sets out to make you giggle at how ridiculously cool it all is.
Even though it's a legally distinct successor, Tricky Madness feels and plays exactly like you remember. You take tight turns by curving the analog stick, adding a bit of tactility to gameplay. Rapid descents are accentuated with the right amount of blur and streak effects, and best of all, the wild trick animations look like they would fit right in with a modern SSX game.
Each of the game’s four characters has unique grabs and flips for soaring through the air. Landing consecutive moves will grant access to “Freaky” moves (this game’s version of SSX’s “Tricky” moves), which amps things up with characters detaching from their board and performing somersaults, superrotations, and more. Players looking to do well will need to gain as much speed and air as possible so they can hold these “Freaky” moves for longer before hitting the ground again. It’s a timeless balance of risk and reward that’s just as fun today as it was 25 years ago.
The game also sticks to the PlayStation 2 aesthetic, which is a wise move. While the ultra-realism of games like Riders Republic is impressive and appreciated, there’s something nostalgic about the more simplistic vibes of Tricky Madness that lean into its stylized art direction. The skyboxes are gorgeous, the snow looks great, and it all runs like a dream. I played entirely on a Steam Deck, and it ran flawlessly.
Tricky Madness retains the over-the-top special moves of EA’s arcade snowboarding classic.
As solid as the bones of Tricky Madness are, the game is still in early access. As of now, it only has three of its eight planned levels and just half of its intended eight characters. According to the game’s Steam page, Dearth also plans to add a campaign mode, multiplayer, and an open-world mountain containing all of the game’s levels in one continuous slope. There’s also no soundtrack yet, making the game feel a little barebones compared to the bodacious presentation of its source material.
With another year of development ahead, however, the package should only improve. And at just $6, I think it’s well worth jumping in now (and supporting the game’s continued development) before the feature-complete version inevitably jumps up in price a year from now.
Either way, if you’re nostalgic for SSX games that provided hours of nail-biting, high-stakes entertainment, Tricky Madness is one to watch. The game runs well on older machines and PC handhelds alike, and plays like you remember. With the game on sale until January 5, and a regular cadence of content being added next year, I think it’s a no-brainer pick-up for the holiday season.
