Much like small animals and Anoop are fascinated by bright light, I've been continually drawn to all games Skateboardian since I was knee-high to Nester (for all y'all old-school gamers out there). I'm not sure if it was because I was so god-awful at tearing up the tube in real-life, or if it was because my older brother got the cool Tony Hawk board and I got the Wal-Mart special, but either way, I could whip some serious booty in Skate or Die, and that was all that mattered to me.
Since that day, many a game has come and gone, and though my tatses have changed somewhat, my love for virtual thrashin' has not. So, obviously, I'd been keeping tabs on Criterion's Trickstyle from day one. When I finally got my mits on a playable a few months ago, the discovery that this game was not only the best representation of free-style trick performance I have ever witnessed, but also an incredibly stylistic racer in the vein of my all-time favorite, Wipeout, I was nothing short of entranced by the thought of a final that brought together all the elements of each promising new demo we received in the weeks leading up to September 9th. But would it be enough to live to my lofty expectations?

Well, the final did indeed arrive, and after countless hours of anti-gravity action, I must say that though I am a bit disappointed, Trickstyle is certainly one of the most interesting racers to appear on a console since Psygnosis' aforementioned exercise in speed hit the scene in the early days of PlayStation.

What amazed me most were the great strides the game has made since it's beta stages. I've been told that a game's most important changes are often made in the last two months of development, and after taking a look at the metamorphosis, I must say I'm inclined to believe it. Visually, Trickstyle is nothing short of a miracle in the racing genre, and sports the best art direction I have ever seen in a console racer. I thought the tracks were impressive in the preview versions, but nothing could have prepared me for the full-on assault on these sense that is Trickstyle. Think Unreal on wheels meets the character design and flair of the original Wipeout, and you'll get the idea. Hell, I wish action game designers had this much style. Intense lighting, realistic fog, awesome textures, and killer animation are all here in full force. I simply can't tell you how easily this game puts other titles in the genre to shame. Unfortunately, the game peaks at 30 FPS, and it seems as if support for the phenomenal VGA box has been cut from the final version (Ed's Note: BOOOO! HISSSS!!). All said and done, the game manages to move well enough, though the occasional stutter in gameplay is noticeable if the field is crowded. It's nothing to get in a tussy over, but certainly a bit unsettling when you think of what could have been done with a few extra months of tweaking.

Thankfully, one area that Criterion did spend a good deal of time perfecting was gameplay. Each racer has their own ups and downs, and controls accordingly. The boards, as I mentioned in earlier previews, have a strong sense of "physics" in the context of the game, and you really get the sense that these things control like a hoverboard would (if they existed, that is). Trick implementation has been improved dramatically, landing is much more friendly, and the training mode seems much more competitive, giving the game a much more self-driven feel. You still have to earn each trick, and there are a TON of these things in the bag. You'll find yourself having as much in the training exercises as you do in the actual races, which believe it or not, in this case is a good thing. Almost ever one of the game's training levels (which totals near 20 in total) are real nail-biters, and will have you on the edge of your seat.

Of course, thanks to the fact that the AI is now much sharper, you'll find yourself on the back of your seat if you aren't careful. Aside from the fact that your trainer cheats like an SOB, the computer routines are fairly diverse, as it can be anyone's race depending on the circumstances, and AI racers are much more aware of their surroundings. Almost every trip though the tracks was extremely competitive, and the game does a great job of giving you that oh-so-satisfying feeling of squeaking past the pack at the last second for the win.

This sense of tension is highlighted by the overall pace of the game, which manages to moves pretty fast. It's almost a shame, though, as this requires you to breeze by one of the game's most impressive aspects, track design. Each track, though constructed by Criterion's "node-based" system, manages to strike you as completely diverse, and has a strong sense of inertia. Not since Namco's Rage Racer have I been more impressed with a game's willingness to slow down for the sake of realism, especially in light of Trickstyle's phenomenal ability to throw all that out the window if you hit the speed burst at just the right instance. The tracks are completely alive with activity, and between the other players and the host of moving objects, you really have a lot to contend with. There are also a ton of destructible objects and shortcuts, making the overall effect even more impressive than Paradigm's brilliant Beetle Adventure Racing in that regard. I can't count the number of times I sat back and marveled at the incredible sense of atmosphere this game posses, and if you are at all into more than raw speed in your racers, Trickstyle will leave you in awe.

The thing is, for all its 'tude, Trickstyle's primary negative aspect stems from a lack of true ball-busting velocity, and is really what keeps the game from besting the Wipeout series in my book. Ya see, as I mentioned earlier, the game can slow down a bit, and because of the game's multiple obstacles, you really have to know the ins and outs of each course to place. There are no exceptions made for close calls, and nothing is more frustrating when you come to dead stop due to the game's slight delay in control. Normally, it is on spot, but every now and then, depending on how busy the screen is, a trick will see a second or so of downtime before you perform it. Since each the game's physics engine is so consistent, this can be a real kick in the ass. Although I think the overall balance between trick performance and racing was well done, I'm confident that further iterations of the series could offer much more in terms of out right speed and intensity from a racing standpoint, and the game's final track did a great job of confirming this suspicion.

I must confess I was also a bit let down by the game's extras. There were no unlockable tracks upon completing what was easily the most difficult course I have ever had the pleasure/pain of completing. No mirror modes, no node switching for a few different looks, not even a change in lighting effects. No secret characters, no new boards. Just a long list of credits. Pain. So much could have been done, and apparently was done in the PC version, son why the skimping here? It seems as if any planned extras for this game got nixed due to a lack of time, and that is somewhat of a letdown, as I could easily think of a few additions such as a few hidden extras that would have made this game so much better in the end.

Not that it was evil. Sorry if I give that impression. I had a great time with Trickstyle. It's the type of racer that will not only wow you with it's sense of immersion, but will also go a long way towards opening your eyes to the possibilities of racing on the Dreamcast. This game comes very, very close to capturing the fun of the Wipeout series, and certainly gives it a run for the money in the personality department. It does have a few shortcomings, but no major flaws. More than anything, I think my gripes are merely a manifestation of the game's ability to leave me wanting more, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Easily one of the best racing games available on a console to date, and certainly my favorite out of a crowded opening day group, Trickstyle is certainly worth a look for any fan of alternative racing games, and has enough appeal to outlast its quirks. Give it a look.