Ross's Game Dungeon: Trickstyle

[@GypsumGeneration]

The hoverboard genre cannot be allowed to die.

[@danieladamczyk4024]

Aren't they like flying cars? Amazing concept, terrible in reality.

[@YayapLives]

Jet Island. _it's amazing_

[@kgpspyguy]

Hoverboards are just a fad. "Pogo-shoes" are the REAL alternate transport of the future.

[@INFILTR8US]

@@danieladamczyk4024 no, hoverboards are hoverboards. flying cars are called "helicopters" learn your sci-fi

[@danieladamczyk4024]

@@INFILTR8US I know a lot about s-f. Flying cars are just that that, a car that can fly. Chopers don't ride on the roads.

[@samwheller]

"This is how dreams die, through cheap marketing" - Ross Scott

[@businesswolle666official]

Awesome line with the guy rolling with that thing on the backround xDDDD

[@neuroticaproductions1834]

Two videos in a month? Halloween truly is the new Christmas in the blessed depths of the Game Dungeon.

[@raspymorten]

If you weren't following Ross' twitter, then this video was even supposed to come out about a week ago. But editing issues pushed it back. Ross treating us gooood.

[@nackskott12]

Unrelated but what's your profile picture from? I feel like I recognize that art style but I can't place it.

[@handznet]

Yeah. But one of them is sports game 🫠

[@neuroticaproductions1834]

Honestly can't remember since I made the account so long ago. 99% I got it from Deviantart, tho.

[@PhysalisAngulataNicotina]

last halloween we got three videos, I love halloween

[@punishedkid]

24:44 "So it feels like Sonic the Hedgehog was the only one keeping the torch lit for hoverboards for a decade after Trickstyle... and that's not even his job!" I don't know why but this was so golden, especially with its build-up.

[@youmukonpaku3168]

and the only counter-example I can think of is the first Ratchet & Clank having what might just have been a tribute to Trickstyle as a minigame, given its settings and music.

[@RevenTH]

As a sonic fan, I would argue that if it was every anyone's job, it was Sonic's. And the warframe boards are really cool as well.

[@violenceisfun]

@@RevenTH As a sonic fan, what colors are his arms?

[@RevenTH]

@@violenceisfun Whichever color you prefer them to be, the same as how many eyes he actually has or why he chooses to drive a car sometimes.

[@micheal7932]

That reminds me, someone started working on a remake for Air Riders and they released a demo last year. It was called Sonic Riders X if I remember correctly.

[@weazeltech]

Believe me Ross, you're inspiring some devs out there to revive the genre.

[@Lucifronz]

At least he's inspiring people to help fix up these older titles. Thankfully this time it was only a simple number change, so it wasn't too much hassle for the person besides digging through the code for a while, but regardless, it's a fix I imagine fans of this game are happy exists now.

[@erkman4900]

im designing a game right now with hoverboards powered by diarrhea you put a tube up ur butt and collect burritos for nitro fuel speed boosts😎😎🙏💯

[@doom5895]

they'd probably fuck it up with some no textured low contrast style

[@terry2295]

I hope so.

[@Rad-Dude63andathird]

@@doom5895 Source: "I dunno, I'm just a dick."

[@grfrjiglstan]

I like the telltale signs that they playtested this game well. The tooltip telling you to try the new board, the fact that they moved the easy final boss level in front of the Rainbow Road level - clearly fixes to issues that came up in beta.

[@planescaped]

Except then you have things like pointless jumps and the "shortcuts" being pathways of more resistance

[@SovietGrazz]

@@planescaped I disagree that those 'pointless' things are bad. Think of them as another skill test - a good player knows that just because a ramp or 'shortcut' is there, doesn't necessarily mean it's the fastest way to go.

[@nellancaster]

@@SovietGrazz Eh, can't say I agree with that mindset, but it's one that I can respect.

[@amaruqlonewolf3350]

@@SovietGrazz It's not even just that. If you're playing 2-player mode, you can essentially just use them to accumulate points and judge the winnings based solely on those instead of the lead. That'd be a fun change too.

[@TerenceChiII]

Game Dungeon is such a precious KZbin series, I hope to see it going on for many decades.

[@JetBalrog]

Honestly I absolutely love seeing these videos, learning about weird and unusual older games that you just don't see anymore. It's so interesting, and sometimes you learn about a gem you'd never know about, and other times just an interesting relic of the time that still deserves to be seen and played.

[@FlymanMS]

Very rewatchable too

[@EhmJB]

FORTY MORE YEARS. FORTY MORE YEARS, ROSS. FOOOORRRRTY MORE YEEEAAAARRRR-

[@zigfaust]

@@EhmJB GAME DUNGEON FOREVER. SIX SEASONS AND A MOVIE!

[@WylochsArmory]

Amen

[@Salvguard]

Hey Ross. About the hoverboards in Warframe, you’re absolutely right: they’re essentially mounts players use in the open world sections before they unlock flying. They do have races though, and on one of planets, one of the hoverboards is actually a giant flying mosquito, which is rad. They also added a Warframe whose whole thing is riding her own unique hoverboard to zip around levels, but she’s not a fan favorite due to the levels not being adapted to it.

[@arutemisemtrai9769]

she is a favorite among many, the very loud minmax crowd hates her because her damage is low and her kit is counter intuitive, and everyone just parrots it.

[@fus132]

@@arutemisemtrai9769 Ok {Saryn nukes the entire level in a single second}.

[@Max._Power]

warframe players try constantly to apply the same meta that they do to weapons to warframes, but all warframes can be made to be overpowered unlike weapons. yareli is good, even if she isnt good in the same way like saryn or ember or wisp

[@maskettaman1488]

@@arutemisemtrai9769 Do you know what "parrot" means? People saying her damage is low and her kit sucks aren't "parroting".. they're stating the reasons why they don't like her lmao.

