Game story · NexWave Games
FIFA Street and SSX: the exuberant sports games of the PS2 era
Holding a ball high while passing a defender, or completing a snowboard trick just before the snow appears under your board again: some sports games let you feel how spectacular an action can be. In the PS2 era, that approach took on recognizable faces with FIFA Street and SSX. They build their tension around rhythm, courage and mastering a movement. A successful action immediately gives rise to a next attempt.
FIFA Street moves the football to the square
The original FIFA Street brought famous footballers to small, unusual playing fields. The distance between them is short and an action with the ball receives a lot of attention. You can pass an opponent at speed, but the temptation to make something graceful of it remains close.
That also changes what you pay attention to during a match. A detached fellow player remains important, while a well-timed trick can suddenly make room. The fun is in learning to recognize such a moment. Well-known names from football from that time also make it easy to connect with that period again.
FIFA Street 2 makes style a rule of the game
In FIFA Street 2, teams play four against four. With the Trick Stick system you perform movements to deceive defenders. Spectacular play also fills a meter for the Gamebreaker, which also gives a series of actions a clear game goal.
The locations help give the competitions their own face. It makes a difference to the atmosphere whether you play between buildings or on a beach. A short match can therefore feel like a small performance: you try to connect the same techniques together a little more smoothly. Don't confuse these PS2 games with the later 2012 FIFA Street for PS3 and Xbox 360.
SSX Tricky: making room for one big leap
At SSX Tricky the descents are built around speed, jumps and striking routes. You choose where you speed up and where you use that speed for a trick. Landing is just as important as taking off: an impressive movement yields little if you do not complete it in a controlled manner.
The grand gestures suit the outspoken snowboarders and courses. This makes practicing something pleasant. After a failed attempt, you usually know when you want to try again. Starting a turn earlier or landing a little more quietly can be enough to change the entire descent.
SSX 3 gives snowboarding a mountain to explore
SSX 3 links its events to a mountain area where you can ride between challenges. That gives the matches an environment to return to. You get to know descents and connections and choose where you want to practice further.
Racing and collecting points require different choices. A fast, safe line can be valuable for your time, while a detour provides a good opportunity for tricks. The same slope therefore retains possibilities, even if you already know the exit. Improving your own ride becomes a goal in itself.
Another afternoon of playing
These sports games lend themselves to alternating practice and short competitions with someone next to you. First introduce a new player to the controls and then choose a suitable game mode. For a PS2 copy, check how many players that mode supports and whether you have enough controllers. You discover the real attraction as soon as you consciously succeed at a difficult movement for the first time.