Trick Star (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Over the time I've been reviewing games there have been quite a few titles similar to Trick Star. No, I'm not talking about trick based racing titles but rather games that have been developed by studios with no publisher or distributor in mind. The reason for this is simple: the GBA was always cheap and easy to develop games for, but alas there are just as many games which never see the light of day mostly due to publishers' unwillingness to take any real chance on original properties. Clearly this was not the case here and after some months of sitting on a development system, Liquid Games finally stepped in and bought up the publishing rights. Given that it didn't find a publisher from day one, you may be a little sceptical about this little cart so, is it worth a look?

Gameplay

Trick Star could have easily have been just another futuristic racer but it does have an added extra so, while winning races is still important, you are also required to do it with a certain element of style. This is because progression is points based and the only way to amass these all-important points is by performing track and air bound tricks and, when you develop more advanced skills, linking them together. The tracks themselves twist and turn miles above the cityscape where not only is falling off the edge a problem but other bikes can cause a fair few hazards too, especially when they land on your cycle from seemingly nowhere. In addition to racing each section also has a challenge requiring you to perform a variety of tricks inside a time and distance limit.

Unfortunately the promised Multiplayer didn't make it into the final product but a compromised Vs. Mode did which does allow for up to four players but only using a single machine and a turn-based approach with games including Time Trial, Long Jump and, of course, Stunts.

Controls

The control system is very responsive indeed and it needs to be given just how many tricks you can pull off. There's also a Tips section included on the cart, which takes you through pretty much every move you are likely to make.

Graphics

Developers Tantalus have always been pretty good on the visual side of things and Trick Star is no exception. The overall design and interface is a very polished affair. Each of the environments has been expertly rendered and the tracks well designed. There's even weather with the rain so realistic you might even find yourself slowing down to take those corners with a little more care. The real star though is the animation, which does appear to have been motion captured, as it's so smooth and realistic. You'll even feel disappointed for your rider when he fails to gain enough points to progress, yet again.

Sound

While the various music pieces are best described as generic, the sound effects are much better, especially the rain. In fact it has some of the best weather effects I've seen for some time.

Final comments

There's no question that the production values here are very high especially for a GBA title so late in the machine's development cycle. It's also been expertly programmed with one of the tightest control systems I've witnessed in all my time reviewing games. Any problems is has are with the genre and while there have been many racers over the years the fact that this is a 'futuristic motorcycle racer' is simply not enough to separate it from the pack. Yes, the stunts are a nice addition but the gameplay is just not immersive enough to keep you playing for any considerable time. It's still a great little game though and a reminder of just how good things could be on the GBA.

Pro: Great Animation.
Con: Not Much Depth to the Gameplay.
Final score: 6.8

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