SSX TRICKY - CHARACTER INFO FAQ v1.5 ------------------------------------ by FishEye (fishilens@yahoo.com) First version(v1.0) finished on: February 22, 2002 Updated v1.1 (2-27-02): - corrected minor spelling errors - added two entries to websites authorized to display FAQ Updated v1.5 (5-20-02): - fixed my Wachowski/Coen brothers mix up in Marty's bio (thanx Ogreboy!) - confirmed Nonno magazine info, updated Kaori bio - added Ministry info to Marisol's bio (thanx Alistair C.!) - added to Kaori name translation (thanx Debi T.!) This FAQ was created using the North American PS2 version of the game. I don't think information presented here differs from the other versions (other than Marty, who I've included in section 5I). If you notice anything that *is* different, please let me know and I will update the FAQ and give you credit for the info. ------------------------------------ **Table of Contents** --Info That's Usually Skipped A. About The Author B. What Is This FAQ About? Why?! 1. Initial Character Selection A. What Characters Are Initially Available? B. What Do I Have To Do To Unlock The Others? C. Who Should I Pick Once I've Unlocked Everyone? D. Brief Character Descriptions E. Initial Character Stat Points/Who's Good At What? 2. Selecting An Outfit & Board A. Outfit List For Each Character B. Does My Outfit Choice Make A Difference In The Actual Game? C. What's Up With That Master Outfit?! D. Board List For Each Character Including Stat Increases E. I've Unlocked The UBERBOARD, Why Would I Choose Anything Else? 3. Character Bios (Including More Detailed Information) A. Eddie B. Elise C. Marisol D. Seeiah E. Luther F. JP G. Zoe H. Moby I. Mac J. Kaori K. Psymon L. Brodi 4. Friends & Enemies A. Initial Friends & Enemies For Each Character B. How Do I Gain Friends And/Or Enemies? C. Does It Really Make A Difference? 5. Miscellaneous Character Trivia A. Why Doesn't Eddie Have The Board He's Shown With In The Intro? B. Doesn't Elise Have Another Costume? C. How Much Of Marisol Is Silicone? D. Is Seeiah Really The Most Annoying Character In The Game? E. How Many Times Have Members Of Luther's Family Been On The Jerry Springer Show? F. Is JP Really A Member Of The Backstreet Boys? G. Zoe Has A Tattoo? H. What Happened To Moby's Teeth Board? I. Who's Marty? (Including Bio) J. What's That On Kaori's Back? K. What Does The Tattoo Say On Psymon's Back? L. Ukiyoe Surf? --Closing Information (Or Info That's Usually Skipped, Part 2) A. Places I Found Useful When Gathering Info B. Where To Submit Comments/Suggestions/Ideas C. The Legal Stuff D. Thanks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --Info That's Usually Skipped A. About The Author Most of you probably don't know me, so I'll take a few seconds to let you know my SSX history. I've been playing SSX since its first incarnation (SSX). I bought Tricky the day after it was released in North America and have been playing it continually ever since. My favorite character is Kaori and has always been since the first SSX (though Pysmon is a close second). I'm ok at racing, but better at showoff. I currently have over a million points (all done with Kaori) in 8 of the 9 tracks (not counting Untracked). I'm pretty good, but definately not the best. Oh, and this is also the first FAQ I've written so bear with me. B. What Is This FAQ About? Why?! Before you ask or waste your time scrolling through this entire thing - THERE ARE NO CODES OR CHEATS IN THIS FAQ. What this FAQ is is an in-depth look at the characters of SSX Tricky. In my opinion, the creators of SSX Tricky at EA Sports did an excellent job of making some really unique and memorable characters. There's something for everyone, with enough solid characters to make almost everyone happy. This FAQ was designed to give first time players and potential buyers (there are people out there who don't own this game yet?!) an idea of what kinds of characters are in the game and who might be a good character for them to start with. It was also designed to provide all (vets and greens alike) with detailed information about the characters and their backgrounds that they might not have already known (such as what some of the responses on the Rider Profiles actually are and what they have to do with that particular character). So now you may be asking "Why do I care about character information? I only care about how they perform in- game". Well, I've never been one to choose a character based on "who's the best". I usually pick a character that I find interesting or like for other reasons and I wanted to cater to those people as well. Now I can hear you vets saying "then what are you doing with Kaori, one of the best (of two) at tricks?" All I can say is that I chose Kaori before I knew what she was good at based on the fact that I'm an anime freak and have a bad case of yellow fever to boot. So there. =P Read on and enjoy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Section 1 - Initial Character Selection ***** For some, choosing a character is the first challenge of the game. Those who are in the game to win may be wondering which character is the *best*. Those who are playing the game as more of a leisure activity may want to know what each character is like before they just choose any random character. There is nothing wrong with either type of player and I'll try to cater to both in the sections to follow. 1A. What Characters Are Initially Available? When you start up the game for the first time, only 4 characters are available: Eddie, Elise, Moby, and Mac/Marty. Use any of these four characters to unlock your character of choice. If you happen to like one of these initial four, then you're in luck. Read on to find out more information about these characters, as well as the rest of the characters you can unlock in the game. 1B. What Do I Have To Do To Unlock The Others? This information is provided in the game so I won't waste space listing it here. You need to get a certain number of Gold Medals (Racing, Showoff, or a mix of the two) in World Circuit Mode (with any mix of characters) in order to unlock other characters. Highlight each particular character in the character selection screen to find out how many gold medals you need to unlock that character. 1C. Who Should I Pick Once I've Unlocked Everyone? As I mentioned above, it kind of depends on why you're playing. If you're playing to win, check out sections 1D (Character Stat Points) and 2D (Board Stat Increases) of this FAQ to review each character's physical stat points and strengths/weaknesses. If you're playing just to have fun, you'll probably want to check out the entire FAQ, paying special attention to Section 3 (Character Bios). Both types of players should at least check out section 1E below for a basic idea of each character (if you are not already familiar with them). 