The gameplay in
SSX on Tour is similar to that in
SSX 3, with similar controls and the overall aims of events remaining the same - snowboard down a mountain while gaining points for various tricks that can be performed. After each trick, a player's "boost bar" builds up, and once full enables a player to perform special moves (which have been renamed from "Über Tricks" to "Monster Tricks"). Despite the similarities, numerous changes were made to the structure of races and events themselves. A new mechanic in
On Tour compared to previous entries is the addition of skiing alongside snowboarding, though the gameplay of the two is fairly identical. Players can now create their own characters, selecting his/her symbol, makeup, height, clothes and hair, in addition to whether they are a snowboarder or a skier. Once created, their character can compete in official competitions (known as "Events"), or unofficial challenges known as "Shreds". Each completed event or challenge gains their character "Hype", raising their profile and moving them up the SSX charts, with the ultimate goal of reaching number one. With the focus now on custom-created characters, the original SSX cast is moved into the background slightly, appearing in various Shreds against the player, and available to play as when not on the Tour itself. In addition to seven returning
SSX veterans (Elise, Mac, Kaori, Zoe, Psymon, Nate and Allegra), three new characters make an appearance: Tyson, Sid and Skye. In the
GameCube version,
Mario,
Luigi, and
Princess Peach appear as playable characters, and the level "Last Call" was renamed to "Nintendo Village", with
Mario-themed iconography replacing certain textures in the level. Unlike its predecessor,
SSX3, no online play was included on any of the versions of
SSX On Tour. The main focus was on improving the single-player story mode, implementing the character-creation system, working on new levels, and implementing skiing. The PSP version also differs greatly from the main console versions, with limited customization to custom-characters and levels borrowed from SSX 3. It also has omitted the use of bonuses when doing Monster Tricks. This game is presented in the style of a sketch-book, a new direction for the SSX series. The cover artwork as well as the in-game menus are all shown in sketch formats, simplistic images often on a lined background. The special in game collectibles, displayed as snowflakes in previous SSX games, have been replaced with sketchlike doodles known as "skulvis", which were actually controversial within the team according to art director Rich Curren. "When we looked at the SSX franchise, everything was shiny and slick and felt too 'produced,'" said Curren. "We used drawings that looked like they were produced by a 15-year-old kid – not even 'good' drawings at that. We committed to this concept and it worked." ==Soundtrack==