The Tricky Meter is the heart and soul of SSX Tricky's gameplay. Located at the bottom of your screen, this meter fills up as you perform tricks, grinds, and land successfully. Once the meter is full, it turns 'Tricky!' and allows you to perform powerful actions:
- Boost: Press the Triangle button to unleash a burst of speed. This consumes a portion of your Tricky meter. Strategic boosting is key to winning races and clearing large gaps.
- Uber Tricks: When your Tricky meter is full, you can perform 'Uber Tricks'. These are unique, over-the-top aerial maneuvers specific to each character. To execute an Uber Trick, hold down both Grab buttons (Square and Circle on PS2) and then use the Left Analog Stick in a specific direction (e.g., Up, Down, Left, Right). Each character has four distinct Uber Tricks. Successfully landing an Uber Trick significantly boosts your score and refills a large portion of your Tricky meter, allowing for combos.
The goal is to chain together tricks to keep your Tricky meter full, allowing for continuous boosting and Uber Trick execution. Landing an Uber Trick perfectly without bailing is crucial for maximizing your score and maintaining momentum. If you bail while performing an Uber Trick, you lose a significant portion of your Tricky meter and valuable time.