1D. Initial Character Stat Points/Who's Good At What? Initial point values do not include the character's first board. The number listed under each stat go in the order of Initial Character Stat Point/Max Character Stat Point. Character Edging Speed Stability Tricks ---------------------------------------------------------------- Eddie 09/34 16/38 08/34 11/34 Elise 10/32 12/38 10/34 12/36 Marisol 11/36 16/38 05/32 12/34 Seeiah 09/34 13/36 07/30 15/40 Luther 09/34 10/34 20/40 05/32 JP 07/32 12/35 09/33 16/40 Zoe 11/34 13/36 08/34 12/36 Moby 09/34 12/34 09/36 14/36 Mac/Marty 09/32 11/34 06/34 18/40 Kaori 11/34 11/34 05/32 17/40 Psymon 06/36 15/35 12/35 11/34 Brodi 08/36 17/40 13/36 06/28 Who's Good At What? Well, by looking at the stat points you get a pretty good idea. To make it easier I'll break it down into 3 basic categories: Speed, Tricks, and Average. The category "Average" is used to denote the characters who are well-rounded. The Speed and Trick characters tend to sacrifice one for the other. For example, Brodi, who has the highest Speed stat, also has the lowest Trick stat. So why not include Edging and Stability as categories? Well, honestly the two most important stats in the game are Speed and Tricks. Edging and Stability play their own roles, but really only in supporting the other two stats. That having been said: - Elise, Marisol, and Brodi are good at speed. - Seeiah, JP, Mac/Marty, and Kaori are good with tricks. - Eddie, Luther, Zoe, Moby, and Psymon are more average than anything else. You may be asking, if Brodi is the fastest character (by two points), then why consider the other two that are good at speed? This is where the supporting role of the other two stats come into play. Sometimes the best character isn't the one with the very highest stat in that field. That's why I put Brodi together with the other two, even though he does have the actual highest speed stat. It should also be noted that while all four who are good at tricks have the same max point value, Mac/Marty and Kaori are considered the best at tricks, mainly due to their smaller size which is believed to give them more air time off jumps since they're lighter. 1E. Brief Character Descriptions All 12 characters in SSX Tricky are really unique and well detailed. I'll deal with more in-depth character information in the Bios (Section 3) but for now, here's a basic idea of what each character is like. Eddie - The white guy with an afro and a loud mouth. Eddie is better than average with speed and tricks, but is more of a well-rounded character in the end. Elise - Elise is the Canadian girl with model looks. She's considered by some to be the best overall character in the game. She has high averages on all of her stats, though she's best at racing. Marisol - Picture the Hispanic background and flair of Christina Aguilera mixed with the body of Britney Spears and you've got Marisol. Marisol is built for booty shakin' and speed. She's not the fastest, but don't tell her that. Seeiah - The African-American BALD girl. Seeiah is the funky goddess... er... yeah... who's specialty is her tricks. Luther - The fat white trash, complete with Mullet. Once this guy gets going, he doesn't go down easy. Luther's specialty is actually his incredible stability. But, since stability does not factor in as much as some of the other stats, he's really just a well-rounded (especially his gut) boarder. JP - The too suave Frenchman. JP is almost as good at tricks as he is at... well, being full of himself. Zoe - Tough punk girl with plenty of attitude. Zoe's the kind of girl who could kick your ass, and you'd probably like it. She's one of the average characters. Moby - Black and British, with attitude and dreads to top it off. Moby is an average character with pride in his country. Mac - The white kid with soul, if Mac were a little older, he'd probably be a member of the Beastie Boys. Mac is an expert on the turntables, as well as tricks. Kaori - The young Japanese girl who is so cute she'll make some puke. Kaori is also one of the best at tricks... and all things cute. Psymon - Psychotic white guy. Psymon is a well-rounded character on the slopes though he's not quite all there in the head. Brodi - Brodi looks like the typical surfer boy - light skin, blond hair. He's also very much the spiritual type and a speeddemon on the slopes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Section 2 - Selecting An Outfit & Board ***** Once you've selected your character the hardest part is over with. But you're not done yet. Each character has an assortment of outfits and boards to choose from, allowing you to customize them to your tastes. While the choices may seem limited compared to the customization level of other games, at least you have the options to change a few things. In the following sections, I'll be giving a more detailed look at the things you can customize - outfits and boards. 2A. Outfit List For Each Character Below is a list of the outfit names for each character. I would provide descriptions, but this FAQ is already bigger than I planned, so you'll just have to be surprised. *Eddie - Retro Thunder, Electric Jelly, Five Oh, Pro Bowl, Yippee-Ki- Yay, Dungeon Master, Master *Elise - Sweeter Than, Candy Girl, Queen B, Lady Law, Diamond Back, Crazy Canuck, Master *Marisol - Pink Lady, Equinox, Material Girl, Vintage Rioja, Gold Rush, Mechanoid M, Master *Seeiah - Grape Love, Ocelot, Down Town, Suede Style, Auntie Sam, Dark Matter, Master *Luther - Yah Baby!, Bomber, Blazin' Saddle, Knockout King, Star Power, Thriller, Master *JP - JP Pit Crew, Rock-it boy!, Too Tone, Euro $tyle, Mandarin, MC Maitre D, Master *Zoe - Rawk On, Tiger X-ray, Girls Rock!, Naughty Girl, Hart Attack, Royale Trinity, Master *Moby - Dark Union, Hotter Pants, Freefall, Army of Noise, Cosmic Melding, Jones' Tones, Master *Mac/Marty - Sno Business, Ranger, BSS Blender, Redneck Redux, Hot Pants, Special Agent, Master *Kaori - Pink-O-Rama, Super Excellent, Sweet Heart, Sweet Sunshine, School Yard, Santa's Helper, Master *Psymon - Casual Fridays, Jungle Rawk, Serpentine, Bark!Bark!Bark!, Konvict, Nightmare, Master *Brodi - Bamboo Peace, Ohman, Love Life, Yin Yang, Enlightenment, Ukiyoe Surf, Master 2B. Does My Outfit Choice Make A Difference In The Actual Game? As far as I can tell, no. 2C. What's Up With That Master Outfit?! It's the last outfit obtained when you've mastered the character. It's basically just a shiny version of the outfit right before the Master. I think it's supposed to be reflective. I'm not too fond of them. It's been said that these outfits are much better looking in the GameCube version. I've heard they're actually reflective instead of the rider simply looking like they're coated in paste. 2D. Board List For Each Character Including Stat Increases There are 3 types of boards in SSX Tricky. Freestyle, BX, and Alpine. Each of the 3 types are good at different things. Freestyle boards are good for tricks but bad for speed, Alpine boards are good for speed but bad for tricks; BX boards are good at both, but to a lesser degree than the other two. It should be noted that Alpine boards are considered big and cumbersome by many. They have a front facing, where as the other two boards don't. If you are not facing forward on an Alpine board you have very little control and eventually the game will try to turn it around for you (if you haven't done so already) which usually slows you down immensely. That being said, I don't think Alpine boards are the monsters some make them out to be. They are probably better suited for advanced players though. Each character has a preferred board that they specialize in. All of the boards available to each character are of this type with the exception of two. These two are one of each of the other two types of boards. One is located in the first few boards you obtain, one is located near the middle. The following is a list of all the boards eventually available to each character and the stat increases that each one gives. All but the first two have to be unlocked in World Circuit Mode. To save time and space I won't list how to unlock each one. If you highlight each individual board in the game, it will tell you underneath what you need to do in order to obtain it. In the list below, the board type immediately following the character's name is that characters preferred board type. Unless otherwise stated, the boards in the list are of that type. Eddie - Freestyle Board Name Edging Speed Stability Tricks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Old School +01 +01 +01 Anthem (Alpine) +01 +01 +01 Warholinator +02 +01 +01 +03 Bell Bottom +01 +02 +01 +03 Heavy Metal +03 +03 +03 +03 Skunk Work +03 +02 +03 +04 New Recruit (BX) +05 +05 +05 +04 Grand Funk +05 +04 +05 +05 Pop & Lock +07 +06 +07 +06 Groove E +07 +05 +07 +07 Hip Hugger +08 +06 +08 +08 UBERBOARD +09 +07 +09 +09 Elise - BX Board Name Edging Speed Stability Tricks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Kamoniwana +01 +01 +01 Angel (Freestyle) +01 +01 +01 SmoothMaker +02 +03 +01 +01 Butterfly High +02 +02 +01 +02 True Colours +04 +03 +04 +02 Buttercup +03 +04 +03 +03 Cutting Edge (Alpine) +05 +07 +06 +03 Snake Eyes +05 +06 +05 +05 First Date +08 +07 +06 +06 Last Date +07 +06 +07 +07 Black Widow +08 +08 +07 +08 UBERBOARD +09 +09 +08 +09 MALLORA BOARD +10 +10 +09 +10 Marisol - Alpine Board Name Edging Speed Stability Tricks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Fiesta +01 +01 +01 Loco Motion (Freestyle) +01 +02 Sand Fish +02 +02 +02 +01 Party Girl +02 +02 +01 +02 Dance Explosion +04 +05 +02 +02 Money Maker +03 +04 +03 +03 Wind Rider +06 +06 +05 +04 Booty Call (BX) +05 +06 +05 +05 Heart Breaker +06 +07 +08 +06 Latin Heat +07 +06 +07 +07 Rave On +08 +08 +07 +08 UBERBOARD +09 +09 +09 +08 Seeiah - Freestyle Board Name Edging Speed Stability Tricks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Funk-O-Matic +01 +01 +01 Psychadelic (Alpine) +01 +01 +01 Potpourri +02 +01 +02 +02 Foxy Lady +02 +02 +01 +02 Lucky Stars (BX) +03 +03 +03 +03 Goddess +03 +02 +03 +04 Venusian +05 +05 +05 +04 Geodesic +05 +04 +05 +05 Time Machine +08 +06 +06 +06 Retro Beats +07 +05 +07 +07 Funky Drummer +08 +06 +08 +08 UBERBOARD +09 +07 +09 +09 Luther - BX Board Name Edging Speed Stability Tricks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Mullet +01 +01 +01 Chitterling (Freestyle) +01 +01 +01 Phoenix USA +02 +02 +02 +01 Sweet Potato Pie +02 +02 +01 +02 The Gipper (Alpine) +03 +05 +03 +02 Growler +03 +04 +03 +03 True Grits +06 +05 +06 +04 Ham Bone +05 +06 +05 +05 Jug Band Boogie +08 +07 +06 +06 Swamp Buggy +07 +06 +07 +07 Gears n Grease +08 +08 +07 +08 UBERBOARD +09 +09 +08 +09 JP - Freestyle Board Name Edging Speed Stability Tricks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ShowStopper +01 +01 +01 JetSetter (Alpine) +01 +01 +01 Magnate Split +02 +01 +02 +02 Eurotech +02 +02 +01 +02 Suave (BX) +03 +03 +03 +03 Resonance +03 +02 +03 +04 Chaos Crippler +05 +05 +05 +04 JP Ego-nomics +05 +04 +05 +05 Hucker Special +08 +06 +06 +06 Big Poppa +07 +05 +07 +07 Crazy Ates +08 +06 +08 +08 UBERBOARD +09 +07 +09 +09 Zoe - BX Board Name Edging Speed Stability Tricks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Seratonin +01 +01 +01 Anarchy (Freestyle) +01 +01 +01 Bad Girl +02 +02 +02 +01 Lethium Surprise +02 +02 +01 +02 Plastic You (Alpine) +03 +05 +03 +02 Alien Blues +03 +04 +03 +03 Chaos +06 +05 +06 +04 Latency +05 +06 +05 +05 Iridium +08 +07 +06 +06 Bomb Dropper +07 +06 +07 +07 Righteous Path +08 +08 +07 +08 UBERBOARD +09 +09 +08 +09 Moby - BX Board Name Edging Speed Stability Tricks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Plasmatic +01 +01 +01 Patriot (Freestyle) +01 +01 +01 Cutting +02 +03 +01 +01 Dream On +02 +02 +01 +02 Essence +04 +03 +04 +02 Greenblade +03 +04 +03 +03 Kinoptic (Alpine) +05 +07 +06 +03 Royal Strait +05 +06 +05 +05 Datum +08 +07 +06 +06 Sloppy Bite +07 +06 +07 +07 Hector +08 +08 +07 +08 UBERBOARD +09 +09 +08 +09 Mac/Marty - Freestyle Board Name Edging Speed Stability Tricks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Wiener +01 +01 +01 Hotrod (Alpine) +01 +01 +01 Radioactive +02 +01 +01 +03 Spirit +01 +02 +01 +03 Boo Boo (BX) +03 +03 +03 +03 Flame On +03 +02 +03 +04 Buzzsaw +05 +05 +05 +04 AnimMac +05 +04 +05 +05 Velocity +07 +06 +07 +06 Falciform +07 +05 +07 +07 Privateer +08 +06 +08 +08 UBERBOARD +09 +07 +09 +09 Kaori - Freestyle Board Name Edging Speed Stability Tricks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Panda Joy +01 +01 +01 Lady Love Bug (Alpine) +01 +01 +01 Skyhopper +02 +01 +01 +03 Moo Moo 22 +01 +02 +01 +03 Alpha +03 +03 +03 +03 Candy +03 +02 +03 +04 Twinkle Star (BX) +05 +05 +05 +04 Kaori-anime +05 +04 +05 +05 Banana Peeler +07 +06 +07 +06 Snow Lover +07 +05 +07 +07 Princess Pie +08 +06 +08 +08 UBERBOARD +09 +07 +09 +09 Psymon - BX Board Name Edging Speed Stability Tricks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Bio Hazard +01 +01 +01 Evil Eye (Freestyle) +01 +01 +01 Dolmans Land +02 +03 +01 +01 Chained Heat +02 +02 +01 +02 Mayhem +04 +03 +04 +02 Flesh Eater +03 +04 +03 +03 Torc Rules (Alpine) +05 +07 +06 +03 Live Wire +05 +06 +05 +05 Shock Therapy +08 +07 +06 +06 Banshee +07 +06 +07 +07 Dogs of War +08 +08 +07 +08 UBERBOARD +09 +09 +08 +09 Brodi - Alpine Board Name Edging Speed Stability Tricks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Now and Zen +01 +01 +01 Buddha Booster (Freestyle) +01 +02 Siddhartha +02 +02 +02 +01 Balance +02 +02 +01 +02 Flower Power +04 +05 +02 +02 The Absolute +03 +04 +03 +03 Yin-Yang (BX) +06 +06 +05 +04 Tsunami +05 +06 +05 +05 Master Blaster +06 +07 +08 +06 Nirvana +07 +06 +07 +07 Transcendence +07 +08 +07 +08 UBERBOARD +07 +09 +09 +08 2E. I've Unlocked The UBERBOARD, Why Would I Choose Anything Else? This is one of the few problems that I have with the game. Unfortunately, if you have all of the boards unlocked, you're kind of penalized for taking the early boards (because they don't have as many bonuses), even if you prefer the look over some of the ones unlocked later on. This is where the style over substance rule comes in. If you're looking to get the most out of your board, you'll probably end up using the UBERBOARD all the time. If you'd rather have a board that isn't all silver, then you might opt for one of the lesser boards simply because it looks better. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Section 3 - Character Bios ***** In this section I'll be taking a more in-depth look at each of the characters. The Bio information for each character is taken from the Rider Profile section in SSX Tricky. The Backstory Summaries are almost word for word from the character Backstory section in the game, which I shortened to take up less space. The detailed information on the references in the profile I cultivated from various websites, which I have listed at the end of this FAQ. If you'd like to find out more information, I'd suggest you check there. --A Note On Blood Types-- A lot of times in a character profile you'll notice the character's blood type is listed. What's that for?! In case one of the other characters suffer massive blood loss you know who the possible donors could be? No, actually it's taken from Japanese culture. In Japan, a person's blood type is kind of like one's astrological sign. Personalities and character traits are associated with each of the four blood types. Below is a list of some of the traits associated with each blood type. If you'd like to know more, I'd suggest you check out the source of my information listed at the bottom of this FAQ. Type A - perfectionist, stubborn, prudent B - emotional, social, lacks consistency, caring to others but sometimes gets involved too much where some might see them as meddling AB - unique, inventive, no-nonsense type 0 - quiet, straightforward, warmhearted, broadminded 3A. **Eddie** Voiced by: David Arquette (Actor - Officer Dewey from Scream, collect calling commercials) Full Name: Edward (Eddie) "The Kid" Wachowski Age: 19 Blood Type: B Height: 5'7" Weight: 160 lbs. Nationality: American Rider Style: Freestyle Alternate Sport: Street Luge Motto: "Try anything once" Friend: Elise Enemy: Moby Dream Date: Pamela Zoolalian* Favorite Movie: Enter the Dragon** Favorite Reading: Behold a Pale Horse*** Favorite Music: 70's Rock Favorite Course: Merqury City Sickest Trick: Coffin Roll Greatest Strength: Speed Greatest Weakness: Gear Other Hobbies: Computer hacking/programming Backstory Summary: A fearless, funny, tenacious goofball, Eddie is a new rider on the SSX World Circuit. He is a fountain of trivia and