[@AC-hj9tv]

Respect wamen

[@shaedonboudreaux]

Just want to say thank you for keeping this series running. It’s been a warm comfort I’ve enjoyed for many years.

[@DyoKasparov]

u got some really good skills, keep it up my man

[@bacondingo]

You're SICK. Keep singing, man.

[@Leitis_Fella]

Ross's hoverboard rant is a perfect encapsulation of his specific brand of humorous cynicism. I love it.

[@KimTheCreator]

Every game dungeon is a blessing. Never stop doing what you're doing, Ross!

[@GhostKill88]

Fact.

[@sly161]

who

[@TJ-dx4pb]

asked

[@blindey]

I agree, love this series so much. Some of my favorite things to watch on YT. Always get excited when a new notification pops up.

[@1988foxtrot]

Game Dungeon is the epitome of quality over quantity.

[@Grandtank1999]

Ahoy and Emplemon as well. We should compile a list of channels that upload like 5 times a year but only deal in tge highest quality of everything

[@planescaped]

@@Grandtank1999 Tehsnakerer and Grimbeard are also fantastic.

[@zzzpoma9961]

Yeah, honestly I can't really watch channels who feel forced to pump video close to everyday by the algorithm, the content quickly becomes dry.

[@MSB3000]

Even so, this is a 45 minute video lol

[@powerbeard5653]

@@Grandtank1999 camelworks is top if you're an elder scrolls nerd also check out sean seanson, mredders123 and I Finished A Videogame for more quality over quantity retro game content.

[@jamesduncan6729]

I love Game Dungeon. There's just something nostalgic about the old games that Ross plays in these videos, even when I've never played them. The old chunky graphics, or the nicely done pixel art of some, or the outrageous and cheesy FMV scenes from certain games... all of these just do it for me. ❤️

[@Hadkek]

It really scratches an itch

[@Thebdippy]

Ross does a great job of picking games that you feel like you maybe have vague memories of playing (and enjoying) at a relative's house somewhere in your deep childhood memories. That's the best way I can describe it.

[@planescaped]

@@Thebdippy If that's the case I hope he plays the Sega Saturn Nights someday.

[@rory_o]

My goodness. The train of thought from generic late 90s techno track to modeling the entire windowlicker limo for cities: skylines is a wholly unique level of thinking.

[@videojomo]

I don't think I'd heard of Danny Way before this video, and that sent me down a Google rabbit hole. You know he did that Great Wall jump with an injury? He broke his foot on a failed stunt just the previous day. I have to admire that kind of dedication.

[@scumbaggo]

I remember watching it live. I was a street skater, i thought it was "gay and not impressive" cause thats what all dumb kid street skaters think of vert lmfao. now hes one of my favorite skaters ever. Danny way is hardcore as hell.

[@valletas]

Did he break another foot after that jump? I cant see how he wouldnt get any other injuries after it

[@RyanMartinRAM]

I knew he had a foot injury, but BROKEN? Holy shit!

[@licka]

6:20 - You can drill through for a shortcut. It's a breakable object.

[@lovieuru]

Yeah, that hurt inside to watch

[@BinaryOrder]

This needs to be higher I thought for a moment smashing through was just a Dreamcast thing

[@planescaped]

Oh wow, we have out answer. Explains why there was a seemingly useless ramp there. It also ties back to that episode where Ross said his mother said he couldn't see salt on the table. XD Hopefully someone who attends the live chats lets him know and he adds it to the next followup.

[@admiralAlfonso9001]

The game tells you in the tutorial you can break through glass did he forget?????

[@Darwinator]

That Windowlicker tangent you took is what makes Ross and Game Dungeon great!

[@AC-hj9tv]

Such a great aphex twin song

[@drinkinouttacups2665]

Him thinking electro = aphex is hilariously on brand

[@deadfIag]

@@drinkinouttacups2665 he never said that lmfao

[@DSPsWifesBF]

@@drinkinouttacups2665while I hear what you’re saying (since the initial Trickystyle beat was pretty generic) the bassline did replicate Windowlicker a bit

[@vrabo3026]

"Listen to that crowd, they're losing their minds! They can't even finish cheering before they have to start again!" I lost it at that part lmao

[@nixel1324]

So did the crowd

[@tupekabangbang7583]

damn, i really just saw a dude talk about hover boards for 45 minutes and was the most entertaining video i ever seen

[@MrMatzetoni]

It's amazing that you can say so much about a game that has very little actual story. You always find interesting background information and notice details I would overlook. Your work and archeological research in (older) games is much appreciated!

[@mrscruffles801]

Man, I miss Y2K future settings. Even the dystopian ones looked like futures that I'd actually want to live in.

[@unematrix]

When the real world is so depressing, even dystopias seem attractive...

[@KingLich451]

if you want to live in it, then it's not a dystopia.

[@anoukdevries8144]

​@@KingLich451 He is talking about wanting to live in a place that look like the dystopian cities designwise. He's not saying he wants to live in their societies.

[@targard.quantumfrack6854]

Have you seen Strange Days? Angela Basset as a total badass

[@SlashBolt]

@@KingLich451 i think half life 2 is still a dystopia even though i want to escape city 17 and get eaten by a barnacle

[@Shredster7]

You can use a drill maneuver to break through the clock face at 6:20 for a shortcut. It'd be nice if the game actually told you about breakable objects, huh?

[@nehuenloco]

I kinda felt like that ramp was there for a reason!

[@pseudonayme7717]

Glad you commented this. I commented the same thing, so annoyed was I that he didn't notice one of the coolest shortcuts in the game 😆

[@Visuwyg]

I was swearing you could crash through the clockface. Glad to see you confirm it, I wasn't going to reinstall my PC copy lol

[@Alien_Bob]

This era of graphics is just so chef's kiss. Chunky models but super colorful, textures are blurry but there's so many of them, Dreamcast but high res. I love it.

