PixlBit

Reminds me of rush hour in LA

This Sunday only, it's the cavalcade of carnage, the duke of demolition, the agonizing abolition of Destruction Derby 64! Twelve cars enter, only one emerges as champion! Witness the spectacular sights of vicious vehicular-crushing action, hear the grind of wreckage under wheels, smell the molten metal masses that remain! It's an all-out, anything goes, bone-shattering, nail-biting, no-holds-barred, punch-you-in-the-gut, edge-of-your-seat rock 'em sock 'em good time! Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

There are times when someone doesn't feel like thinking, and just wants to play a mindless game for some cheap entertainment. Offering more than just regular arenas, Destruction Derby 64's vehicular carnage should be enough to satisfy anyone's primitive thirst for destruction. The multiplayer component looks like it could have been a blast (heh), so it's a shame that no one plays Nintendo 64 games anymore.

The game appears to be based on the Destruction Derby series from the PlayStation, but I can't verify if this is a new game or a remix of the PSX versions. The Championship features a mix of races and arenas, and the Arcade mode is basically the single match mode that allows selection of any one course. The Time Trial is the only mode with real racing in it, as the goal is simply to complete three laps as quickly as possible. There are eight tracks and four arenas available, which is a decent number.

The basic “race” consists of two packs of cars, each starting halfway down the track from each other. The racers zoom down the track in opposite directions, which of course means that they will soon cross paths. The goal is to crash into the oncoming opponents head-on, earning points for colliding, and striving for the best score before time runs out or all cars are totaled. More time can be earned from gaining enough points, as well as passing through checkpoints, the later of which make it imperative to continue on in the proper direction instead of trying to chase down opponents. There isn't really any strategy involved, but then again, if I'm suggesting strategy then I'm probably missing the point. As such, it's pretty easy to place first on most tracks, though the demolition derby arenas can take some luck.

The multiplayer supports up to four players and provides a couple more modes. The basic arena demolition derby is there, although it's scaled down to eight cars total instead of the dozen from single player modes. This same scale down holds true for the demolition race mode, which is only for two players and has each starting in opposite packs. The two multiplayer-exclusive modes are a little more interesting. Bomb Tag is sort of like the game Hot Potato, where points are earned by holding onto a bomb. But if the bomb isn't soon passed to another car by ramming into it, it will explode, destroying the car until the next round. Capture the Flag has the cars split into two teams, with each base in the corners of the arenas and the flags in the other corners. The flag can be returned by ramming into the opponent carrying it, which also scores a few points.

The scoring system is a bit odd and not fully explained. The range of points awarded for a collision is up to a hundred, but I didn't manage to get even half of that. It would appear that the most points are awarded for head-on collisions, as ramming into other sides of an opponent rarely gives more than single digits. Totaling an opponent's car also awards a nice sum of points, which is usually key to winning the arena stages. There are no bonuses for surviving or being the last car driving, but this may be to discourage being a coward and avoiding everyone to stay in one piece. I have no idea how a real demolition derby works, so for all I know this could be similar to its scoring.

The system of unlocking cars is a bit odd. After the first vehicle is obtained simply from completing the first championship, that car must then be used to play the following cup in order to unlock the next car. The same holds true for the later two circuits, and then the rest of the cars must be unlocked from time trials, using the most recent car on a certain track for the next unlockable. It would be more manageable if there were some indication of what to do, as if not for the Internet age, unlocking vehicles would be guesswork. The vehicle selection itself appears bland at first glance, as all of the starting cars are very similarly shaped, and just have different colours and numbers on them. The hidden cars offer a bit more variety, ranging from a pick-up truck to a powerfully destructive ambulance, which may have a tinge of irony.

The presentation certainly lends credence to this being a PlayStation enhanced port, as the low-poly, blurry graphics are very reminiscent of common PSX games. There are some decent special effects when cars collide, and vehicles have many points on which damage shows, but the grain becomes an eyesore before long. There are also some lighting effects present, such as headlights on night levels, which is really more like a spotlight. The framerate also chugs along when such effects are happening on-screen. The sound effects are usually appropriate, with the engine sounds of other vehicles coming from the speaker corresponding to their position, and some decent metal-grinding noises for crashes. The techno beats are decently composed, and the voiceover of the announcer is clear.

All in all, Destruction Derby 64 delivers what it promises, but what it promises is shallow to begin with. The extra modes are an entertaining attempt to spice up the concept, and have some value to anyone who can still muster up friends for some N64 action. There isn't much meat otherwise, and once the rage dissipates, the game has nothing left to offer.