pop culture references and seems to be stuck in the Seventies. Usually acts younger than his 19 years of age. * Pamela Zoolalian is a professional Street Luger, which makes Eddie's interest in her obvious. She's the only woman street luger that ranks among the world's top 200 pros. Her hair is pink and the back of her helmet has the words "Spanked by a Chick." on it. She's 28 so she may still be within Eddie's reach. Yeah, keep dreamin' bud. Odds of Eddie actually getting a date with Pamela: 22% ** Enter the Dragon is movie starring Bruce Lee, a master of martial arts. It mixes amazing martial arts work with a James Bond type espionage plot. Enter the Dragon was released in 1973, a few weeks after Bruce Lee's death. It is considered his finest work by many. *** Behold a Pale Horse is a book written by William Cooper. He's a former U.S. Navy Intelligence Briefing Team Member. The book is about U.S. government secrets dating back to the 1940s. Topics covered include JFK assassination, UFOs, and more. 3B. **Elise** Voiced by: Lucy Liu (Actress - Ling from Ally McBeal, Alex from Charlie's Angels) Name: Elise Riggs Age: 24 Blood Type: A Height: 5'11" Weight: 150 lbs. Nationality: Canadian Rider Style: BX Alternate Sport: Surfing Motto: "Is that it?" Dream Date: Mark McGrath* Friend: Eddie Enemy: Marisol Favorite Movie: Charlie's Angels Favorite Reading: The Assertive Woman** Favorite Music: Rock, Dance Favorite Course: Tokyo Megaplex Favorite Trick: La La Locke Step Other Hobbies: Rock climbing, acting Greatest Strength: Natural Athlete Greatest Weakness: None to speak of Backstory Summary: A blonde and beautiful Canadian, nothing about Elise is accidental: she chooses her look, her moods, her friends, and her enemies. She's used to getting her way and will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. Elise likes the rough stuff in the heat of SSX competition, and hates losing. She has a sharp and deadly sense of humor and a laugh that will chill you to the bone. * Mark McGrath is the lead singer of the alt/rock band Sugar Ray. I haven't heard anything from them lately, but their last few hits include "Someday", "Every Morning", and "I Just Wanna Fly". Some of you may remember one of their earlier singles and contributions to one of the numerous versions of Road Rash, "Mean Machine". Mark is probably somewhere in his late 20s but it really doesn't matter. He's considered something of a ladies' man and probably would go out with Elise in a second. Odds of Elise getting a date with Mark: 99.95% ** The Assertive Woman is a bestselling book by authors Stanlee Phelps and Nancy Austin. It's considered the "bible of the women's movement". 3C. **Marisol** Voiced by: Patricia Velazquez (Actress - Anck-Su-Namun from Mummy Returns) Name: Marisol Diez Delgado Age: 18 Blodd Type: B Height: 5'2" Weight: 120 lbs. Nationality: Venezuela Rider Style: Alpine Alternate Sport: Windsurfing Motto: !Fiesta toda la noche!* Dream Date: Joaquin Cortes** Friend: Seeiah Enemy: Elise Favorite Movie: Jamon, jamon*** Favorite Reading: Ministry**** Favorite Music: House, Jungle, Techno Favorite Course: Elysium Alps Favorite Trick: Aerial Spock 540 Other Hobbies: Dancing Greatest Strength: Movements from dance Greatest Weakness: ? Backstory Summary: One word best describes Marisol: Sacrilicious. She is that sacrilegious/delicious mix of innocence and raw sexuality. She loves to dance, surf, and flirt. Her goal in life is to have fun and would never intentionally hurt anyone. She does have a fiery temper though and struggles to keep it under control. She used to be with JP, who introduced her to SSX, but they had a falling out. She is not always taken seriously by the other competitors. * "!Fiesta toda la noche!" is Spanish for "Party all (the) night!" ** Joaquin Cortes is a Spanish born Gypsy Flamenco dancer. He's currently touring the world as the lead in Pasion Gitana (Gipsy Passion). He's 33, so there's quite an age difference. But... guys being guys, and Marisol being Marisol... there might be a chance there. Odds of Marisol getting a date with Joaquin: 82% *** Jamon Jamon is a Spanish made "sexy comedy" movie by director Bigas Luna. It came out in 1994 and was said by Roger Ebert of the Sun Times to be "a movie that combines lurid melodrama with vast improbabilites, sexy soap opera with heartfelt romance, and cheerful satire with heedless raunch". The title translates as "Ham Ham". **** Thanx to Alistair C., I was pointed in the right direction. Ministry is a dance/club magazine published by the Ministry of Sound, a UK based label/dance music collective. This makes much more sense than anything I'd come up with. 3D. **Seeiah** Voiced by Macy Gray (R&B/soul singer - hit single "I Try") Name: Seeiah Owens Age: 25 Blood Type: AB Height: 5'9" Weight: 140 lbs. Nationality: American Rider Style: Freestyle Alternate Sport: Inline Skating Motto: "Be yourself" Dream Date: Amiri Baraka* Friend: Marisol Enemy: Luther Favorite Movie: Spike Lee Joints** Favorite Reading: Marija Gimbutas*** Favorite Music: R&B, House Favorite Course: Merqury City Favorite Trick: (Seeiah's Sublime) Soul Grind Other Hobbies: Chilling with friends and family Greatest Strength: Self-confidence Greatest Weakness: Pushes self too hard Backstory Summary: Fun-loving, confident, and self-sufficient are words that best describe Seeiah. Her East Coast urban roots that run deep through her taste in music and fashion have also influenced her trick sensibilities. * Amiri Baraka is an African-American poet, activist, playwright, author and teacher. He has won many literary awards for his work and has been an important contributor to the African-American movement in America. Born in 1934, Amiri is now 68. Seeiah is 25. You do the math. Odds of Seeiah getting a date with Amiri: 33% ** I didn't think these needed explaining, but just in case - "Spike Lee Joint" is a title applied to any movie made by the African-American director, Spike Lee. Some of these movies are - Do The Right Thing, Jungle Fever, and Mo' Better Blues. *** Marija Gimbutas was a Lithuanian archaelogist. She spent 15 years on excavations in which were discovered the existence of a prehistoric Goddess oriented culture. She is the author of many books and is quoted with saying "Through an understanding of what the Goddess was, we can better understand nature and we can build our ideologies so that it will be easier for us to live". She passed away in 1994. 3E. **Luther** Voiced by Oliver Platt (Actor - Ready to Rumble, The West Wing) Name: Luther-Dwayne Grady Age: 22 Blood Type: 0 Height: 6'5" Weight: 280 lbs. Nationality: American Rider Style: BX Alternate Sport: Super Shovel Racing* Motto: "When in doubt, take 'em out!" Dream Date: Pamela Vaters** Friend: JP Enemy: Mac Favorite Movie: Smokey and the Bandit*** Favorite Reading: Swamp Buggies: A History**** Favorite Music: Ted Nugent***** Favorite Course: Merqury City Favorite Trick: Bronco Buster Other Hobbies: Football, watches Nascar, work on swamp buggy, "cruise for chicks on my bike" Greatest Strength: Power, pure brute force Greatest Weakness: ? Backstory Summary: Luther never seems to feel any pain. He is the typical lumbering bear, an oafish mountain of a man who has somehow managed to master snowboarding. He has a nasty revenge streak and will sometimes throw a race just to get back at someone who gets lucky enough to knock him down. * Ok, I didn't know this sport existed, so I thought I'd provide a description for those who didn't as well. It's exactly what it sounds like. Racers use a shovel to race down the mountain. It tends to attract those who are "big-boned" (like our friend Luther) since it doesn't require as much of an "athletic figure" as other races do. Apparently the devices used to get down the mountain have become less of a