So, I ended up buying the Xbox version of SSX3 with the anticipation that I would get an Xbox One X at some point down the road. Figured that since it's still playable on the 360, I'd just see how it looks scaled to 1080p.
Unfortunately, SSX3 is one of the few backwards compatible games on the 360 that refuses to be displayed in 16:9 even though the game is NATIVELY programmed to be in 16:9 at 480p. Unlike the Gamecube version, there is no option in the settings to change the widescreen setting. There's also no audio setting to let you choose between Mono, Stereo or Surround on this version. I had the same annoying issue with the lack of options in the Xbox version of the original Burnout, which inevitably led me trading a seemingly inferior version of Burnout (it's not playable on the 360, so no loss there). My guess is that since those settings are present in the console's main menu, that the game just takes the settings there and applies them automatically. SSX3 obviously knows to display the game in widescreen, but the 360 is not displaying it as such. You can only change the screen format of the Xbox when you change the resolution to 480p. The game still doesn't display in widescreen, even you have 480p set. Normal in 480p just displays in 4:3.
MY guess, is that the game is using an Anamorphic resolution instead of pure 16:9. The GC version has two widescreen options, 16:9 and Anamorphic. Anamorphic is designed to squeeze a 16:9 picture into a 4:3 resolution, letting the TV do the stretching. For SSX3, it doesn't stretch ALL the way to 16:9 despite my TV being set at 16:9 but its close enough (I removed my receiver from the equation to eliminate input lag as much as possible, so my HDMI cable is plugged directly into my TV). The 16:9 setting squashes the picture, as if it was designed for a 4:3 display and was intended to be letterboxed (switching my TV to 4:3 makes it display like normal, except using a fraction of the screen).
I think the Xbox version's widescreen setting is strictly Anamorphic, but the 360 doesn't fucking know that because whomever did the emulation to make it backwards compatible completely forgot to check that shit. Luckily, based on Digital Foundry's video showing off SSX3 on the Xbox One X, that issue was corrected. My understand is that plugging the disc into an Xbox One (or Series X) will result in the Xbox downloading a digital version of the game with all the enhancements. I'll have to see how that works out.
Finally, unlike the Gamecube version, the Xbox version doesn't let you spin using the thumbstick, you have to use the D-Pad. I assume EA had enough foresight to not force Gamecube players to use the tiny ass d-pad and just put spinning on the control stick as well. They didn't think of a good way to implement all of the tricks into the GC version. It's missing at least half of the normal grabs. I don't like the D-pad on the Xbox. I feel like this is the ONE area, where I'd actually prefer the Playstation controller. The d-pad is placed in a better spot and is pretty big. It's a shame that Sony stopped supporting backwards compatibility after the second revision of the PS3. I think it's super weird that I can play a disaster like Advent Rising on the Series X but can't play a near masterpiece such as SSX3 on the PS5...
