Trail Hogs

Overview

The Trail Hogs is a bicycle jousting game. Right now it is a 2D platform game similar to Super Mario except that you joust your opponent, whom is also on a bicycle, by running into him very similar to bumper cars. These bikes are also equipped with springs behind the rear axle to allow them to jump similar to a pogo stick, hence the high jump. In the game you ride a bike and battle opponents who have taken over various areas.

The game consists of a main hub world called Hog Haven - a bicycle city. From there the player looks for secret passages and warp while upgrading their bike in order to fight the ringleader of the Skidmarks bicycle gang, The Pork.

The player cannot die in the game. There are no lives and in many places the player can fall down a pit and arrive in the sewers of Hog Haven. From there they can backtrack or look for other areas. The game can be hard without being able to retry areas multiple times but it is not impossible like Kazio Mario hacks. The enemies attempt to push the player off the ledges. A variety of attacks are used to do this including projectile weapons. Another aspect of the game is that the player can be trapped in cages where the player can't move at all! This is soft blocking but it is a literal feature of the game. The game allows resetting without actually resetting the game which places the player in a rescue house.

Background Story

The story takes place after the creation of the Trail Hog bike and the city of Hog Haven.

During its foundation all bicycle gangs were united into the Trail Hogs but shortly after they split into the Trail Hogs and the Skidmarks, a rowdy group of cyclists. Currently, the Skidmarks have taken over the city by misting it with a foul smelling mist that only a prankster could come up with. Their ringleader, The Pork, has orchestrated this and is said to be the best bicycle Ninja the city has ever seen. Frankus seeing the plight of the Hogs moves out to reclaim his bicycle kingdom!

Game Structure

This game consists of a city broken up into many areas. There is a map screen which can only be accessed by tagging goals to finish an area or by entering an exit pipe. You move through areas looking for tokens and the leader of the Skidmarks, The Pork, in order to fight him.

In this game you do not die. You are simply pushed around by your rivals and off platforms if you are high up. All their efforts can make you waste more time in an area. However, in some instances if you fall off a cliff you can end up in another area!

You collect tokens and other treasures throughout the game by finding them and winning races. To earn from a race you must beat the best time. Tokens are used to buy items that you might need, mostly for modding your bike.

Status Display

The "FL" shaped item is a token. You collect these to open up levels and to buy mods for your bike. If you lose a mod for your bike you can get a replacement free of charge. Also the number of tokens you have does not go down when you buy anything. Some areas on the map will also require a certain number of token to enter.

Your speed is measured by the power meter on the right. When it turns green you are at full speed. The fastest a bike can go is 20 miles per hour.

You also see bomb and rocket symbols on the left of the screen. These keep track of bombs and rockets that you pick up in the game. Keep track of these because in some areas they are critical to passing to the next area.

In some levels you will race against a clock. Your time counts backwards from 1000 seconds. You'll want to get to the goal tape at the end of the level as fast as you can. This will set your best time. Come back again and try to beat it!

This game may be unique in that you can intentionally get soft blocked. Here is an example where your character can fall into a trap set up by the Skidmarks. If you get stuck here you must be rescued and to do that you must call a rescue. This is done by pressing the (R) on the keyboard or (L) on the gamepad. The rescue house is in the city and that's where you'll be taken.

Another important aspect to remember is that in this game you cannot die. Enemies do not hurt you but they can push you off of ledges and ropes which can result in you falling into a sewer or into another area. In some cases you will be pushed off of a ledge but can climb back up without having the exit the area!