[@Skeletons_Riding_Ostriches]

Good art direction is amazing.

[@halo3odst]

This is a dreamcast game.

[@ignotumperignotius630]

part of it is because its pre brown n bloom, and pre scanned in 3d models.

[@KaiserMattTygore927]

I was basically saying this the entire video, this game is gorgeous. I really miss this era of art design, readable, stylish and decently detailed with excellent sky-boxes.

[@divedweller4295]

There's still Nintendo and Sega. . . for those that play those games.

[@DrEnzyme]

Your dedication to fixing obscure bugs in old games is amazing Ross! Also the closest spiritual successor I can think of to Trickstyle is probably SSX Tricky, but that loses points due to its lack of exotic locales.

[@maggs734]

I have very fond memories of playing SSX Tricky (especially on Tokyo Megaplex) when visiting one of my cousins in my youth. Fantastic game that holds up well even today imo. I think it had plenty of exotic locales, but Tokyo Megaplex might be the peak of that. I used to call it the vaccum cleaner track due to all those fans transporting you upwards.

[@DSPsWifesBF]

Ssx 2 has great levels, a variety of fun tricks, the ability to push opponents, and an engaging main racing mode. One of my favorite games growing up

[@Slyguy846]

In terms of gameplay, SSX, SSX Tricky and SSX 3 are effectively what Trickstyle wanted to be. SSX Tricky and SSX 3 in particular let you do Uber tricks where the rider detaches from their board, meaning that their board is temporarily like a hoverboard. You can even unlock a Hoverboard cosmetic in SSX 3.

[@LILAC_CHAOS]

Yeah, this seems to be the spiritual predecessor of that series.

[@Cowboycomando54]

Don't forget SSX on tour.

[@eponymous7910]

​@@Cowboycomando54a regression it was

[@Lemon_Inspector]

I can imagine the material vessel of a transcendent alien super-intelligence John Carmack e-mailing Ross and knocking out a clone server for an obscure dead MMO game in an afternoon.

[@22freedom33]

Q3K is the MVP, thanks to both of you we can all experience a fixed Trickstyle

[@q3kq3k]

Glad I could help! This was fun to track down, I missed the bug on my initial read-through of the decompilation, probably because my brain assumed that there's no way this could've been wrong. I expected some weird interactions with 'old Direct3D' emulation in newer DirectX/Wine, not a straight up logic bug affecting the game since day 1!

[@GYTCommnts]

@@q3kq3k Thank you! 🍻

[@nikolaisafronov3452]

God bless Q3K!

[@alphawolf2993]

@@q3kq3k How'd you learn your skills? regale us!

[@q3kq3k]

​@@alphawolf2993 Oh, it's been years, so it's hard to even remember how I got started. I think it was with with game modding, actually? Simple things at first and following in others' footsteps. And then the more I learned programming / 'forward' engineering, the better I also got at reverse engineering. After all, when trying to understand how a piece of software works it's best if you can think like the people who wrote it! I also played a whole bunch of security CTFs which was great fun and exposed me to many different facets of reverse engineering. If you're interested in learning hacking/RE yourself, check out LiveOverflow on YT, I think he does an excellent job at making you think like a hacker. Also check out Gynvael's 'FAQ: How to learn reverse engineering'.

[@larsthedude1984]

Ross really feeding us good recently

[@JayTohab]

It's that time of year

[@KingLich451]

namnamnamnamnamnam

[@PoliPantev]

Christmas coming soon aswell

[@theuselessknight6021]

This is what I like about the Game Dungeon - you can never guess where the video will take you to. You see the video title, the thumbnail, think "huh, weird", the video begins matter-of-factly about some old racing game with hoverboards that you've never seen before, you watch it, Ross explains the mechanics, the works. Then at some point he starts getting into one of those talks he does about humanity and the future, the boring hoverboard-less dystopia we live in, then a history lesson about the niche genre of hoverboard racingg games, then discusses some of the bugs, throws a major curveball with the mysterious hacker fixing the game for him, ends on a high note while discussing the difficulty design principles. All of this with the fun narration, excellent pacing, good humour and some weird one-off lines or references throughout. I watched the whole series and this is like one of my top 3 KZbin playlists, just excellent all around. Thank you, Ross!

[@R3volutionEarth]

You missed my favourite hoverboard games Jak II and III on the Playstation 2! The games aren't built around hoverboarding, but you unlock one and can whip it out to explore all manner of sci-fantasy environments in an open world. Plus there are a few missions where you race with it and compete in trick contests. They're great games that are definitely worth checking out.

[@williamlydon2554]

Since it's actually topical, the most horrifying falling to your death in a game I've encountered, was in Jane's Fleet Command from 1998. A military sim on commanding naval forces, if a fixed wing aircraft is lost, the pilot often would eject, and parachute to the ground or ocean to be picked up by a helicopter to negate the points lost on your score for the mission (You're scored on enemy ships/aircraft destroyed and objectives met). However there was an incredibly small, 1/99 chance that a pilots chute wouldn't deploy and they'd fall to the ground, clicking on them would bring up, rather then an real time image of their model descent, their little model arms open with a small scream. That small *"AHHaaah"!* is still burnt into my brain. Despite playing like 270 hours if it, I only ever saw this like 3-4 times, and in a rather impersonal game like Fleet Command, it was horrifying.

[@planescaped]

These are the super obscure references I expect out of the dungeon.

[@JoelNotSoPsycho]

Everytime Ross uploads all my cells regenerate and I become slightly more immortal.

[@punishedkid]

So how's that server emulator coming along?

[@bitterleafcastle1552]

That's an oddly specific superpower, but who not.

