Whoa... SICK mate!

Years ago when you grabbed the latest driving game you pretty much knew what you were getting – some racing and some crashing.

Now there’s an area where there are different styles for the one genre.

Need For Speed – Underground 2 has firmly placed itself in the build and race category with a look and feel of ‘The Fast and The Furious’ stamped all over it.

Basically it’s a race to win cash so you can buy some go-fast bits and race for more cash, so you can buy faster bits for your car, etc, etc, etc.

It’s not unlike Gran Turismo, except in NFSU2 you race on the streets, not the track.

Another aspect is the creative factor, which allows you to do more than just change the colour of your ride, you can build it in a style that suits your tastes and personality.

Gameplay

‘Solid’ is a good way to describe it. I liked both the GT and Driver genres so NFSU2 was always going to appeal to me.

Gameplay has been well thought out to keep you moving forward. Even with my limited street-racing experience it didn’t take me long to get into the game.

The developers have done well to move the story along at a good pace, and it didn’t take long before I was racing for credibility and cash. An hour or so into the game and I’ve got loads of racing to choose from yet I’ve hardly explored the city.

Crashability

Winning is the main focus and that means avoiding the oncoming traffic. If you do
manage to bury it head-on into an ice-cream van then the crash is similar to Burnout and the damage is like GT – in other words the stack is in slow motion but there is no damage.

This doesn’t worry me as I’m focused on coming first anyway.

Graphics

As you can expect in a game where you need to do more than just screw on the go-fast bits but stylise your car for credibility, the graphics are of a high standard. V8X does most of its reviews on the Xbox so I expected – and got – quality, as you would expect across all the platforms.

Online

This was the area that appealed to me the most. There is something about racing real people, as opposed to AI, that keeps you coming back for more. I think it’s because in the end people-to-people is the real level playing ground.

NFSU2 offers the opportunity to compete against other NFS gamers around the world (nothing new there). What I Iiked was the fact that I could use the cars that I tricked up myself.

This is where I found out how new to this game I really was. My racing skills were OK but my build skills needed some serious work.

There were some cats online with some serious machinery they had built up through the game. I soon realised that I needed to get into the offline game a lot deeper so I could then log-on with better machinery.

Overall

A real pleaser with minimal stuffing around and lots to do.

Electronic Arts has released a first class game that I would be happy to spend my hard-earned on.

Key features > Twenty fully customisable, licensed cars are included in the game, such as Mitsubishis, Subarus, Toyotas and many more. > Several unique racing and mission-based events, including the following: Street Racing Drift Race Drag Race Circuit Race Sprint Race > Hundreds of ways to customise your ride. Pick from major aftermarket parts manufacturers, including AEM Inc, Audiobahn, Bilstein, Dazz Motorsport, DC Sports, Eibach, Enkei, GReddy Performance Products Inc, HKS, Holley, Injen, Jackson Racing, MOMO, Neuspeed, Nitrous Express Inc, O.Z., PIAA, Skunk2 Racing, Sparco, StreetGlow and Turbonetics Inc. > Sophisticated graphics. Be immersed in the world of after-hours street racing thanks to diverse urban night-time environments modelled on a variety of real-world urban landscapes. > Over 100 unique events give racers the opportunity to earn cash, buy more upgrades and unlock cars and tracks while boosting their street reputation.

Crash heaven

Burnout 3 – Takedown has redefined motoring mayhem

The best way to explain Burnout 3 – Takedown (BO3) is from a line in the press kit, where it describes crashing as "so bizarre and yet so good".

BO3 is everything Burnout 2 was, but bigger, better and faster.

What’s added is – as the name implies – a new takedown feature in the racing mode that rewards you should you manage to crash into your opponents.

The usual maniac driving and close shaves still apply but it’s the crashing that has now been made into an art form of destruction that is hugely satisfying.

A new mode has been incorporated into the crashes named ‘aftertouch’. After your initial impact, in slow motion mode, you can then slightly tweak your trajectory using this aftertouch, allowing you to smash into more trucks, buses and other road users.

Aftertouch can also be used in racing. Simply get your flying vehicle to knock into another opponent and you’ll earn big rewards.

If you’re not into driving games, BO3 is still for you. First impressions are that it is among the top racing games on the market and, quite possibly, one of the best ever made.

HRT phone home If you love your V8 Supercar games but haven’t got around to buying one of those flash gaming consoles like a PS2 or Xbox, don’t fret because all you need now is your mobile phone. Launched late 2004 by Atari, ‘Holden Racing Team Championship 2004’ brings the excitement of V8 racing games to your mobile, wherever you are. You can choose between Mark Skaife or Todd Kelly and compete on six different 3D tracks in three game modes, including arcade, championship and time trial. Your results are saved on your phone so you can compare results. Holden Racing Team Championship 2004 is compatible with Nokia Series 40 and 60 phones, Sony Ericsson MIDP 1 and 2s and the J2ME MIDP 1.0 platform. For more information go to www.atari.com.au.

MX vs ATV Unleashed

It's time for the dirt to fly on two wheels, four wheels and big wheels

MX vs ATV Unleashed will combine four-wheelers, motorcycles and monster trucks into a single racing experience.

This ambitious game, coming along on both the Xbox and PS2, will offer more than 50 massive tracks to tromp around on in an array of vehicles, running from traditional bikes and off-road vehicles to biplanes and even golf carts.

The single-player game will offer a variety of race types, such as freestyle, free ride and challenge events. You’ll also see a plethora of different racing types, such as supercross, short track, open class, hill climb, machine challenge and super moto. As always, you’ll be able to hop into a career-style championship mode wherein you’ll compete against A1 opponents.

Both versions of the game will have a full online mode, while multiplayer mode will offer two-player and online support.

The Xbox version is looking at offering widescreen which, needless to say, will look great.

Based on what we’ve seen so far, MX vs ATV Unleashed looks to be a strong as there appears to be some interesting expansions made in the race types and game modes, thanks to the inclusion of the ATV vehicles. This should appeal to the four-wheel fans of the genre. MX vs ATV Unleashed is currently slated to ship early next year on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Look for more on the game in the coming weeks.

Top Gear Top Gear RPM Tuning, due to be released early in 2005, is up against some pretty big competitors in an already overcrowded market genre. We’re still unsure if it is Australia bound, but Top Gear RPM Tuning features a story-driven campaign known as adventure mode. In adventure mode you'll take on the role of Vince, who wanders into a garage to buy a new car and ends up getting involved in the local street-racing scene. As you progress through the game you'll make copious amounts of money, spend it all on further improvements to your car, make even more money, and then basically just keep doing the same thing until your car bears little or no resemblance to the one you started out with and is capable of – as one source describes it – speed that’ll make your eyes bleed.

Let the wrecking begin

Atari's Crash N Burn gives you the 'destruction derby' feel in this budget racer

Crash N Burn is always going to be compared to Burnout 3 as they both rely on crashing – and in the case of C’N’B – burning! But upon initial reviewing I’d say that it is more like the Destruction Derby series where there’s racing and wrecking in a ‘smash-up derby’ sense.

New is the online play allowing you to show off your highly customised rides and then go forth and destroy.

Competitively priced by Atari ($49.95 RRP), Crash N Burn doesn’t aspire to be everything but there’s some fun to be had here if you’re into the smash-up derby genre.

Hot Wheels Hot Wheels Stunt Track Challenge is pretty much an updated version of the last few Hot Wheels games to hit the market. Using basically the same driving mechanics as the last, Hot Wheels STC relies on a basic arcade racing model with only a few slight race mode variations to liven things up. Like its predecessors, Stunt Track Challenge is a game aimed at younger racing fans.