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Acclaim Entertainment's TrickStyle
Page 1 - An ollie hopping, half-pipe flying good time
Akklaim Entertainment has been around a while, making fun games. I have never known Akklaim
to make "ground breaking" games. However, I have always found there games to be
very, very fun. Do you remember NBA Jam? That was one of my first experiences with Akklaim
and I just loved that game. But, I'm writing the review on TrickStyle and I would have to
say that TrickStyle is no exception to Akklaim's legacy of fun.
Installation was a snap. Insert the CD, let it auto read, start the install, wait a few
seconds, then all I had to do was select the API I wanted. I was given the choice of
3Dfx Glide or Direct 3D. I have chose Glide being that I have a Voodoo3 3000 AGP. I have
also played this on a Viper II in D3D mode and it works great. However, you are allowed
higher resolutions in Direct 3D. I was only allowed to go up to 800x600 using glide. Other
than that, the installation was smooth and problem free.
Title Screen |
Main Menu n' Stuff |
My initial impression was that this was going to be just another one of those games you pay
$50 and beat in a day. I will admit now, I'm an avid fan of skateboarding and snowboarding
games. However, this game is a bit different then your usual skate/snowboarding game.
The menus are easy to navigate and the only problem I had with them is that there is no
mouse use. Your cursor doesn't even show up. So, it's arrow keys only. After I entered my name,
I then went to a player selection screen. The voice that was used to announce each
character's as you highlighted them was really cool, so I figured they had done a good job
on that part of the game.
Choose Yourself |
My Man, Zak |
So, what's the point of the game? The point of the game is pretty simple. The main area
that you hang around in is called the Velodrome. It's a large arena divided to into four
sections. Now, that being said, the point of the game is basically in two parts.
The first part I'll cover is a racing segment. Basically you and five other characters
compete to get across the finish line first. However, it's definitely full of obstacles.
You start off racing in the UK then move to the US. After that you can move to Japan.
You don't have to go in that order either you can skip around. Each country is in a
different "corridor." Go in a corridor and you'll find five races and a
"boss race." After you beat the first race, the second races door will open and
this repeats through the rest until you beat the fifth race then the boss door opens.
You compete with the bosses to earn yourself a new board. New boards have new specializations.
For example the Ripslide has lots of skill and the Boomstar has lots of speed.
UK Corridor |
USA Corridor |
The other section of the game is basically challenging the "main guy." They call
him the guide. The guide challenges you to do different things. He'll have you go collect a
bunch of globes or he'll race you through hoops. There are 16 challenges and they're not
exactly easy. What's the purpose of beating the guy in the middle when you could just
go beat the races and win the game? Well, you can't win the boss races with out what you
get from the main guide.
At first I thought, "This game is kind of bogus. I can only jump, luge, drill, and
do a 360°." However, I then obtained a brain and actually beat a challenge. Then
I learned a new skill. I believe it was a 720°. New and harder tricks earn more points
in half-pipe competitions and thereby enabling you to actually have a chance at the things.
The more challenges you beat, the more tricks you learn. There are some pretty damn cool
tricks too!
Rapid Decent |
She Shoots, She Scores |
So, how long will this game keep me entertained? Well, after you beat all the levels and
challenges, there's not much else to do. On the plus side, the game is very hard to beat
without cheating.
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