[@planescaped]

Slightly more immortal? Is that anything like moderate invincibility?

[@danieladamczyk4024]

So cancer.

[@bram5825]

I cannot stress how amazing your content is. You see things nobody else sees. And have such a nice way of telling things. Your videos have helped me keep entertained, work, study and sleep. Thank you so much for every video!

[@grandwizardautismo]

I don’ know why, but this Game Dungeon feels like one of the best. Perfectly paced editing, interesting game, Ross discovering and fixing 20 year old issues. Gonna be rewatching this one a lot. T-T-Trickstyle

[@Kj16V]

Agreed. I must admit, I'm here mostly for the Freeman's Mind series, but this is one of the few gameplay videos I watched and enjoyed all the way through. Really enjoyable.

[@clyax113]

This is a rare time where Ross makes a Game Dungeon in between the holidays of the final three months of the year, but even then it was only because he was going to make it *before* Halloween. Ross's Game Dungeon really is its own unique experience.

[@GUILLE832]

This was such a comfy Game Dungeon episode. I can see myself rewatching it over and over again alongside a lot of others classic GMs.

[@Isaacfess]

Yep, definitely going to be one to watch again and again.

[@planescaped]

Contraption Zack and Baldies are two of my favorites for exactly this reason. Quadralian too.

[@OfPotsAndPans]

The ones where Ross isn’t having a good time playing the game. The Hell Gate London episode comes to mind, imo at least.

[@blindey]

@@deadfIag annihilation, and sonic 2003 too, as entertaining as they were.

[@GUILLE832]

@@blindey Sonic Heroes is pretty comfy for me. Even though Ross has to put up with some bullshit it's still a pretty enjoyable time. It is helped by the aesthetic of the world, the high speeds, and Ross does seem to really like the game as much as it irritates him.

[@inredrustivel321]

i never played this game, but this video gives a feeling of early 2000' that makes me really happy. me with ~8 years, opening those big boxes that these old games used to come, my father by my side, helping me install the game on my old pentium 2 from his office, the nostalgia is huuuuge. thanks for that, Ross! one game that i think you will love: subculture - a really odd game from those times. cheers!

[@Accursed_Farms]

Well for me it's not really about nostalgia so much as I get to take a hoverboard over the top of a bridge in futuristic New York, I feel like there's a little less range of imagination in a lot of bigger titles today on average.

[@Cortanakya]

@@Accursed_Farms I'd love a hoverboard game that just said "f**k it" and went full on magic schoolbus. Go back in time to start a level riding the rock that killed the dinosaurs looping in an out of magma pockets on a freshly smashed earth. Maybe ride some gas jets to the top of a city-sized bit of meteor forged obsidian only to use a 10 kilometer tall tidal wave across a burning lake of diamonds. Next level you're the size of a waterbear riding over hyperaccurate scientific equipment and messing with some nerd's study of microscopic forces. Next level you're out on an almost perfectly dark ice planet being chased by 10,000c solar rays that are causing the planet to melt around you - the level starts with the almost imperceptible shimmering of a million crystaline vortices only to have every facet reflect a neon purple star roaring overhead. Half way through the level you're seeing strange shapes appear from the depths until suddenly you're hoverboarding across an alien city that's been dormant for a billion years. Technology rapidly awakes and you're a perceived threat. Next level you're bouncing across the top of everyday clouds but there's inexplicable gargantuan items poking though - a mixture of recognisable things like car keys and hot dogs and things that looks to have been designed and manufactured but for a species (or many species) that are so dissimilar to humans that their very function is an unsolvable mystery. Next level you're just playing Foundry from Tony Hawk Pro Skater but with a hoverboard. Since hoverboards are so freeform there's precisely no good reason why you'd need to be confined to reasonable or comprehensible arenas. I understand why fps games take place in buildings and racing games need roads but why would a game that features a style of movement that we don't have access to rely upon circumstances designed around our physical limitations? I'm honestly confused as to why games focus to heavily on emulating relatively achievable human experiences when they're uniquely situated to allow us to experience entire new modes and means of being. Thanks for the content, BTW. You're a pretty cool guy.

[@planescaped]

@@Accursed_Farms A lot of modern game devs are too focused on trend chasing to take the risks and be creative like they used to. Square Enix being a prime example of how this can cause problems. Being creative has fallen to "indie" game devs now. Though indie is kind of a misnomer.

[@newcheesegrater]

Ah, trickstyle. Now things are starting to make sense. More on that later.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

Who are you and what have you done with The Admiral?!

[@NotWendy3]

@@TheSmart-CasualGamer The Admiral has been destroyed. The comment section has been destroyed. Soon, the world as we know it will be destroyed.

[@vrabo3026]

@@NotWendy3 Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to be with my family.

[@throwawaydetective9080]

@@NotWendy3 just another parasite

[@HoopleBogart]

I legit watch the Maabus video once a month, so good.

[@jimmyrustles9807]

Every time I went to GAME (a game shop in the UK) I played this on Dreamcast. It was amazing.

[@Red0543]

23:57 I got to admit, I did *not* expect to see Hugo in a Game Dungeon episode! :)

[@Popebug]

It will always be hilarious that Denmark's two contributions to videogame history are Hugo and Hitman.

[@LtSprinkulz]

It's nice to see Ross enjoying a game for a change.

[@tankolad]

Even though the game tried its best to prevent him with the last level XD

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

I mean, he enjoyed the last one too.

[@planescaped]

He plays games he enjoys on Game Dungeon all the time. It's more he plays games he has something to say about.

[@ScapegoatAngel]

Ah, finally a new video! I guess it's that time of the year where i binge watch the entire series again.

[@cybermadness2503]

One can never have too much Game Dungeon in their lives.

[@bradlee7875]

I almost thought we were going to get out of this episode without hearing Ross's iconic "AAAAAAA!!" of frustration, good thing that last level had no railing on the side.

