Will the day ever come when video games are button-free? It sounds like a strange idea, but that was the partial goal of the Nintendo Wii adaptation of the SSX series, SSX Blur. The concept was to make the game as Wii-specific as possible – that is, replace the typical analog and button-based scheme of the previous versions with all-new motion controls.

This could’ve led to an experience along the lines of Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam. But coinciding with other BIG Sports titles, SSX Blur is not like its competitors. If you thought SSX Blur was going to leave the nunchuck by the wayside, think again. While most racing-oriented games have involved the sideways-steering mechanic first introduced with Excite Truck, SSX Blur uses both controller pieces in a way that has more in common with Zelda than Mario Kart.

It’s Motion Time!

The Wii remote acts as your trick activator. Use it to carry out the dozens of spin moves found in the SSX series. But don’t do it by holding buttons or reaching for the nunchuck’s thumbstick – moves are executed by swinging the remote in various directions. The base directions are left, right, forward and backward. Change the speed and style of the trick by swinging the remote at different speeds. It takes more than a few minutes to get used to, and made prevalent where all the worry of “Wii elbow” injuries are coming from. If gamers snap their arms too harshly in an effort to increase trick speed, they might hurt something. For the safest and most effective move performance, swing strongly with your wrists and leave your arms out of the action.

Since tricks are executed with the remote, it goes without saying that the thumbstick must control your movement. Or does it? As it turns out, the thumbstick only controls a small portion of your boarder – the nunchuck itself controls the rest. In other words, to weave in and out of wide areas, you’ll tilt the nunchuck left or right. To turn more sharply, apply pressure to the thumbstick in the same direction as your turn.

Blurry-Eyed

SSX Blur continues the series’ tradition of sensational speeds and tricked-out gameplay. You start at the mountain’s peak and work your way down. Each path leads to a different challenge, and each challenge takes place in that area of the mountain. In other words, it’s more than just a world map – the area you explore is also a part of each objective.

The mountains in this game are huge, and stage access can be tricky. Ski through a race gate and you’ll automatically jump to that competition. That’s perfectly fine if that’s what you intended to do – if not, you’ll have to sit through a few load screens before you can get back to the mountain’s peak and start over. To get around that, access the 2D map via the pause menu. From there you can go wherever you want simply by pointing the Wii remote at the desired location.

But don’t think that means you’ll never have (or want) to explore the mountain as is. Dozens of collectibles, including new characters, are hidden throughout each mountain. You won’t find these items during a race or stunt competition – only during the exploration phase. Thus, it pays to take advantage of the different opportunities provided to get ahead.

I Like it Slopestyle

Race, Slopestyle, Half-Pipe, Big Air, and Slalom return to the series, providing a multitude of objectives to overcome. Since everything you do in this game is tied to motion, every competition type comes out a little different. The race portion is the only element that feels the same. The Half-Pipe – once an easy way to score huge point totals – is now an excruciatingly difficult play style. Sliding up and down the course is no easy task. You have sort of re-think and re-learn the way you play. It feels great and is a lot of fun, but you will be tempted to throw at least one of the controller pieces on more than one occasion.

Slopestyle, incase you didn’t know, is another competition where point totals reign supreme. Big Air requires you to jump as high (and as far) as possible while gaining thousands of points.

Slalom is the only one that doesn’t work well with the Wii controls. With pure analog functionality, SSX is great. Judging by other Wii games, it’s easy to assume that, if SSX Blur’s controls were entirely motion-influenced, it would be even more intuitive. But these controls are not entirely influenced by motion. To make a sharp turn, players must also incorporate the thumbstick, and that’s where unnecessary difficulties are presented.

Picture this: you tilt the nunchuck or thumbstick to turn. Each method has a wide range of sensitivities that allow you to turn with several different levels of power. Now combine the two, and make your hand use both (simultaneously) to create the perfect maneuver. You can’t tilt the nunchuck or push the stick too hard to or too softly. If you do you’ll miss your target. Every missed target adds 15 second to your time. These stages can’t be skipped. The only way to move on to is to achieve a time within the top three places.

Gameplay: 8.2
New controls, familiar SSX atmosphere. SSX Blur doesn’t redefine the series as much as it changes the way you play. Tricks are executed by swinging the Wii remote – the type and speed of those tricks are determined by the swing (left, right, forward or backward) and by how fast the remote is swung. It’s a new challenge that’s broadened – positively and negatively – by the nunchuck steering.

Graphics: 8.5
An extra boost of boisterous beauty has been applied to the slopes of SSX, augmenting the visual aura with an array of colors, lights, and lens flairs.

Sound: 7.0
The catchy, award-worthy soundtracks of the previous SSX titles are nowhere to be found, leaving a cluster of repetitive instrumental tracks in their place.

Difficulty: Medium
A new challenge for snowboarders everywhere. The new control style must be learned before it can be mastered, extending the difficulty well past the previous SSX titles.

Concept: 8.0
The controls work great 90% of the time. The other 10% are spoiled by the unnecessary inclusion of the thumbstick. You use the thumbstick to narrow your turning radius. Aside from being a contradiction to the control scheme (wasn’t this game supposed to be motion controlled?), it also keeps you from seamlessly steering down a slippery slope. Instead of having the freedom that comes along with motion controls, players must still think about the analog stick – only with much less precision than they had in the previous SSX games, which did not have any motion steering mechanics applied.

Multiplayer: 7.9
Split-screen gameplay for two. Wii is a new console, but the familiar GameCube architecture is plenty powerful enough to handle a four-player mode. Its absence is hard to overlook. Up to four can play in a mode where you take turns, but that’s not a feature that needed to be announced in-game. I can pass the controller to a friend whenever I please.

Overall: 8.2
SSX Blur doesn't change the series as other Wii-exclusives have, but the new and unique motion controls are interesting enough to immerse you into the game. Anyone who thought the last SSX was too easy will be excited by the motion-heavy mechanics, which require more than a few shakes and waves to trigger all those cool moves the series is known for producing.