Cel Damage

"That hammer looks rather painful...."

I was invited over to my friend's house because he told me he got this ''cool'' new game. I immediately came over and we inserted the game in to the X-Box.

Gameplay: 6/10

Oh my! The game speed of Cel Damage is incredibly fast and it seems too fast at first. You'd expect it to slow down... but it really doesn't. This game is very similar to Twisted Metal except it's not as violent. The AI is very cheap and frustrating, I actually threw my controller down in anger about seven times. The levels are incredibly small with very tiny hiding spots, so the only thing you can really do is pick up a weapon and start ''smacking''. The main game is based on the mode Smack Attack. The first player to get 500 points basically win. There are plenty of weapons that you can use: Hammer, Boxing Gloves, Bulldozer Scoop, Harpoon, Chainsaw, Ice Beam, and plenty's more.

Graphics: 7/10

I'm usually not in to cartoon games, but this was an exception. All of the animations and graphics seemed to flow very smoothly. You can literally see your character take theirs hands off the wheel just to demolish somebody's car with a hammer! The levels are also filled with imagination from erupting volcanos and snapping crocodiles. Once again, the levels are just too small and it gets annoying turning your car around especially with the slow camera.

Sound: 8/10

Surprisingly, the sound effects and voices were actually humorous. The character voices are actually kind of entertaining and you seem to kind of bounce your head with the music. The sound effects also seem dead on with the weapons.

Control: 10/10

This has got to be once of the best control system's ever. The main thing you'll be doing most of the game is rapidly hitting the attack button. One trigger hits your gas, and the other puts on your brakes, and you also have an attack button and a hand brake button. But I rarely use the break because the game goes so fast. Drive it like you stole it!

Overall: 7/10

Just to some it up, the game is best when played with friends, because it gives you a better chance of winning. I wouldn't waste $30 on a game that I know I wouldn't be able to beat. So just do what I do and rent the game first, you might actually like it, which is scary.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/07/02, Updated 01/07/03