[@Yusuke_Denton]

I'm also fond of GET UP THERE!

[@benbot0733]

I want a supercut of all of Ross's screams

[@sinewrites6581]

I never knew that Airblade had a predecessor like this. Awesome :) Airblade wasn't racing like this, it was more like tony hawk games, open world levels with objectives. You nailed the depressed vibe thing btw, especially in the first few stages. If I remember correctly, the whole story is about fighting against corrupt corporations that are chasing you down for having the airblade prototype. It was one of my favourites on the ps2! Honestly, I kind of feel like playing this game now... I might have to pick it up.

[@Tsinibor]

I loved Airblade.

[@jimmyrustles9807]

Airblade was a great game. I think Ross was expecting something else. I think he should give that one a go properly.

[@scumbaggo]

@@jimmyrustles9807 Not sure he actually even played it, but used found footage. IDK though, knowing him.. he played everything that had to do with "hover", "board", or the letters "ing" in the game title hahaha just for this vid.

[@jimmyrustles9807]

@@scumbaggo I'll always remember that I asked my mum and dad for Airblade when they were renting me a game one time while I was sick, but they misunderstood and got me a skydiving game where you were on a board. I told them it wasn't what I wanted but gave it a go. Hated it. It was so hard. You had to land tricks with perfect accuracy. On a PS2.

[@GameDevYal]

35:00 I think I have a rough idea of what's happening with transparent objects tearing through reality here: basically, only the pixel closest to the camera is drawn; but the GPU isn't informed that it's partially transparent when doing this judgment call so its discards pixels of underlying objects that would be partially visible through the transparent pixels. (The skybox is still fully rendered because it's a separate model drawn in a different rendering call so it's not part in the distance check) Probably a modern GPU optimization; earlier versions of the game would just draw every polygon regardless, wasting some cycles but having the transparency just work. (I've heard Direct3D is pretty much deprecated and replaced with stuff like OpenGL / GL ES shaders so it's possible all the graphics processing is handled by a "close enough" compatibility layer under the hood which works slightly differently than what the game is expecting) Roughly speaking you can only see half an object at once (the side facing the camera), so culling invisible geometry like this saves half the time you'd need to render everything, and even more when a lot of stuff is hidden behind other geometry - this is probably why it's done even if it causes all these issues with transparent objects. Overall transparent object is just a pain these days, you need to manually force them to draw on a case-by-case basis, so a lot of games have moved over to rendering a checkerboard pattern of transparent / opaque pixels instead - it's a very simple maths operation (check if a random number is larger or smaller than your transparency factor) and shaders are run on a per-pixel basis anyway so you don't need any fancy loops or anything.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

I was literally just rewatching your Dungeon Siege video! This looks like a good 'un, Ross. Hope the Admiral knows his way around a hoverboard.

[@DawnOfTheOzz]

I never really know what to expect on this show. A futuristic hoverboard game made by Criterion before they made it big with the Burnout series before being sentenced by EA to the Need for Speed mines. And now I'm sad. Also, EDM honestly peaked back in the late 90s and my standard for EDM soundtracks for games is the WipeOut series.

[@Wikloe]

There's something special about the racing Game Dungeons. I love every episode, but there's something about them that just hit differently. The Halloween episodes are usually my favourites, but the Ross Rants he gets into for the racing games are great xD

[@rraau__]

This is the video I return to every once in a while just to hear Ross do the t-t-t-trickstyle intro

[@DavidXanitos]

Love Ross and this Community. Its fixes like this for old games that you show off and provide that allow me to explore older games I've never played before. You're all the best!

[@HowardFingersTV]

I feel I have to recommend the Jak and Daxter series of games. They have a terrific hoverboard mechanic - and if you want to explore future cities with other hover vehicles Jak 2 and Jak 3 are great games for this. When I think of hoverboarding in videogames, they're the first that come to mind.

[@latewinterstorm]

From time to time you make a Game Dungeon about a game I've only seen on pictures in magazines that I always wanted to play s a child but couldn't back then and didn't get around to play it since. I only had a demo of TrickStyle from a magazine CD but I played it a lot and always wanted to play the full game. I really like what you do and it is amazing to see these games on your show and relive my childhood a bit. I wish you all the best, Ross!

[@DSzaks]

That howl of triumph when Ross finally won perfectly encapsulates what brutally hard games are all about.

[@yourgameisstupid]

The part where he only forced himself through such a tedious slog in order to complete the video, not so much.

[@GeorgeMonet]

So they are about a lot suffering and time wasting for no real purpose and something that everyone with a good memory cannot stand because we will always remember all the negative emotions of every time we failed because the game was unfair and cheated us? No wonder why I hate Dark Souls.

[@robertnomok9750]

@@GeorgeMonet If you think dark souls is hard you either never player the game or just a mindless zoomer who follows the hype.

[@InvadeNormandy]

@@GeorgeMonet >Unfair and Cheated us If you mean any of them besides the first game I could believe you. As I HATE that obnoxious auto tracking spin they added to enemies especially past 3 (Elden Ring was returned for this reason.) If you mean the first? Literally for the first time on the internet and not being a meme, skill issue.

[@psykomancer4420]

@GeorgeMonet It's fun to overcome a challenge. Others failing where you succeeded just makes it better.

[@PatMagree]

Ross I gotta tell you, you're comedic timing and delivery is seriously on point. It get's better every video. You are great at this

[@DarthKain0]

Ross really is comedic timing and delivery.

[@claytonsteinebrunner3056]

There were a couple other games that had some cool hoverboard features. Like Jak 2 and 3. Both of them had arena modes where you had to do tricks for points in a given time, plus they could be used to free ride around the cities and other places in the game, thats what always comes to mind when mentioning hoverboard in video games.

