Trickstyle

Trickstyle is a hover-board racer with a strong focus on performing stunts. There haven't been too many games out like this before, and this means that there aren't many people waiting for a game like this. That doesn't mean, however, that this isn't a game everyone can enjoy.

Trickstyle has elements of an arcade-type racer, a skateboarding game, a snowboarding game, and a little bit of Wipeout thrown in for good measure. Typically when you see a game try and take on so many elements it does none truly well, as the developers have to try and squeeze multiple different types of game into one, spending a fraction of the time on each that they should. Thankfully, that's not the case with Trickstyle, just about everything is just about right.

The major part of this game is the racing aspect, which compares favorably to most other arcade racers out there. You'll be competing against a group of overly-stylish racers, each with their strengths and weaknesses. In terms of overall-feel of the game, it's got most in common with some of the snowboarding games out there, with lots of Wipeout blended in. And, since the hover-board that you're on has a little rocket engine on the back, you're not entirely dependent on gravity.

Races take place on long tracks that take you through some pretty outrageous scenery. You'll go whizzing through a futuristic New York, London or Japan, jumping over cars and railings, riding up walls and catching insane air. The tracks are some of the most detailed I've ever seen in a game, with huge skyscrapers, incredibly clear textures, and some absolutely gorgeous backgrounds that deserve to be hanging in a museum somewhere. The tracks never fail to amaze. Each track is broken into a few checkpoints, with each giving you more time to complete the track. However, you'll almost never run out of time. Each location (USA, Japan and UK) has a series of five tracks that get progressively more difficult. You need to finish first in each to unlockthe next, until finally coming to the "boss" stage (for the most part). This calls on you to finish some task, like performing a certain number of stunts in a certain amount of time. Complete that task and you'll find yourself sporting a brand new board, which will help you to complete the next set of tracks.

Aside from the racing series, there are also a number of challenges that you can complete to learn more stunts. The challenges start easy, asking you to do simple things like find four globes in a small area within a certain amount of time. But, they get more challenging, much more challenging. There are plenty of these challenges, and they'll keep youbusy even after you've finished the races. Trickstyle didn't disappoint and kept me playing until the last challenge. Even after that, you'll find yourself re-running the races and the stunt portions just for the heck of it. Multi-player is fun, you and a friendwill probably get a kick out of this title. Best for older kids, as the difficulty levels are pretty challenging as you advance. But a nice family game!