SSX Mt. Eddie DLC review (Xbox Live, PlayStation Network)

I love what EA Sports did with the new SSX.  It added a new degree of challenge to the game while opening up the floodgates with online challenges galore — whether you’re trying to best someone’s race time on a near impossible track or getting your trick score upwards into the millions.  However, the game isn’t to everyone’s tastes, thanks to the increased difficulty with necessary gear (like a wing suit or an oxygen tank), or the sudden drop-offs that force you to use one of your costly rewinds.  (This is particularly true with the frustrating Deadly Descent challenges.)

EA Sports has listened somewhat, and to kind of flash back to the older days of the series, it’s offering a new Mt. Eddie downloadable content pack.  It’s available either as one combined unit for $7.99, or the separate character and track packs for $5.99 each.  Obviously, the combo deal is the better value, as you not only get some fresh new terrain to remind you of the SSX games of old, but plenty of classic characters put some fun back into the mix.

Mt. Eddie lacks the severe drop-offs or the need for extra equipment, like other tracks in the game.  Instead, it reverts back to the classic style, with glowing neon lights, exploding fireworks, bright red rails to slide along, and more jumps than you’d ever find in your local skate park.  Here, you can race and trick to your heart’s content, utilizing the same play style that you’ve gotten used to in SSX.

Though it isn’t as big a track as you’d find in previous SSX games, Mt. Eddie still gives you plenty of room to run through nine outstanding drops, with challenges around every corner, hidden Geotags, and lots of flashy graphics that’ll catch your eye.  The terrain features some outstanding design, with no shortage of places to chain together your tricks and bump up your score.  Our personal favorite is one of the huge drops in the center, which lets you squeeze in at least half a dozen flips and grabs before you hit the powder below, where another jump is waiting just seconds later.

Along with the nine drops, the collectible pack also includes seven retro characters, including the classic design of Elise, complete in hot red leather and stretch blue pants, and Eddie, with his over-the-top afro.  They bring their classic boards with them as well, and you can use them at any point in the game, not just the Mt. Eddie courses.  They may not perform much differently from the contemporary versions, but it’s enjoyable watching them trick out anyway.

In addition, the game also throws in three tracks from previous EA Sports games, including “Top Bomb” and “Gin and Sin” from SSX, as well as “Darkpath” from Sled Storm.  While we would’ve preferred “Shake What Your Mama Gave Ya” from Fatboy Slim, these certainly beat nothing.

Mt. Eddie provides a few hours worth of entertainment, especially if you prefer the older SSX games.  The only downside is that the computer competition is a little too good, particularly on the trick tracks.  They’ll get their scores well into the double-digit million range while you struggle just to try and get up to 10.  Challenging friends, however, you’ll find that things might be a little more easygoing — depending how aggressive those you compete against really get.

For eight bucks, Mt. Eddie is an ideal DLC pack for SSX, and it's hopefully just a precursor of future tracks to come.  We’d love to see some of the SSX 3 track designs make a return here, and maybe even a few from the Tricky era.  For the time being, though, this mountain is well deserving of some shredding.