[@MrDwarfpitcher]

Yeah I loved Jak 2 and 3 In Jak 2 it felt a little shoved in though. No other character uses it. Not even in the Arena. In Jak 3 it fits. It gets you from place to place quickly where you'd otherwise be doing lots of climbing and jumping.

[@Olivman7]

Yeah, I was also thinking of the first Ratchet and Clank, it had two hoverboard races but, eh, they weren't too impressive.

[@Patchnote2.0]

The superspeed hoverboard in the desert "cheat" in Jak 3 has been peak hoverboard experience for me so far. Who doesn't love hoverboarding faster than cars with rockets?

[@K4RN4GE911]

@@Patchnote2.0 Only downside of that were the enemy vehicles, but who cares, just outrun them! :D

[@Patchnote2.0]

@@K4RN4GE911 Enemy vehicles ain't shit when I'm zoomin' at hypersonic speeds!

[@potentialPizza8]

Honestly, this is already an all time classic Game Dungeon episode for me. I love ones like this, especially on racing games, where Ross just brings out countless interesting takes I wouldn't have thought of, on everything from weird graphics jank to annoying AI to what the environments remind him of. A lot of recent episodes feel to me like they're just about such miserable games (by my taste) that, while Ross does fantastic work, it's less happy and more horrifying to watch him go through them, but this is one I'll be rewatching to relax for sure.

[@potheadfromthefuture2450]

100%, I love when Ross enjoys the games

[@planescaped]

One of my go-to's for relaxing is PatricianTV's 7h Morrowind video.

[@sbahnlars]

i love your channel so much ross youre one of the few reasons i keep going onto this website for years and everytime you upload a game dungeon im so happy. please never stop doing what u do

[@takoslvt]

I dont think there is enough time in the day to read all these comments but, I really love you and your videos!

[@utarefson9]

29:00 "Neotokyo is severly underutilized in games." That reminds me, have you ever played the game 'Neotokyo'? Giving the Timesplitters series a look would also be nice.

[@KOS_Nova]

Oh man this episode is fantastic. T-T-Trickstyle has the perfect Y2K futurism aesthetic!

[@Isaacfess]

Thank for so many videos on Holidays Ross! I know this one was hell to edit. I really appreciate you. ALSO There were hoverboards in Unreal Tournament 3 from 2007. There was also a snowboarding mod for that.

[@ZenSolipsist]

Finally someone who can put my deep thoughts on the meaning of consciousness and the apocalypse in a context I understand *hoverboards* ☺️

[@Jatopian]

I kinda like that there are a bunch of trap ramps and paths that look cool but aren't optimal. I get why it didn't work for Ross, but I can respect what the devs were trying to do, making it strategic. Also dang, the Aerial Tokyo finale looks vaporwave as heck, and I love it.

[@sphinyal8758]

The ramp to big ben isn't a trick ramp at all tho, there is a trick to break through the clock as a shortcut

[@pineapplefarmer7352]

The SSX series did air tricks perfectly in my opinion, giving you what was basically snowboard nitro for doing tricks. The bigger and more dangerous the trick, the bigger the speed boost.

[@ElGrabnar]

I remember when I played that with other kids everyone was upset I figured that out and didn't tell them, because I thought they knew already.

[@pineapplefarmer7352]

@@ElGrabnar I didn't learn about monster tricks until I became an adult lol

[@Wannabe_Baby]

Awesome, more Game Dungeon! Hearing Ross talk about old games I've never heard of is the best.

[@redalchemy]

A new Game Dungeon on my day off? You treat me too well, Ross. More on that later.

[@GentIemanThief]

If you have VR, Jet Island is a really cool hoverboard game. It asks the question, "how can we make hoverboards better?" And the answer is grappling hooks.

[@jubbie1122]

I'm surprised Ross didn't mention Jet Island. A hoverboard game with jet boosters, grapple hooks and Shadow of the Colossus style bosses. IN VR Easily the best example of a hoverboard game in the 2010's

[@fmsyntheses]

You make videos that I never feel like it's possible to watch too many times.

[@jakestocker4854]

I don't know how I've managed to go 28 years with never hearing about this game. This is why I love the Game Dungeon.

[@tifforo1]

Maybe you're stating your own age, but 28 years ago was 1994, and the Dreamcast didn't come out until 1998 in Japan, so it's not surprising you didn't hear about it then.

[@jakestocker4854]

@@tifforo1 well the game released in 1995.

[@novelezra]

Ross is one of those friends of a friend that you meet a BBQ, where you have a conversation that starts out fine; you're talking about that local pizza place you both like. Then you start to furrow your brow as that friend begins to discuss how the money funnelled from the toll road leading up to the pizza place was used to create a statue of the mayor; but that mayor was caught embezzling money and now the statue is in limbo whether they should take it down or leave it up since it cost so much to make. You look over at your friends, confused if this is a normal way to converse with someone you only just met, but they act like it's totally normal and you're left freaked out and gaslit.

[@josso1]

As a music producer I can tell you: attempting to do a windowlicker cover the year it came out involves a *lot* of self confidence as a composer, very cool little gem that

[@sethmeadors1274]

Bro I was not expecting richard to make an appearance in The Game Dungeon…

[@thecuza9716]

"Watching people fall to their deaths leaves an impression." Yeah. In the ground.

[@jurgenronaaz4695]

Game Dungeon episodes always seem to be timed PERFECTLY for me, thank you Ross!

[@FizzieWebb]

fucking hell, Ross, you jumpstarted my memory again. I remember playing the demo to Trickstyle's sequel yonks ago, Airblade. The line for failing a mission in the story mode has always been stuck in my head. "You blew it Ethan!" For some reason, my mind had merged that with Phantasy Star Universe, and I'd assumed it was a generic future themed Tony Hawk's knockoff made by Sega around the time PSU came out, and they put the single player protagonist, Ethan Waber, in the game as a cameo. But no.. it was a sequel to this game, made by fucking Criterion of all companies.