shovel then they originally were through heavy modification and customization. Kicked out of the X-Games after only being in it for a year, shovel racing World Championships are now only held at the Angel Fire Ski Resort in New Mexico, USA. ** Pamela Vaters is one of the few and most accomplished female monster truck drivers. She drives "Boogey Van" along with her husband, Michael Vaters, who drives "Black Stallion". She's almost 37 and married. Luther is... Luther. Luther probably doesn't have much of a chance here. Odds of Luther getting a date with Pamela: 15% *** For those of you who don't know, Smokey and the Bandit is a movie that was made in 1977 about a truck driver that gets involved in... well, a bunch of car chases basically. It stars a young Burt Reynolds as the truck driver, as well as Sally Fields, Jackie Gleason, and others. **** While the title is self-explanatory, I thought I'd see whether this book really existed or not. Alas, I couldn't find it after a quick search of amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. ***** Another music one that most of you should know, Ted Nugent is an American rock artist whose music was most popular in the 70's. He's also a hunter and political activist. Some of his more notable music hits include "Cat Scratch Fever", "Wango Tango", and "Stranglehold". 3F. **JP** Voiced by Xavier Fagnon (Actor/voiceactor for various video games) Name: Jean-Paul "JP" Arsenault Age: 25 Blood Type: AB Height: 5'10" Weight: 180 lbs. Nationality: French Rider Style: Freestyle Alternate Sport: Wakeboarding Motto: "More is more" Dream Date: Belinda Endress* Friend: Luther Enemy: Brodi Favorite Movie: Ridicule** Favorite Reading: Louis XIV*** Favorite Music: Pop Favorite Course: Elysium Alps Favorite Trick: Headspin 2 Poseur Other Hobbies: Travelling, car racing Greatest Strength: Drive and focus, poise and class Greatest Weakness: Arrogance, underestimating opponents Backstory Summary: JP has learned most of life's ugly lessons and has adopted nearly every one as part of his credo. With his good looks and fashion sense, JP epitomizes the phrase "style over substance". JP craves attention and knows how to play an audience. He has plenty of cash and loves to flaunt it. However, underneath it all is a fragile ego that leaves him put off his game by the slightest remarks. * Belinda Endress is one of a growing number of professional female race car drivers. She has also been a California model, movie stuntwoman and professional wrestler. After an extensive search I couldn't find her date of birth and I'm horrible at guessing ages, so I'm not even going to try. JP is probably pretty smooth with the ladies so he might have a pretty good chance here. Odds of JP getting a date with Belinda: 78% ** Ridicule is a film that was released in 1996 and directed by the French director Patrice Leconte. It takes place around 1783, at the court of King Louis XVI. It's about a provincial baron who finds out that "the pen is mightier than the sword" or, one's words are more powerful than one's actions. The movie deals with verbal wit and ridicule, thus a movie JP would definately enjoy. *** Louis XIV was a French king (1638-1715) known for his extreme vanity. He also helped make France the fashion capital of Europe that it's known as today. I'm not sure if JP's biography is referring to the actual book titled "Louis XIV" by Ian Dunlop, or just any book about Louis XIV. 3G. **Zoe** Voiced by Bif Naked (Canadian punk singer) Name: Zoe "Royale" Payne Age: 20 Blood Type: AB Height: 5'5" Weight: 135 lbs. Nationality: American Rider Style: BX Alternate Sport: Downhill Mountain Biking Motto: "Who's lippy?" Dream Date: Joey Ramone* Friend: Moby Enemy: JP Favorite Movie: China O' Brien** Favorite Reading: SAS Survival Manual*** Favorite Music: Punk, Drum n' Bass, Trance Favorite Course: Garibaldi Favorite Trick: Pommel Me Other Hobbies: Mountainbiking Greatest Strength: Attitude Greatest Weakness: Gets distracted, zones out Backstory Summary: Zoe has loads of talent, but is plagued by inconsistent performances. Her personality is reflected in her fashion sense. Zoe doesn't care about current trends but always manages to look good. She hates weakness in any form and can be hard on her competitors, but she is much harder on herself. Zoe is street-smart and tough, and can handle herself just fine in any situation. * Joey Ramone was the singer of the punk band "The Ramones" that lasted from the mid 70's through the 90's. They're probably best know for the title track to the Stephen King movie "Pet Sematary" as well as the song "I Wanna Be Sedated". Joey died at the age of 49 on April 15, 2001. Odds of Zoe getting a date with Joey: 0%, for obvious reasons ** China O' Brien is one of those cheesy American martial arts films. It was made in 1988 and stars Cynthia Rothrock (known for her roles in cheesy American martial arts films) as a cop who takes on corruption. *** Written by former SAS (British Special Air Services) Survival Instructor John Wiseman, the SAS Survival Manual is a how to book on how to survive anywhere outdoors, be it in the middle of a forest or on a deserted island. 3H. **Moby** Voiced by Nick Malaperiman (current EA Sports Product Manager) Name: Moby Jones Age: 19 Blood Type: AB Height: 5'10" Weight: 190 lbs. Nationality: British Rider Style: BX Alternate Sport: BMX Motto: "I ain't yer mate, mate!" Dream Date: Kerri Edgworth* Friend: Zoe Enemy: JP Favorite Movie: Trainspotting** Favorite Reading: Soccer in the Dock*** Favorite Music: Swinging Utters, Bob Marley**** Favorite Course: Mesablanca Favorite Trick: Superman Barspin Other Hobbies: Watching football, modeling, working out, drums Greatest Strength: Patience, no fear Greatest Weakness: ? Backstory Summary: Moby is fearless and attacks the SSX courses like a buzz saw. With his piercings, scars, and tattoos, Moby takes risks that others wouldn't. He's young and a bit undisciplined in his approach to racing. Moby craves the respect of his fellow competitors on the circuit. * Just the kind of girl Moby would be interested in, Kerri Edgworth is a British professional BMX rider. I couldn't find much info about Kerri so we'll just have to call that good enough for now. Odds of Moby getting a date with Kerri: 67% ** Trainspotting is a movie made in 1995 by British director Danny Boyle based on a novel by Irvine Welsh. It's about a group of friends who are heroin addicts and the misadventures they go through. It stars Ewan McGregor, who later went on to play Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace. *** Soccer in the Dock: A History of British Football Scandals 1900- 1965 is a book written by Simon Inglis about... well, I think the title is self-explanatory. **** Swinging Utters are a San Francisco old school punk band. Bob Marley shouldn't need any explanation, but just in case... if James Brown is considered the Godfather of Soul, then Bob Marley is the Godfather of Reggae. He was involved in the Jamaican Rastafarian movement and a strong proponent of peace and equility amongst all. 3I. **Mac** (PAL users should skip down to section 5I for Marty info) Voiced by Ryan Wall (aka DJ Precise, professional DJ) Name: Mackenzie "Mac" Fraser Age: 16 Blood Type: AB Height: 5'6" Weight: 130 lbs. Nationality: American Rider Style: Freestyle Alternate Sport: Skateboarding Motto: "You lookin' for a smack down?" Dream Date: Tara Dakides* Friend: Kaori Enemy: Moby Favorite Movie: Skate vidoes Favorite Reading: DJ Magazine Favorite Music: Blink 182, DJ Carl Cox** Favorite Course: Pipedream Favorite Trick: Walkin' the Dog Other Hobbies: School, hangin' with buds, laying down tracks, playing video games Greatest Strength: Style, excellence of execution Greatest Weakness: Beautiful women Backstory Summary: Mac is the youngest rider on the SSX tour. He can be really immature and sometimes tries too hard for attention. Other times he can appear much more mature than his age, isolating himself and turning into a lone wolf. Having a tough childhood, Mac learned the harsh lessons of life at an early age. He's learned to make himself invisible when necessary making "where did he come from?" the standard reaction to his victories. * Tara Dakides is a professional snowboarder who excels in technical trickery. She's 26 years old and looked up to by many. She's also single! Mac's a little young though, that might hurt his chances. Odds of Mac getting a date with Tara: 43% ** Blink 182 is an alt/rock band formed in 1993. They're known for their "new punk" sound and toilet humor. DJ Carl Cox is considered by many to be "the greatest DJ in the world"... 