SSX Blur will force you to draw hearts
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Jan 12th 2007 at 1:25AM }
Harmony. That's Wiimote and Nunchuk moving in tandem. Drawing hearts. Newsweek's N'Gai Croal has posted a visual guide of SSX Blur's Wii commands. Pictured above, an 'Uber Trick' is executed by drawing a heart-shape with the two controls. Not every action is as creative or involved, nor should all be, but the Wiiness certainly looks to put a spin on a series that could use some shaking up. Peep the photo album.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Blink @ Jan 12th 2007 1:50AM
Hawt. SSX3 was the first game my neighbors had with the Cube, Blur may be their first Wii title. Looks simple and masterable.
ERrrr @ Jan 12th 2007 1:45AM
Drawing hearts? Are you effing kidding me? The SSX series is great and in my mind, it definitely does not need shaking up in the way of drawing stupid hearts on the screen.. Jesus Nintendo is going to ruin yet ANOTHER franchise.
#1 FTW!
Shogan @ Jan 12th 2007 6:37PM
This could go either way. Maybe it's easy for newcomers to pick up, which would encourage multiplayer. But more than likely (This IS EA afterall), it's just some lame ill-conceived crap.
Patrick @ Jan 12th 2007 2:23AM
Fuk the visuals on this game look shit. I mean, it looks worse than SSX 3 on PS2!! And this coming from a Wii owner, damm I wasted my money..
Voidious @ Jan 12th 2007 2:25AM
I would be glad to draw hearts instead of the crazy button mashing involved in SSX 3 with the GameCube controller. Perhaps we got a bit addicted to the game, but that game caused some serious hand pain (and perhaps damage) to me and my friends with the insanity of the controls. It's certainly the only game I can think of that used every single part of the GameCube controller over the course of a few seconds... (Ok, except maybe Z, IIRC.)
I loved the game, but honestly gave it up for the sake of not getting carpal tunnel :)
Geoffrey @ Jan 12th 2007 2:54AM
I wouldn't be bothered by this if the nunchaku attachment was able to read like the remote itself. I just don't see the tricks registering this way
Psaakyrn @ Jan 12th 2007 3:02AM
Ok, I think we've enough wario-ware type games (throw in cooking mama and trauma center) (I define it by performing gestures pre-determined by the game to progress) and simple reality-simulation games (Wii-play, Wii Sports), now where's our "proper" FPS (Red Steel fails), Strategy (You know it's just begging to be implemented), RPG, Rhythm, Flight Sim (The controls is also begging to be implemented as such), Fantasy/Magic (Okami would be a good example of gesture-based spellcasting done right..) and other genres?
syco @ Jan 12th 2007 3:06AM
That almost looks like it could make a snowboarding game interesting.
...almost.
jonathan @ Jan 12th 2007 6:10AM
I don't care about drawing hearts but I _do_ agree the series needs shaking up.
Ssx 1-3 were some of my favorite games on Ps2 but the 4th one was crap and the Psp version sucked hairy ass balls..
C'mon Wii save Ssx!
Lou D @ Jan 12th 2007 9:07AM
You don't see the hearts on the screen dunces! It's just the guesture you perform to execute the move.
Evan @ Jan 12th 2007 9:51AM
The control scheme could be good. Two months ago I would have said "that's stupid", but after experiencing Wii Sports and Super Swing Golf for myself, I appreciate having the onscreen character's skill directly depend on my skill with the controller. A good golf swing isn't gauranteed nor bought, I have to earn it through perfecting my own physical skill, and doing it right every time.
I've played all four SSX games to completion or near completion. In SSX On Tour for the PS2, you buy Monster Tricks and push the right analog stick to perform them. That's not skill. And there's no risk that your character will fail to pull off the move.
An increasing number of games link your "skill" to almost RPG-like "leveling up", so that even players who suck can complete a game simply by putting in enough hours to buy their way through. It's as if developers have become adverse to challenging a player's skill, in case they offend players who suck. I prefer the good old days where your "skill" in a game depended on you skill and how much you practise, where you could start a new game of Street Fighter II or Super Mario Bros and kick ass!
Matt @ Jan 12th 2007 2:53PM
does any know if this is going to be a nintendo exclusive?
Rob @ Jan 12th 2007 10:40AM
Drawing hearts huh? My manly side tells me that I'm going to hate this aspect of gameplay but I'm going to get the game mainly b/c I'm a SSX fan and the new control scheme sounds really cool and ingrossing.
Hunty @ Jan 12th 2007 11:42AM
Having just played Eyetoy Antigrav for the first time a couple weeks ago, I have to say "been there, done that, although if I had been using a Wiimote instead of an Eyetoy it probably wouldn't have kept mistaking my wife's face for my hand".
J Empire @ Jan 12th 2007 12:47PM
I still like SSX Tricky the most. Because the word "Tricky" makes everything better.
Tricky, tricky, tricky...
Charron @ Jan 12th 2007 2:22PM
Well, from my peek at the photo album, it looks like a heart is just the design for that given Uber. There's another that's a backwards Z. So if you really have a problem with drawing hearts in the air, just don't bother with that Uber.
Darkness @ Jan 12th 2007 2:27PM
Drawing hearts sounds like it should be fun. My problem with the SSX games in the past is that I wasn't good at remembering all of the button combinations, so even though I could race with the best of them, tricks kicked my butt. So being able to use gestures to do moves would perhaps give me a chance to enjoy the game properly.
Pete @ Jan 12th 2007 6:15PM
yea SSX tricky is one of my top 5 games. heh im actually heading out now to play it at a friends. now i seriously want a Wii. ive seen a video for this, and it looks great. i mean heck it might turn out to suck miserably like the PSP version of SSX, but it looks like it could seriously reinvent SSX
Questworld @ Jan 18th 2007 8:30PM
Well I personally like the idea. I have SSX Tricky and SSX3 and remembering the combos is pretty complicated. Gesturing symbols should be a lot easier. I hope EA does a good job in this 'cause right now they've made some of the best efforts seen on the Wii so far, control-wise anyway (not that I like Madden games regardless, but people who played the Wii version seem to like it).
Takhar @ Jan 14th 2007 5:58PM
"1. Drawing hearts? Are you effing kidding me? The SSX series is great and in my mind, it definitely does not need shaking up in the way of drawing stupid hearts on the screen.. Jesus Nintendo is going to ruin yet ANOTHER franchise.
#1 FTW!"
1. Nintendo isn't even touching this game, it's EA Big, you dunce.
2. You don't see the hearts on screen, you make a heart shaped gesture to perform one of many uber tricks.
3. Take your head out of your ass before you type.
RUSKULL @ Jan 19th 2007 10:20AM
Looks pretty hot so far! Let's just hope they go back to their roots and bring back a more arcade like experience with outrageous environments and moves.
With the admittedly short supply of "must haves" for the Wii, blur looks to be a breath of fresh air.