[@sapare7838]

As someone who grew up with Airblade, my brain instantly told me this must been same dev, animations were too similar. Kinda wish he gave Airblade more of a fair shake, its primary crime is being short story wise, but the tricks were far better implemented into the level design(something he complained about here). And the game just has a quirky charm to how stupid the story is. Also, devs repeated their trick from this game and the final level is 10 times more difficult than the rest of the game, good times.

[@ProxyDoug]

22:11 I love that cover art. Something about 90s comic book art is super appealing to me today despite not liking it a lot back in the day. Old Tomb raider concept art has that charm in spades.

[@ghostface5559]

27:37 Pretty sure the genre of music is called Trance/Hard Trance and it was huge in the 90's 2000's so a game made at the turn of the century having a techno/trance soundtrack is EXACTLY what I was expecting and hope for.

[@JP-sc4mp]

Any idea what the track is called at that timestamp?

[@bluy59]

Hello, fun fact thing #56. Trick Style was a pack in title for the Dreamcast That launched on 9'9'99. September Ninth 1999.

[@M_reapr]

Points allow friendly competition to see who can score the most points and win. Also you can create multiple speedrun categories one being time based one being point based and lastly one being point and time based

[@forestgaming3993]

Been killing it with the recent videos Ross, thanks for all you do!

[@reeceshugrue6167]

Any day Ross, Mandalore or Sseth post a video is a good day

[@BoomBoomstick]

Don't forget civvie!! But Ross holds special place in my heart

[@neuroticaproductions1834]

They're like the Holy Trinity of game reviews these days. Father, Son, and the African Warlord Ghost.

[@reneewhitaker6342]

Grim beard

[@hotdogvan3399]

Warlockracy

[@Patashu]

I always appreciate that you go above and beyond in fixing up old games

[@StabbyMcCutBleed]

hey Ross! I just wanted to say that you're my favourite KZbinr! Civil Protection lives rent free in my brain and I always love each episode of Game Dungeon. thanks so much for the years of awesomeness!

[@sphinyal8758]

First video I wached of you, instant sub. That was hell of a nostalgia trip :D

[@technoirdrifta6459]

I love the "controlled insanity" that Ross has at some videos, like at 31:28.

[@Henskelion]

35:43 that bug is pretty common issue; I'm working on an isometric RTS right now and the engine has an issue where semi-opaque pixels will de-render any pixels beneath it, revealing the terrain below. I think what's happening in this error is the engine normally occludes any graphics behind an existing object, but this applies to semi-opaque surfaces as well.

[@KairuHakubi]

hell I've seen that in the engine used for xenoblade 2 along with 3 and the graphical update of 1. semi-transparent objects will delete parts of the crazy skybox effects behind them, leaving a halo.

[@jtinkerton2547]

It's mostly because sorting multiple transparent layered pixels used to be resource intensive and difficult. It still is, depending on which engine you use. I think every engine at the time had a different method for dealing with this, and if we look at the intro, it uses Renderware - the same graphics engine/pipeline used by GTA. It's basically rendering the closest transparent pixel, treating everything behind it as nonexistent and defaulting to solid sky/building + that one transparent pixel, because there are multiple pixels stacked on top of each other and Renderware doesn't know how to handle more than one.

[@KairuHakubi]

@@jtinkerton2547 that makes a lot of sense. but you'd think it would just do some simple math and add up the opacities

[@jtinkerton2547]

​@@KairuHakubi I tried to answer this a few times, but KZbin always eats my comment. Probably because of the link. I found an article on Multi Theft Auto Wiki called GTA:SA Rendering System, which touched on the alpha bugs. It mentions *alpha-compatible* or *alpha rendering rules* which probably refers to just render ordering. There's front-to-back (from camera to skybox) rendering, which draws e.g. a building, then ignores everything behind it such as cars, lamps, trash cans because that part of the screen is already occupied with pixels. There's also back-to-front (from skybox to camera) order, which is "alpha compatible" because you can just stack transparent objects on top and it will work as you described, but it means less performance as you've got a bunch of times you're going to overwrite the same part of the screen. Renderware uses front-to-back as a default, causing the alpha issues. SilentPatch or 2DFX (I'm not 100% which) mods for GTA have a fix for this called something like two-pass or dual-pass rendering, which seems to work similar to the Quake 3 engine (I looked out of curiosity). Basically it does the default front-to-back with solid objects, then renders transparent objects back-to-front (stacking the opacities) and combines the two to get the best of both worlds (better performance, because it doesn't overlap solid geometry, and correct alpha that stacks transparencies). The reason this is (or used to be) a problem is because graphics cards are fast as hell, but dumb as a post. It can do math operations really fast, but you'll kill your FPS if you try to do some logic (if-then-else) through graphics or shaders (that's what the CPU is for). Mathematically/logically this means that the card will be very fast when dealing with lots of dumb operations (like drawing and transforming an already ordered bunch of polygons), but it will slow down a lot if you try to do some discrimination between them. Imagine solving 100 2+2=4 type problems, versus solving 100 complex equations using squares, roots and imaginary numbers - GPU's gonna do the former faster, while the latter should be given to the CPU.

[@KairuHakubi]

@@jtinkerton2547 ohhhh that makes sense! top quality explanation.

[@Addsomehappy]

Somehow you can feel it's an instant classic before even watching the video.

[@GracjanSwiatek]

Hello Ross, Great video as always, i wanted to thank you very much for always making great videos showcasing long forgotten gems like these or more obscure games like cult Tycoon. When i was in a hospital, your videos helped me pass time while i was preparing for my surgery and helped me keep my mind off it. And afterwards when i had to go home and i couldn't sit up and had to lay in bed all day, i was rewatching freemans mind to pass the time until i got better. You are a great youtuber and i hope that your passion will last a long time, thank you so much for all the effort you are putting into your videos !.