'nuff said. 3J. **Kaori** Voiced by Yuko Nagashima (Japanese seiyuu [voice actress] - Magic Knight Rayearth, Martian Successor Nadesico, and more) Name: Kaori Nishidake* Age: 17 Blood Type: B Height: 5'0" Weight: 100 lbs. Nationality: Japanese Rider Style: Freestyle Alternate Sport: In-line Skating Motto: "Gambatte masu"** Dream Date: Fujishima Kosuke*** Friend: Brodi Enemy: Psymon Favorite Movie: Japanese Sci-fi Favorite Reading: Nonno Magazine**** Favorite Music: Dance Favorite Course: Snowdream Favorite Trick: Pirouette Grind Other Hobbies: voice of anime character Orange Explosion Fun Girl, makes clothing for dolls of anime show, hangs with friends/family, rides scooter Greatest Strength: Friends and family Greatest Weakness: Lazy, doesn't practice as much as she should, easily distracted on the course Backstory Summary: Kaori is extroverted, fun loving and gregarious. On the surface, she is a racer with a cheerful disposition (reflected in her fashion sense) but underneath is a warrior with a fighting spirit (her alter-ego, Orange Explosion Fun Girl!). She has amazing energy for one her size. Kaori is tough to upset and rarely holds a grudge. However, she has no tolerance for intentional thuggery in competition. * Kaori's name breaks down into three words that, to me, don't really look like much but just in case any of you were curious - Kaori = scent, nishi = west, dake = only, just. It could mean "only west scent" which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, or it could just be the creators throwing a few Japanese words together. A third alternative is that it could actually be a Japanese name (I've heard Kaori as a girl's name before) who's meaning is lost (at least to me) in the translation. -UPDATE- Debi T. has brought to my attention some things about translating Japanese that I was not aware of. She informed me that a better translation of Kaori's last name would be "west bamboo". "Take" means "bamboo" in Japanese. Apparently it is common to change T's to D's when they are in the middle of a word. So it's very possible that Nishidake is actually Nishitake. Debi also helped me in finding the most common translation of "Kaori", which is "fragrance". So I was close anyway. =P ** "Gambatte masu" basically translates to "don't give up, try harder" *** Fujishima Kosuke is a popular manga creator and artist. He is responsible for the creation of Taiho Shichauzo! (You're Under Arrest!, his first series) and the even more popular Aa Megami-sama (Oh My Goddess!). He is currently 38 years old. Odds of Kaori getting a date with Fujishima: 54% **** From what I was able to find Nonno Magazine is a Japanese fashion magazine. -UPDATE- Upon a recent trip to the local Asian market/bookstore I happened upon Nonno in the magazine section. It is indeed a Japanese fashion magazine (wow), similar to Vogue/Cosmo/etc. in the states. 3K. **Psymon** Voiced by Jim Rose (Ringleader of the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow, also appeared in the X-Files episode "Humbug") Name: "Sketchy" Psymon Stark Age: 26 Blood Type: 0 Height: 5'9" Weight: 185 lbs. Nationality: Canadian Rider Style: BX Alternate Sport: Mountain Biking Motto: "Do I look like a people person?" Dream Date: Sheila Burgess* Friend: Zoe?? Enemy: Kaori Favorite Movie: Ride to the Hills** Favorite Reading: Tattoo*** Favorite Music: Slayer, Napalm Death**** Favorite Course: Dessert (Elysium Alps) Favorite Trick: Whoopee cushions on park benches (Guillotine) Other Hobbies: Talking to his friend (a tattoo), owns bike repair shop, spear fishing Greatest Strength: Pure grit, no pain Greatest Weakness: ? Backstory Summary: Psymon is a fearless but erratic snowboarder with the ability to unnerve everyone of his opponents. He knows people are uncomfortable around him and he uses that to his advantage. No matter the weather conditions, Psymon never wears a jacket or goggles. He may come across as a maniac, but he does indeed have an agenda, though it is only know to Psymon himself. * Sheila Burgess is a national level bodybuilder from Vancouver B.C. (Canada). She's also been wrestling for a few years and is in her mid to late 30's. Psymon's a little nuts... I don't know if she goes for that kinda guy. Odds of Psymon getting a date with Sheila: 36% ** Ride to the Hills is a video highlighting mountainbiking made by Jorli Ricker. It includes footage of some of the top riders involved in the sport. *** Released in the summer of 2001, Tattoo is a book of numerous tattoo pictures photographed by photographer Dale Durfee. **** For those of you who don't know your metal music, Slayer is a speed metal band formed in 1982 and have released their latest cd in the summer of 2001, still very much active today. Probably not as well known as Slayer, Napalm Death plays what is called "grindcore" which, according to Rollingstone.com is "an ultra-fast blend of dissonant thrash metal, punk and hardcore that's more noise than music". Napalm Death, like Slayer was formed in 1982. Their latest album was released in 1997. 3L. **Brodi** Voiced by Billy Zane (Actor - Titanic, The Phantom) Name: Broderick "Brodi" Ford Age: 29 Blood Type: 0 Height: 6'4" Weight: 205 lbs. Nationality: American Rider Style: Alpine Alternate Sport: Surfing Motto: "Live to surf, surf to live" Dream Date: Megan Abubo* Friend: Eddie Enemy: Luther Favorite Movie: The Endless Summer** Favorite Reading: Yukio Mishima*** Favorite Music: The Barracudas**** Favorite Course: Aloha Ice Jam Favorite Trick: Hang 10 Backflip Other Hobbies: Chill with friends, visit parents, relax Greatest Strength: Spirituality Greatest Weakness: Peaceful nature (people taking advantage of) Backstory Summary: Brodi comes across as laid-back and spiritual, but he works hard to be buff. Brodi is envied by both girls and guys for his good looks and charm. He also has a master's degree in Marine Science. Surfing is sacred to him and he feels closest to nature when he is in the water (be it in liquid or solid form). Brodi is also an environmental activist, though not an extremist. He believes in a healthy balance between mind, body, and spirit. * Megan Abubo is a world class professional surfer. She's been competing since 1988 and is currently 24 years old. Brodi seems like a nice, peaceful guy, and they probably have a lot in common. Odds of Brodi getting a date with Megan: 79% ** Directed by Bruce Brown and released in 1966, The Endless Summer is about two of the best surfers in the world looking for the perfect wave. It is considered by many to be the ultimate surfer movie. *** Yukio Mishima was the penname of Kimitaka Hiraoka, the son of an anti-literary Japanese government official. Born in 1925, his first major novel was about the discovery and exploration of his own homosexuality. He was also fascinated with the body and wished to create himself a perfect body that would not be marred by age. Considered his greatest work, The Sea Of Fertility is a four volume novel about the Japanese experience in the 20th century with each volume dealing with a different reincarnation of the same being. I'll let you decide which of his works is Brodi's favorite. **** Formed in 1979, The Barracudas were an UK based surf/punk band. They broke up in the early 80's. