Rushdown

"A Breath of Fresh Air in Racing Games"

Intro - This is a fun racing game in which you compete in your choice of three events: kayaking, mountain biking, or snowboarding. You advance to other continents and to more trecherous courses.

Graphics - The graphics look great at first, but under closer inspection, they do not look completely wonderful, yet still pleasing to the eye. The fast-paced water in the kayaking looks great, however the plain rocks found in the mountain biking sections look drab.

Sound - The sound is not all that great. There is some music, however poor sound effects, making the game not look so hot under this category.

Gameplay - The game is very easy to control, in fact, too easy for some people. The main controls are just X for power and then the control pad to turn (also using L1 and R1 for sharper turns).

Atmosphere - The kayaking section has a great atmosphere, as well as the biking section. It is great paddling down the huge waterfalls of Africa and biking under tunnels in Europe. The snowboarding section, however, is a little less exciting, and received some critisism.

Difficulty - I found the game fairly easy, yet still fun. You have to concentrate to win the races, yet you won't have to lose sleep over it.

Multiplayer - The game supports 2 players. The multi-player mode is OK, but as with most racing games, the split-screen can really hurt the gameplay. If you have a large enough TV then you should be fine with the multi-player.

Replayability - There is some replay value, but once you unlock all the courses, that is about it. But personally I've never thought there has been that much replayability in racing games.

Value - Being a 3-in-one game, I'd say this game is worth buying used. (I don't know about buying it new, though).

Overall - This game is fun for the kayaking alone, and if you happen to like the other two events, then its even better.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/06/00, Updated 07/06/00