Destruction Derby 64

"A crazy mix of racing and classic destruction without the safety factor."

Destruction Derby is a game I was expecting for a while after I first saw it in Nintendo Power magazine. The game puts you in the seat of a junker car so you can win world championships and unlock cooler cars and better levels. The main style of gameplay is not that of a traditional destruction derby, but rather a race track. You must race to the checkpoints to avoid running out of time and at the same time smashing into oncoming cars for points. This is probably the most challenging style, with the time limit and all. In the secondary game levels you must be the car with the most points once all the other cars are destroyed. Basically a free for all, classic destruction derby. It's an excellent game, so go buy it.

Graphics 9/10

The graphics are clear and beautiful in this game, especially the flames. The courses are nice and detailed and there is never one of those ''Goldeneye'' moments where the cars go through walls. The cars are nice as well, until you rip their hoods off and smash their bumper in and break the windshield...

Sound 8/10

The music in the game is pretty standard for a racing game. It is a nice upbeat mix with few riffs and a light atmosphere. The sound effects are good as well. The announcer has had too much coffee and comments whenever possible and when you smash into another car the sound is frighteningly realistic. Even if you just knick a car there is a slight sound to match.

Fun Level 10/10

One of the guys who designed Blast Corps said that blowing things up is fun. Well, he is right. That same logic appears here, and that's only part of the game. In addition to cramming your bumpers into each other there is a level of challenge and excitement involved, not to mention the multi player modes such as bomb tag and capture the flag.

Re-playability 9/10

Even if you've beaten the world championship, there is still much to master (That is if you haven't wanted to play the championship again!). You must beat the time trials with certain cars to unlock even more cars, there is always the arcade mode, and the ever delightful multi player.

Overall 10/10

If the N64 has a perfect game, this might very well be it. Of course you can't compare it to other games like Goldeneye or Tetris (They are different genres.) it is a must buy for any racing or destruction fan. Even Ben Stein would like this game. Don't just stand there, go buy it!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/09/01, Updated 12/09/01