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Section 4 - Friends & Enemies ***** SSX Tricky is unique to most racing games in that each character has friends and enemies on the course. Friends (supposedly) help you out by taking care of other boarders who are after you and clearing a path so you can navigate the course more easily. Essentially they're supposed to stay out of your way. Enemies try to make racing difficult for your character by getting in your way and fighting with your character when they come near. Some of the other boarders are neutral towards your character in that they don't really do much of anything (some would argue friends are the same way). 4A. Initial Friends & Enemies For Each Character Each character starts with three different feelings towards the other boarders Friend, Enemy, or Neutral. A percentage is given depending on the feelings 1-20% = Friend, 21-50% = Neutral (White), 51- 80% = Neutral (Orange) and 81-100% = Enemy. The following is a chart listing each character and their initial feelings towards other boarders (including percentages). X = not applicable, F = Friend, NW = Neutral (White), NO = Neutral (Orange), E = Enemy. The number below the abbreviation is the starting percentage. Character |Edd|Elise|Marisol|See|Luther|JP|Zoe|Moby|Mac|Kaori|Psy|Brod| ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Eddie | X | F | NO |NW | NO |NO|NO | NO |NW | NW |NO | F | | X | 10 | 63 |31 | 65 |65|63 | 65 |28 | 23 |70 | 10 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Elise | F | X | E |NO | NO |NW|NO | NO |NO | NW |NO | NW | |10 | X | 82 |65 | 68 |28|70 | 65 |65 | 27 |70 | 21 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Marisol |NO | E | X | F | NO |NW|NW | NW |NO | NW |NO | NW | |62 | 83 | X |10 | 64 |25|23 | 27 |62 | 24 |70 | 24 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Seeiah |NW | NO | F | X | NO |NO|NW | NW |NO | NW |NO | NW | |33 | 68 | 13 | X | 69 |65|22 | 24 |62 | 25 |70 | 30 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Luther |NO | NO | NO | E | X | F|NO | NO |NO | NW |NO | E | |62 | 70 | 68 |82 | X |15|70 | 70 |70 | 30 |70 | 83 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- JP |NO | NO | NO |NO | F | X| E | E |NO | NW |NO | NW | |62 | 65 | 63 |65 | 18 | X|83 | 83 |70 | 37 |70 | 50 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Zoe |NO | NO | NW |NO | NO |NO| X | F |NW | NW | F | NW | |63 | 67 | 23 |69 | 65 |64| X | 10 |30 | 25 |19 | 35 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Moby | E | NO | NW |NW | NO |NO| F | X | E | NW |NO | NO | |82 | 69 | 25 |22 | 67 |67|10 | X |81 | 27 |70 | 62 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Mac |NW | NO | NO |NO | E |NO|NW | NO | X | NW |NO | NW | |30 | 68 | 68 |70 | 83 |68|37 | 65 | X | 22 |70 | 25 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Kaori |NW | NW | NW |NW | NO |NO|NW | NO | F | X | E | NW | |34 | 31 | 28 |32 | 61 |65|28 | 65 |11 | X |82 | 24 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Psymon |NO | NO | NO |NO | NW |NO|NO | NO |NO | E | X | NO | |63 | 68 | 62 |64 | 40 |66|63 | 68 |65 | 82 | X | 65 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Brodi |NW | NW | NW |NW | NO | E|NW | NO |NW | F |NO | X | |35 | 27 | 26 |26 | 65 |82|33 | 64 |23 | 10 |67 | X | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 4B. How Do I Gain Friends And/Or Enemies? You can gain enemies easily enough. Pushing other boarders and crashing into them raises your percentage a certain amount each time. I'm not sure of the exact amount, I've seen one knockdown add anywhere from +7 to +11%. I don't think you can gain friends other than the initial ones your character starts with. Doing nothing doesn't seem to affect other boarders at all unless you've previously done things to increase their percentage already. If that's the case then the total seems to go down 2% for every run that you don't bother them. I don't know if it can go under the initial values or not. I'm guessing it won't. 4C. Does It Really Make A Difference? As I mentioned above enemies will attack you and get in your way if they are nearby. Friends, on the other hand, don't seem to do a whole lot either way. And Neutral obviously isn't going to do anything for you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Section 5 - Miscellaneous Character Trivia ***** This section is basically just a bunch of silly questions that I had fun with. Some of the questions are serious though and provide some helpful and interesting information. I wanted to have one question for each character (that's why some of them are really bad). 5A. Why Doesn't Eddie Have The Board He's Shown With In The Intro? Speculations abound, but no one, including myself, seems to know for sure. It's possible that it's something that hasn't been unlocked yet, but most likely it was a board used in playtesting that didn't make it to the final version. 5B. Doesn't Elise Have Another Costume? Sort of. By using a code that you can find elsewhere (sorry, this isn't a code FAQ) Elise will be given the Mallora board. If you choose any of her outfits after entering the Mallora code she will have the same outfit that her Master is, but the top will be blue instead of red and the maple leaf in the middle of her top will have an M in it. 5C. How Much Of Marisol Is Silicone? Are you kidding? That girl is all natural! 5D. Is Seeiah Really The Most Annoying Character In The Game? Not to offend any Seeiah fans, but yes, I personally think she is the most annoying character in the game. 5E. How Many Times Have Members of Luther's Family Been On The Jerry Springer Show? I think the better question would be how many times have members of Luther's family *NOT* been on the Jerry Springer Show. Though there have been some on there that make Luther look pretty good. 5F. Is JP Really A Member Of The Backstreet Boys? Nothing comfirmed, but check out that rank-up video! I think he's at least practicing. 5G. Zoe Has A Tattoo? Yup, she does. If you don't play Zoe much or haven't changed her costume you may not have noticed the butterfly tattoo (similar to the one behind her at the character selection screen) on her back at hip level. 5H. What Happened To Moby's Teeth Board? I dunno. For those of you going "WTF?", in the original SSX Moby had a board called "Sloppy Bite" that had a realistic picture of a set of human teeth on the bottom of the board. It was kinda creepy looking but damn cool. Moby still has a board called "Sloppy Bite" but it looks nothing like the original and has little (if anything) to do with the name "Sloppy Bite". 