Vigilante 8

The Good
This one has something for everyone. There are two modes: Arcade and Quest. In Arcade mode, simply pick one of the vehicles to drive, pick some more as opponents, and drive around blasting anything that moves! In quest mode, however, you take on the role of one of the game's protagonists and carry out "missions", usually involving finding objects, keeping a building safe (or destroying it, if you're playing a bad guy). Finishing a quest gets you a little movie, explaining what happened to that character at the end of the story. Playing through ALL the characters' missions unlocks two secret playgrounds, and finally, one secret vehicle. And if that's not enough, the game has a two-player split-screen mode! The game works hard for a "seventies" feel, and the cars, clothing of the characters, and especially the music do the job of hitting this mood spot on.

The Bad
It's frankly too short, and the "battlegrounds", while fully 3-D, are rather small, closed courses... just like Twisted Metal (sigh)

The Bottom Line
It's a driving shooter with a plot. The Coyotes, a road gang, seek to wipe out the Vigilantes, a "do-gooder" road gang. Each of the Coyotes has a different motivation -- Beeswax is trying to steal an atomic bomb, for example, whereas Loki wants to break into Area 51 and steal a flying saucer! Each vehicle is equipped with machine guns, but can acquire up to three extra weapons by finding crates and driving over them; guided missiles, mines, and mortars can increase the punch of any vehicle. In addition, a "special" weapon crate has a different effect on each vehicle -- Boogie's "special" is a laser disco ball which kicks his opponent around while doing damage, whereas Sid Burn's "special" is a devastating flamethrower. Fully destructible environments (including Las Vegas) add to the fun. Feel like driving through a plate glass window, or off the third story of an office building? You can!