TrickStyle

TrickStyle is a sports video game developed by Criterion Games and published by Acclaim Entertainment for the Dreamcast and Microsoft Windows. Set in the future, the player takes part in stunt-filled hoverboard races through London, Tokyo, and Manhattan, or inside a massive arena called the Velodrome. AirBlade by Criterion and Namco is a spiritual successor. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its graphics and physics, but criticized its gameplay, animations and sound.

TrickStyle
Developer(s)Criterion Games
Publisher(s)Acclaim Entertainment
Platform(s)Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows
ReleaseDreamcast
  • NA: 9 September 1999[1]
  • EU: 31 July 2000
Microsoft Windows
  • NA: 30 September 1999
  • EU: 12 October 2000
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

The game initially allows the player to choose a racer and places them in the Velodrome. From there, they can enter different rooms to decide their next challenge. The player can either challenge the Velodrome trainer to unlock new tricks, or race to unlock new areas and hoverboards.[2] For the challenges, the player must pass through a series of gates before time expires. For racing, the player progresses through tracks on 3 different continents, the US, UK, and Japan. Once all five races on each continent are complete, the player unlocks a "boss race" which unlocks a new hoverboard. There are a total of 18 tracks in the game, with 4 of them being backward versions of existing tracks.[2]

During races, the player can perform skateboard and snowboard-like tricks, like grinding on a rail, or spinning in midair, in order to get additional points. If playing a "bully" character, they can also collide with other racers to slow them down, or if not, must avoid being hit by AI racers.[2] A VMU game called TrickStyle Jr. was included with the title, and plays in a similar manner to Snake.[2]

Development

TrickStyle's soundtrack was composed by hip-hop producer Kurtis Mantronik.[3] The game was successfully ported to PS2 in 2000, a demo of which was shown at GDC, but it was ultimately never released on the system.[4]

The game was re-released by its current owners, Throwback Entertainment, on GOG.com on December 29, 2015, and on Steam on February 21, 2017. iOS 10 Stickers for iMessage were released on October 11, 2016.

Reception
Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
DreamcastPC
Edge8/10[5]N/A
EurogamerN/A6/10[6]
GameSpot6.4/10[2]6.2/10[7]
IGN8.8/10[8]8.5/10[9]
Next Generation[10]N/A
DC-UK9/10[11]N/A
Aggregate score
GameRankings71.30%[12]63.69%[13]

TrickStyle received mixed reviews from critics, with an aggregate GameRankings score of 71.30% for the Dreamcast version and 63.69% for the PC version.[12][13]

Jeffrey Adam Young reviewed the Dreamcast version of the game for Next Generation, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "TrickStyle is an impressive game to watch, and an infuriating game to play. Track design is sadistic, and AI players are inhumanly adept. Good mostly for increasing your stress level."[10]

Brandon Justice of IGN scored the Dreamcast version an 8.8/10, saying that the game "sports the best art direction I've ever seen in a console racer", and compared the game to Wipeout, although saying it lacked the sense of speed to surpass that series. While calling the game's lack of extras a "letdown", he states that he had a "great time" with the game and that it would "go a long way towards opening your eyes to the possibilities of racing on the Dreamcast."[8] Tal Blevins of the same site rated the PC version 8.5/10, praising its "stunning visuals and incredibly fluid gameplay", but called the soundtrack repetitive and stated that he quickly turned off the music. He also stated that the game was "screaming for" an option to play online against other players rather than just local multiplayer.[9]

Ben Stahl of GameSpot gave the game a lower rating of 6.4/10, saying that it was "too easy to beat", and calling the sound effects annoying while praising the music. He praised the "accurate" hoverboard physics, but called the character animations "inhuman". Calling it "perfect-for-a-rental", he nevertheless stated that the graphics were the only thing "great" about the title.[2] Geoff Richards of Eurogamer similarly rated the PC version of the game 6/10, criticizing it as a "direct port" with a "too-easy" difficulty, but calling its visuals "stunning".[6]

J.C. Herz of The New York Times called TrickStyle the only racing game on Dreamcast that "inspires hardware lust", calling its hoverboard physics "dreamy" and its visuals "razor sharp and achingly hip".[14] In a 2009 retrospective, Eurogamer called the game a cult classic, saying that the game was "overlooked" in favor of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.[15]

gollark: <@236628809158230018> TiCon tools don't despawn or get lavaed.
gollark: How about `inf`?
gollark: Yes.
gollark: THE APOCALYPSE
gollark: Just public-domain or WTFPL it.

References
  1. Cove, Glen (9 September 1999). "Trick Style in Stores with Dreamcast". Archived from the original on 26 August 2004.
  2. Stahl, Ben (September 2, 1999). "TrickStyle Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  3. "Trickstyle". Retro Gamer. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  4. Zdyrko, Dave (March 13, 2000). "GDC 2000: Trickstyle on PlayStation 2". IGN. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  5. "Trick Style". Edge. No. 76. Future plc. October 1999. p. 58. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  6. Richards, Geoff (April 9, 2000). "Trickstyle: Trickstyle: Hoverboard game reviewed". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on May 24, 2000. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  7. Wolpaw, Erik (May 2, 2000). "TrickStyle Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  8. Justice, Brandon (September 8, 1999). "Trickstyle: Can Acclaim's New futuristic racer wipe out WipeOut?". IGN. Archived from the original on March 26, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  9. Blevins, Tal (October 22, 1999). "TrickStyle: Stunning visuals and incredibly fluid gameplay -- what more do you want from a racer?". IGN. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  10. Young, Jeffrey Adam (November 1999). "Final s". Next Generation. Vol. 2 no. 3. Imagine Media. p. 115. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  11. "Trick Style". DC-UK. No. 1. Future plc. September 1999. pp. 11–15. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  12. "TrickStyle for Dreamcast". GameRankings. Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  13. "TrickStyle for PC". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 28, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  14. Herz, J. C. (September 9, 1999). "GAME THEORY; Dreamcast's New Games: Beauty That's Skin-Deep". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  15. "Dreamcast Cult Classics". Eurogamer.net. January 2, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
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