[@MrNobody47710]

I just now remembered the hoverboard from "Jak II" and "Jak 3." Technically, the hoverboard was fundamental to level progression and mission completion, but it was only one aspect of the game. The actual racing in "Jak II" involved hover bikes, and "Jak 3" featured dune buggies on steroids. There was actual hoverboard racing in the "Ratchet and Clank" series. In the PSP game, "Size Matters," the "floating" of the hoverboards was emphasized. The races in "Size Matters" felt weird. Still fun, though.

[@B-019]

Jet Island was the first thing that came to mind for modern hoverboard games, but a) it's VR-only, and b) it's environments aren't really "futuristic cyber city." So yeah, I'd love to see someone fill this niche again!

[@LtnCorrsk]

Have you tried the spin attack against Big ben? I do remember it explode and you get through to the finish line as a shortcut. I might be remembering the wrong game, but worth a try.

[@Honorablepleb]

On the subject of obsolete point systems, I think the original megaman is a perfect example of the awkward transition from arcade games to home console. Of course in that case it was the mid 80s when game design theory didn't really exist, so the point systems was just a vestige of the arcade. The point competitions in this game sorta justify their inclusion, but I can't help but wonder how and why they were added. Like were they trying to ape on Tony hawk pro skater from the start, were they copying arcade sports games where these systems are justified, or did they add the tricks first for utility then flesh it out with points and competitions? Idk man I didn't take my meds today. Hoverboards are cool tho

[@georgeoldsterd8994]

We can kinda say the same about Wolfstein 3D. It had points too, but for what purpose? Bragging rights?

[@Rad-Dude63andathird]

@@georgeoldsterd8994 Bragging rights much like the arcade yeah, but another thing they yoinked from the arcade was scoring enough points would grant you a life. Of course, lives were also an item that exists in Wolfenstein so it kinda makes it redundant. That said, still fun stealing nazi gold for the hell of it.

[@scumbaggo]

I like the pointless point systems. It doesnt really take anything away from the game, and with most newer games allowing you to disable most/all of the HUD you can just disable it if you like. Id actually like to see pointless points in more games, lol. I could definitely see my brother and i getting tired of just racing and doing a points competition or something when we got bored, we didn't have many games as a kid so we had to get creative

[@ObeseN1NJA]

The only joy the holiday season brings me is Ross being a boss.

[@steavf9455]

Dude I'm so happy you're making videos. I discovered your channel with Freemans Mind Season 1 and I love what you do. You're awesome

[@bronwynecg]

To be honest I’d love to see Ross take a crack at Descent. It’s a literal 3D space game that he’ll either love or get motion sickness from 😂

[@lionocyborg6030]

A flight simulator which feels surreal to play as the maps look like Doom levels albeit they’re full 3D and take full advantage of it: It feels like we’re playing as an insect zipping around someone’s house or some other building. It’s really fun, but it gets hard. Descent 2 is even harder. I also highly recommend Conflict: Freespace: The Great War and its sequel Freespace 2 which are the spiritual successor to it. Freespace 1+2 were my fight ever flight sims and my first first person game. (First actual FPS was Half Life on CD)

[@garretteverett2613]

Never played Descent but I did play Forsaken, which was the same bug-in-a-house feel while promising a massive futuristic city. Full 3D movement without a defined horizontal plane was really cool at the time.

[@fonesrphunny7242]

@@lionocyborg6030 "A spiritual successor is a product or fictional work that is similar to, or directly inspired by, another previous work (...)" - Wiki Freespace is the spiritual successor to the X-Wing / Tie-Fighter style of "space sims". Animated briefings, shield management, energy management, subsystems etc. There are no in-game connections between Descent and Freespace, unless it's a nod or easter egg the devs put in (Makes me wonder: is there a single reference to MD1032?). Actual spiritual successors would be Forsaken, Terracide (pretty bad!), Overload, Into Cerberon (Doom 3 mod) .. you know, "6DOF FPS" games, not "space flight sims".

[@lionocyborg6030]

@@fonesrphunny7242 The definition may be right but you are still wrong: it’s by the same developer (under a new name) and in some regions, Freespace 1 was called Descent Freespace: The Great War. In Europe it was known as Conflict Freespace: The Great War. Also, Descent is a space flight sim. Just because it takes place mostly indoors doesn’t change that. “6dof” is just pedantic.

[@kveller555]

@@lionocyborg6030 I've played both Descent 1 and 2 and thought the first one was harder, or at least more unbalanced. Fighting invisible hiscanners ain't fun.

[@RaeldorDraken]

Hey Ross, i really enjoyed the video this game was one of my favorites on the dreamcast and I love it! Just I have to say that the ramp in london Big Ben is actually useful the clock is a glass, if you do a high speed barrel roll you can actually break it and its a pretty good shortcut!

[@josefdonner7266]

This!

[@lambdamerc110]

I am so happy that Ross has heard of Aphex Twin and that beautiful catastrophe of a music video. I’m not too surprised compared to his other musical tastes, but still. It’s cool! The game is great too. As a fan of SSX, I can get down with hoverboards.

[@Yotrymp]

Love your videos so much, man. Your style really grew on me after a few videos and now I've watched almost every Game Dungeon. Great critiques of such a variety of games.

[@thisshouldsay2K]

You know, Danny Way did that Great Wall of China jump with a broken ankle, because he fell in a test run the day before. He wasn't supposed to take the practice run, but did it anyway because it didn't look right to him. Apparently the landing ramp was just a tiny bit off from where it was supposed to be, I think. I'm not 100% on that last bit.