TrickStyle

TrickStyle received mixed reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. Jeffery Adam Young of NextGen called the Dreamcast version "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." Brandon Justice of IGN said that the same console version "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." Tal Blevins of the same site praised the PC version's "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. Ben Stahl of GameSpot said the Dreamcast version was "too easy to beat", and called 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. Edge gave the same console version eight out of ten, saying: "Regardless of such quibbles [...] it remains a key PAL release, offering a refreshing slant on the racing genre." Geoff Richards of Eurogamer criticized the PC version as a "direct port" with a "too-easy" difficulty, but calling its visuals "stunning". In one review, Four-Eyed Dragon of GamePro called the Dreamcast version "an instant classic. Skateboarders will enjoy doing mad stunts, and the slick courses and quick boards will mesmerize race fans. Urban surfing has never been better!" In another review, Scary Larry called the same console version "a good-looking fun game with a lot of attitude and some intense game play. It's a great addition to the Dreamcast library." Nash Werner, however, said that the PC version "feels like a badly converted console racing game rushed to the PC. Its appeal will last you a week at best. I'd ask Santa for something else this year!" 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". 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.