Jonny Moseley Mad Trix™

In the opening credit sequence, Olympic gold medallist Jonny Moseley wonders what it would be like to ski in his hometown of San Francisco.   As unlikely as it sounds Moseley’s ski fantasy of skiing in odd locations such as Rome or Machu Picchu comes true.  The fact that Moseley is an extreme sport skier in the same way that Tony Hawk is an extreme skater or Shaun Palmer is an extreme snowboarder means this is no ordinary skiing title.

Jonny Moseley Mad Trix follows Moseley himself as well as eight other skiers--three of the others are actual skiing champs while the five others were created for this game--on a tournament where the winner gets to be the subject of a skiing documentary.  Each skier even has his or her own signature trick.  Jonny Moseley, for example, is well known for his 360 Mute Grab.

The game starts with the limit choice of three skiers and one set of ski equipment while the rest is unlocked by meeting the first challenges of the game.  But these three skiers are enough to familiarize yourself with the gameplay and the challenges that wait.  Preferably, it’s best to start the game in the Ski Camp (used as a practice run before the actual tournament).

Performing simple tricks such as basic grabs and grinds are done easily, sometimes the grinds are almost effortless.  However, the more elaborate the trick, the more work is but into it, but it is never frustrating or annoying.  Many of the tricks are neat while others are impossible to perform in real life; but then again this is a fantasy ski title.

Part of the fantasy comes in the various ski venues such as a snow-filled San Francisco or Rome.  All environments have their own distinct look and feel befitting of the location, for example, San Francisco has mild earthquakes and gamers can jump off the Golden Gate Bridge while Las Vegas has flashing neon lights and recognizable hotels.  All of this makes for an interesting ski experience instead of the usual snowy mountaintops.

Choosing the tournament, gamers will quickly see that in order to advance to the next level, certain Trick Points must be obtained.  Performing various tricks add to the points and the more elaborate the trick the more points received.  There are also items in the game that help the gamer such as the ski symbol, a glowing cookie and a pair of skis.  Each item either boosts your speed, doubles or triples the points earned on any trick performed or opens new equipment.

The game is filled with heavy rocking tunes that range from System of a Down-like music to Limp Bizkit-type rock-rap.  It’s not a bad soundtrack at all, although sometimes the music repeats itself throughout the game.  And the sound effects are directed at the skiing itself (rushing skis against snow or the howling wind when you make a jump off a building) and the surrounding environment (rumbling earthquakes and low flying helicopters).

The graphics could have been a little better, although the neatly packed snow does look good and characters themselves are nicely detailed.  Things such as half-buried trains and buildings look a bit blocky and the audience in the arena is shapeless forms.  There are many areas where the graphics look really good, but the details are at a minimum and this is noticeable.

Another thing that is noticeable is the nonexistent multiplayer option.  This game would have been near perfect with multiplayer games since there are enough characters and terrains to warrant such an option.

Jonny Moseley Mad Trix is actually quite enjoyable, though, and despite the small things that reduce the overall greatness of this title, it has enough to compete with the likes of Tony Hawk and the SSX series.  Those gamers disappointed with Shaun Palmer’s Pro Snowboarder will be more than satisfied with this title.

Gameplay: 9.2
It’s enjoyable to play a sports title where the controls are so simplistic in their design that it takes just a little while to get comfortable with them before launching into the main events.  Mad Trix is exactly that kind of game, although I do recommend gamers try the Ski Camp option a few times before moving on to the actual game itself.

Executing simple tricks is easy enough and performing the more intricate tricks such as the Tai Pan is not frustratingly complicated at all.  The challenge is doing enough of these tricks to meet a required Trick Point average to win the medal and move on to the next challenge. 

Graphics:  8.7

Although the graphics are not stellar, they are actually quite decent in many areas of the game.  The characters are detailed nicely, especially the original creations each with their own unique look.  And the snow effects look excellent--although things such as buildings or buried cars and trains look a bit on the blocky side.

The best part is that each area has their identifying points of interest.  San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge while Machu Picchu has its Incan ruins.  The details aren’t extraordinary by any means but it’s nice that they tried at least.

Sound: 9.2
The soundtrack is not a surprising departure from the many other sports titles released this year, it is basically filled with heavy riffs and vocals of the Slipnot kind as well as a good dose of Eminem-type tunes.  The music is actually catchy and fits the extreme sports theme in the same way the soundtrack for worked for the Tony Hawk series.  The problem is that some of the music does recycle itself and gamers are forced to hear the same tunes over and over again.

As far as the sound effects go, this title does it right.  You can hear the skis cutting through the ice, the skier take a nasty tumble as he or she kicks up snow and the various moving obstacles--such as a moving train or passing helicopter--which get in the way.  And the voice-over of the coach is never irritating . . . although he does sarcastically remind you quite often that performing the same tricks is boring.

Difficulty: 8.9
Quite possibly the reason the controls are so simple to learn is because the actual events are a challenge that requires many tries.  The game’s difficulty is in the total trick points gamers have to acquire to succeed in any level and win the medal.  Often times there is also a time limit, which can be frustrating if a player is close to completing the required point average.

Thankfully, there are items throughout the slope that can double or even triple the Trick Points when performed.  Grabbing enough of these items, as well as items that open new ski equipment, could very well help gain the medal without the hassle of frantically trying to meet the requirement.

Concept: 8.9
The heart of this title is the interestingly unique skiing tricks, many of which are actually modeled after Jonny’s own signature mad tricks, while others are quite impossible to perform in real-life but are cool to perform in the game. There’s also Playback option that allows you to watch the special trick in action without distractions.

Also, there are several different skiers to choose from aside from Jonny--three are actual skiing pros while the five other skiers are made up creations.  The best part is unlocking some of the extra skiers, which is a challenge, and when they are available, each has his or her slope style.

However, a multiplayer option would have been appreciated, especially since there are nine different characters and eleven different sloped to ski on.  The absence of multiplayer action leaves kind of a void in the game, especially one that has excellent controls.

Overall: 9.0
Jonny Moseley excels in many places and brings to mind excellent sports titles such as SSX Tricky and Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3.  Aside from the various terrains and many skiers to choose from, this title has the right idea of combining an extreme sports attitude with just the right touch of fantasy.  All in all, this is a fun title that skiing and sports fans will not be disappointed by.