TrickStyle
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
Tony Hawk may be holding his own on the PlayStation, but Acclaim has the board action smoothly in hand on the Dreamcast. Stunts, stalls, and speed are the name of this game.
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Tricks Are For Skids
In Trick Style, you take a gang of futuristic skate cyberpunks on a wild ride through several post-apocalypse skate parks. As you race, you'll uncover shortcuts, ride neon rails, and dash through hidden areas to gain the upper hand on opponents. But straight racing is not going to win the many races - you have to train and learn a variety of speed-inducing tricks as well.
The combination of racing and trick-styling is unique in that you need to effectively combine both aspects to win. Speeding along the tracks in New London isn't enough - you'd better learn how to stall and execute the Speed Luge so that you can ride the rails to victory. And during that same race you'd better hit all the speed marks and blast through the water parks on your way to the win as well.
Each racer has their own skill set (some are tricksters, others speed devils, and others still are powerful bullies), and there's also a small variety of boards to choose from that are ranked according to speed, trick level, and durability. Choosing the right racer for the right track is also key to winning.
Racing in Style
The graphics are unbelievably sharp, with colorful animation and detailed clarity in each racer and track. The only drawback is a minor amount of slowdown and some drop out in the tracks. But the wild camera angles and dizzying jumps and stunts make up for any inconsistencies in the game's design.
But the game's more serious flaw is the control, which hampers the race and detracts from the total experience. It's extremely hard to take tight turns, and you'll often find racers jetting past you as you try to figure out complicated trick combinations. The Speed Luge, which is necessary to ride the neon rails, requires you to stall during the race, which also slows you down. If you miss the rail, you're slowed to nothing and can kiss the top spot goodbye in a tight race.
Chairman of the Board
Fortunately, you won't find yourself distracted from learning the controls because of the music or sound effects. The absence of music gives the game a decidedly unfinished feel. It could have used some great techno music to spice it up. The sound effects don't come into play often, although some better taunts would have been appreciated.
TrickStyle is no Tony Hawk Pro Skater, which takes the serious sport of skateboarding and lends video game respect to it. TrickStyle instead takes the sport and adds futuristic humor and dazzling moves (along with some imaginative layouts) to it. TrickStyle is a good-looking fun game with a lot of attitude and some intense game play. It's a great addition to the Dreamcast library.
