Destruction Derby 2

What can I say? It's a fun car pile up game. Beats all these realistic games nowadays.

I love the DD series but I prefer the second instalment on PS1 the most purely because of its high grip levels and handling. In the third instalment which has far more options, the steering was awfully slow but here its much more responsive. The music is excellent too, as is the graphics which do not suffer from the muddy look that later games did. The only down side is the difficulty is rather easy. 2 player modes are the best way to go after you've got all the courses!

Picture yourself in this situation. You're driving a car down the road and you see a bunch of other cars in front of you, blocking your path. Like an over-caffeinated Christian Bale the red mist falls over your eyes. You slam on the accelerator, and you smash and bash those other cars until they look like folded accordions. Just then you get stopped by a Police Officer. But instead of arresting you the officer says "Nice smashing, mate. Here's £200." and hands you a pile of cash. Sounds great, doesn't it? Unfortunately real life doesn't work that way, and the closest you're ever likely to get to doing such a thing without getting busted -besides taking up banger racing of course- is playing the video game Destruction Derby 2.

Destruction Derby 2 was developed by Reflections Interactive (famous for the Driver series), published by Psygnosis, and was released on the PSone in 1996. It's the sequel to Destruction Derby which was released a year earlier as a PlayStation launch title here in the UK. Both games stick in the memories of 90's PlayStation gamers because they were racing games that offered more than just racing action. You could wreck, grind up and destroy opposing racers...and get rewarded for it.

There are plenty of options for you to check out in the main menu. The three main destinations of interest are: Wreckin' Racing, Stock Car Racing and Destruction Derby. The first two modes can be enjoyed over seven different tracks, including Chalk Canyon, The Motorplex and Black Sail Valley. While none of the tracks are spectacular works of art for the eyes to admire, the layouts are easy to learn and memorize, and soon you'll figure out the best ways to drive around them and maximize your chances of success. One other thing you'll need to take into account is your car. There are three different cars to chose from, each with their own strengths and handicaps. Choose wisely as you won't be able to change your mind in the middle of the championship.

Yes DD2 has single races and time trials, but the championship is where the action is at. In Wreckin' Racing you participate in a field of twenty racers who are split into four divisions of five. Starting out in division 4 the aim is to earn enough points at the end of each season to get promoted up through the leagues, with 1st place in division 1 being the Holy Grail. But beware, relegation is also a possibility. To gain points in each five-race season you need to run into other cars and either spin them around or wreck them. Gaining points initially seems very hard, but after a while you'll figure out the correct techniques, and you'll be racking up 250-300 point scores on a regular basis. You'll be having a lot of fun in the process, and that's the key word in DD2. Fun.

Destruction is indeed the name of the game. But if you are finding this mode harder to stomach than a mouldy cheese sandwich, then the Stock Car Racing mode will be more to your liking. Each season consists of four races. There's still a bit of bashing in this mode, but the main aim is to just race around the tracks as quickly as possible. The higher you finish the more points you score. You know? Traditional racing stuff. Stock Car Racing is good in its own right and does provide longevity to DD2.

The third and final mode is where you'll probably spend most of your time, and that's the Destruction Derby mode. Twenty cars aligned in a circular pattern in a large arena. When the green lights come on pedal is put firmly to the metal and all twenty cars charge toward the middle, and collide like a rusty metal wave splashing against a sea shore! There's a whole load of smashing, bashing, and every other "ashing" word you can think of! Last car standing gets the bragging rights to say "Hurray! I won! I'm having a wonderful time!" Darn I'm a good poet!! Only the Red Pike Arena is available from the start. The other three arenas have to be unlocked via the Wreckin' Racing championship.

While Destruction Derby is clearly the most fun out of all the racing modes available, it does show off (at least in my opinion) DD2's biggest flaw. In the bottom right hand corner of the screen is a model of your car which shows how damaged each area is, starting off green for fresh, then going through red for damaged and finally black for completely wrecked. If the front ends of your car turn black that's the end of your event. The problem I feel here is that maybe your car is a little too tender. It can get wrecked easily and sometimes you'll only last about fifteen seconds before you see the "Race Over" message. If the developers had made the car a little more solid and a little more sturdy, then I feel the gameplay here would've been perfect.

If you're a multiplayer fan then you're pretty much out of luck. There's no 2-Player split screen option. While it is possible for up to ten players to compete in a multiplayer event, you can only race one at a time. You could participate in those ten races yourself and get the same results, making the mode completely pointless.

Despite its drawbacks Destruction Derby 2 is one of the better driving games to grace the classic PSone console. Its blend of racing action, solid handling and hard hitting total destruction make for a decent racing milkshake; and the OTT American commentary and heavy metal music make it ideal for players who like their games with a bit of attitude. Now get your hands on a copy and go crazy!