It wasn't all that long ago that extreme sports seemed to be the hottest genre in the industry. As publisher after publisher churned out their me-too simulations of skateboarding, inline rollerblading, snowboarding, wakeboarding, surfing, the list goes on and on, the market inevitably became saturated with these countless attempts to cash in on the craze. Even the Tony Hawk series, perhaps the most polished extreme sports franchise ever, sensed how stale the genre was getting and shifted gears by seeking a more open-ended structure to its future titles.

So it's not all that surprising to see EA Big totally revamp the SSX brand with a nonlinear design in its third installment. Instead of isolated tracks spanning various locales across the globe, there is now one giant solitary mountain with three peaks littered with a seemingly endless number of paths through which to navigate. The three peaks can be likened to three difficulty levels, as the lowest peak where you start the game is the easiest. Advancing to the higher peaks results in a natural difficulty progression as the courses and opposing racers become more treacherous. Weather also poses a greater threat the higher you go, realistically mirroring the severity of weather conditions at higher altitudes.

The free-roaming makeover of SSX is implemented in much the same format as Tony Hawk 4. Instead of navigating through menus, you are dropped onto the mountain and decide which mode you would like to play next by simply riding to the designated location. And whereas the only mode of play in previous SSX games was racing down established tracks, there are now many more options awaiting you. Some of the new modes that have been unveiled are Big Air, Big Challenge, Slope Style, and Super Pipe. You can even collect hidden items a la Amped. These bonus modes add extra replay value way beyond timing runs and scoring points in the traditional race/showoff modes and will undoubtedly test your skills and dexterity as a board rider with unique events. Online play has been announced for the PS2 version only, although it seems that only the standard races and showoff tracks will be online. Whether online connectivity will be available for the new modes has yet to be seen.

One of the most appealing aspects of the SSX franchise has always been its dazzling over-the-top moves, so expect SSX3 to present even more reality-defying tricks. There are now also uber moves for rail grinding sessions as well. Uber tricks come in three levels, which have to be pulled off in succession. So upon filling the trick meter and completing a Level One uber move, you'll be allowed to perform a Level Two uber move the next time the meter is full, and so on, culminating in a Level Three Monster Trick.

But besides the flashy maneuvers are included some much less flamboyant but nonetheless equally important moves, the most notable being the board flex. Analogous to the manual in Tony Hawk, this trick allows you to chain tricks and rack up combos. Theoretically, the entire run down the mountain can be one long momentous string of continuous tricks connected with board flexes. Also added is the handplant move to be performed on rails or on half-pipes. This move allows you to transfer from one half-pipe to another in the Super Pipe mode.

With any sequel comes greater expectations for graphical upgrades, and SSX3 doesn't disappoint. There is an impressive draw distance with no pop-up or fog, and a purported 30 different types of snow, differentiated via lighting for a more realistic surface. Realistic weather conditions with swift winds and swirling snow add to the fantastic visual effects. SSX3 very noticeably looks leaps and bounds better than its predecessors.

SSX is what put EA BIG on the map, so we can rest easy that the team will put their heart and soul into finishing the latest in their prized franchise. Look for it this October, just in time to usher in the holiday season with a brisk run down the slopes.