5I. Who's Mac/Marty? Mac is Marty and Marty is Mac as far as gameplay goes. It all depends on whether you have the NTSC version or PAL version of the game. Mac is in the NTSC version, he's fully described above. Marty is in the PAL version and his character bio is listed below. He speaks German and his hair is a little longer, but I think those are the only visible differences. His in-game performance is the same as Mac so those looking for stats should check out Mac in the stats sections above. **Marty** Voiced by Tobias Pippig (Voice actor for various video games) Name: Martin "Marty" Stieber Age: 21 Blood Type: AB Height: 5'6" Weight: 130 lbs. Nationality: German - American Rider Style: Freestyle Alternate Sport: Snowmobile Racing Motto: "You lookin' for a smack down?" Dream Date: Gitti Kock* Friend: Kaori Enemy: Moby Favorite Movie: The Matrix** Favorite Reading: DJ Magazine Favorite Music: Blumentopf*** Favorite Course: Pipedream Favorite Trick: Walkin' the Dog Other Hobbies: School, hangin' with buds, playing video games Greatest Strength: Style, excellence of execution Greatest Weakness: Beautiful women Backstory: Marty is Mac's older ex-patriot cousin. His family moved to Germany from the US in the early 80s, but still spend the holidays with family back in the states. It was during a winter vacation that Mac turned Marty on to snowboarding, and eventually the SSX World Circuit. In the off-season Marty runs an underground hip-hop club with some friends in Munich, where he doubles as a DJ. Marty is obsessed with all the adrenaline sports, especially winter sports, with snowboarding and sledding topping his list. Marty is open and easy- going, but when competing he is a perfectionist, much like his younger cousin, Mac. He does have a bit of a temper, and when pushed may become slightly unhinged. * I couldn't find much information about Gitti other than that I think she's a professional crosscountry skier. Anyone have any more info? Odds of Marty getting a date with Gitti: 0%, until I find out more ** A movie that I'm sure needs no explanation (though I'm going to explain it anyway), The Matrix was released a few years ago and stars Keanu Reeves as Neo. It's a visually stunning sci-fi flick with tons of action and an indepth plot. It was written and directed by the Wachowski brothers (of Bound fame but NOT Fargo, that's the Coen brothers). *** Blumentopf is a German hip-hop band consisting of five members. That's about all I could find on these guys. 5J. What's That On Kaori's Back? Kaori is so cute she has a stuffed animal strapped on her back. It could be a backpack, but it's definately in the shape of an animal regardless of what it's function (if any) is. She has a different animal for each outfit including a pink pig, a polar bear, a panda, and more. In the original SSX Kaori has animal backpacks too. Some of them look suspiciously like certain anime characters like say, the black pig and the yellow... rat thing, to hint at two of them. 5K. What Does The Tattoo Say On Psymon's Back? Its says a lot of things to him. No, but really, for anyone who doesn't play Psymon or can't read, Psymon has a large tattoo on his back that says "Stark Raving Mad" which is also a pun on his name, Psymon STARK. You can see it by choosing his Serpentine outfit (yeah, the one without a top). 5L. Ukiyoe Surf? Brodi's last outfit (before his Master outfit) is called Ukiyoe Surf. So what does Ukiyoe mean? Ukiyoe is a Japanese word that literally translates as "pictures of the floating world". Ukiyoe is a style of art that came about during the Edo era (1603 - 1867) of Japan. It consists of printings on wood blocks whose pictures describe various aspects of Japanese culture of the time. What does Ukiyoe have to do with a shirtless Brodi in jeans? Yeah, I'm not real sure either. Maybe the outfit refers more to the literal translation. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --Closing Info (Or Info That's Usually Skipped, Part 2) A. Places I Found Useful When Gathering Info I found information included in this FAQ on many different websites, all listed below. Information not gathered from these websites came from the in-game information of SSX Tricky, and myself. The information regarding Marty came from various members of the SSX Tricky message board at Gamefaqs.com (contributors listed below). - www.google.com and www.yahoo.com (search engines used) - barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com (books) - www.rollingstone.com (detailed music info) - www.suntimes.com/ebert (for most movies) - www.expn.com (various sports figure bios) - www.geocities.com/Wellesley/1652/blood.html (Blood Type info - the last time I tried accessing this site Yahoo/Geocities claimed it didn't exist anymore) - www.sports.chickclick.com (Pamela Zoolalian info) - www.impactpublishers.com (Assertive Woman info) - www.flamenco-world.com (Joaquin Cortes info) - www.poets.org (Amiri Baraka info) - www.levity.com/mavericks/gim-int.htm (Marija Gimbutas info) - www.outsidemag.com (super shovel racing info) - www.truckworld.com (Boogie Van/Pamela Vaters info) - www.thunval.com (Belinda Endress info) - www.fordham.edu/hasall/mod/17stsimon.html (Louis XIV info) - www.ifilm.com (China O'Brien info) - www.ink19.com (Swinging Utters info) - www.icupromo.net (DJ Carl Cox info) - www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/4215/fujishima.html (Fujishima Kosuke) - www.amazonprofiles.com (Sheila Burgess info) - www.mtbreview.com (Ride To The Hills info) - www.kirjasto.sci.fi/mishima.htm (Yukio Mishima info) - www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/1787/ukiyoe.html (Ukiyoe info) Marty contributors - intuition expected (for responding to my request for help so quickly) - Ninto (for offering to help) - Packing Heat (for the bulk of the Marty info including his Bio, Backstory and completely typed out Interview! Thanks man!) Proof readers and info contributors - OgreBoy (for pointing out the Fargo Wachowski/Coen brothers mix up) - Alistair C. (for helping me with the Ministry info in Marisol's bio) - Debi T. (for help with translating Kaori's name) B. Where To Submit Comments/Suggestions/Ideas Comments, suggestions, ideas, praise, and hate mail can be sent to me at fishilens@yahoo.com. I'll respond to all e-mails received and I'll include your name in future versions of the FAQ if your information proves to be useful. C. The Legal Stuff Copyright 2002, FishEye. Authorized for use on: www.gamefaqs.com www.psxcodez.com www.cheathappens.com If you'd like to use it anywhere else, please write me at the e-mail address (listed directly above) and ask. Please do not alter or redistribute this FAQ in any way other than it's original form. D. Thanks I'd just like to thank the creators of SSX Tricky for making what I consider one of the best games out there right now. I'd also like to thank the Marty contributors (especially Packing Heat for going the extra mile) from Gamefaq's SSX Tricky message board for helping me out. A big thanks to those of you who have helped with info I wasn't sure on and corrected some of my errors. A special thanks to The JRage, for suggesting the initial friends/enemies section. Thanks all!! *****R.I.P. Jurgen & Hiro***** BONUS! In the original SSX there were two characters that were cut from Tricky. For those who've played SSX you know that's Jurgen and Hiro, who I list right above. Well, I know they have nothing to do with Tricky but since I never made a character FAQ for the first SSX I thought I'd give them some credit by adding bio information for them that was taken from SSX. Here goes! Jurgen Tricky Replacement: Luther Character Description: Jurgen was the strongman of SSX. He was big and German and looked like he should have been a James Bond villian. His specialty was his great stability which the EA team passed on to Luther for Tricky. I personally liked Jurgen better, but that's just me. It's rumored that the statue in the middle of the park on Merqury City Meltdown in Tricky is a statue of Jurgen, but there's been no real confirmation on that. Height: 6'5" Weight: 230 lbs. Age: 35 Nationality: German Blood Type: AB Riding Style: Boardercross Game Description: A wily and weathered veteran of snowmobile and backcountry ski competitions. Jurgen is an established juggernaut on the SSX scene. Hiro Tricky Replacement: Brodi Character Description: Hiro was the speed and tech wiz of SSX. He was the only real Alpine boarder of the first game. Height: 5'5" Weight: 200 lbs. Age: 21 Nationality: Japanese Blood Type: A Riding Style: Alpine Game Description: A strong-willed loner and bleeding-edge techonological innovator, Hiro pushes himself and his gear beyond the limits to win at all costs. That's it, thanks for sticking around!