Destruction Derby

"Crash Bang Wallop Is More Fun Than Ever!"

Destruction Derby came across as fresh faced and like a pure slap of adrenaline when it was first released. Thankfully, this game hasn’t aged too badly at all.
Destruction Derby is a driving game with a difference. The aim of the game is generally to smash into as many cars and take them out while not blowing up your car with them. Problem is, they will be doing the same thing back. This can take place in many different scenarios and gives you a real ride of your life.
Each race holds an impressive 20 cars on 5 tracks (10 as they get reversed), a destruction bowl and a hidden track. There are several race styles. The simplest is Stock Car Racing, where it’s a pure race to the line to score points or there’s wrecking racing which rewards you for causing spins or retirements, but to score you have to keep going to the finish! Both these are available in the league mode where 5 leagues of 4 drivers are put in place and after a season of 5 races who ever has the highest points in put up a league where the competition is tougher and you start further down the grid. The league modes are the main part of the game. Single races are also available.
The destruction bowl is a fantastic part though. Basically its 20 cars in a bowl trying to crash the others out to be last one left. Here tactics and luck are needed in great bundles.
Although there are no straight forward 2 player games, if you actually have a link cable (rare things those) you can experience some fantastic 2 player games that really liven up the game and add a much needed dimension to the game. The handlings a little bit stiff but you are in clunky stock cars after all but it’s very playable. The collision detection is spot on and the way in which the car takes damage is fairly realistic, although no wheels come off or bodywork goes flying, the handling does get completely ruined. This frustrates on occasion though as with half a race gone you’ll find you can only turn left and then you’ll scrape around the barriers on right-handers. It’s a shame to an otherwise solid game.
Possibly the things that make it show its age is the old and fairly annoying house and dance music used and the general lack of scenery in the game. It feels slightly bulky too but that’s no major sin.
The games challenge is fairly short lived but it has charm dripping off it and if you want to smash things up in a big way, this is always a satisfying place to come to.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/21/02, Updated 06/30/03