Editorial Review

In Smuggler's Run, you play as a member of an outlaw gang whoseprimary objective is to successfully smuggle contraband from point A to point Bwhile behind the wheel, be it nuclear secrets, explosive material, counterfeitmoney, or what have you. The goal, while it varies from level to level, is todeliver as much contraband and make as much money as possible while cruising inyour SUVs, two- and four-wheel-drive trucks, Baja buggies, rally cars, and evenmilitary vehicles. Each type of vehicle has its own unique feel and handling.

As if this task weren't difficult enough, you have the CIA and the police onyour tail. You're going to have to hurry, because in most cases you're givenpredetermined time limits to complete your pick-ups and drop-offs. And, to topthings off, rival gangs also are after the same goods that you're transporting.Smuggler's Run is like a game of tag, only with vehicles.

To add another level of excitement to the game, Angel Studios--the same peoplewho developed the popular Midtown Madness series for the PC--has addedreal-time vehicle damage as an unavoidable, nasty side effect of racing acrosstreacherous terrain. In this way, the game straddles the fence between asimulation and an arcade game.

Smuggler's Run has a mission-based campaign mode, and is laid out over adozen levels, with huge environments, sprawling desert landscapes, rural towns,forests, and snow-capped mountains. The game also features an open-ended joyridemode for one or two players (split screen) and "Turf Wars," which allows one ortwo players to create custom scenarios to suit individual tastes. There's evensome "Capture the Flag" thrown in, for good measure.

Smuggler's Run is moderately impressive with its graphics. Extra touches,such as pedestrians, animals, ambient traffic, cacti, trees, roadblocks,waterfalls, and rivers, add to the all-important suspension of disbelief, butthere are other, prettier racing games on the Dreamcast and PC.

When all is said and done, Smuggler's Run is a decent and enjoyableracing game for PlayStation2. While the game might not be the best that the newsystem has to offer, gamers who are looking for a one- or two-player racingexperience might want to take it for a spin. --Todd Mowatt

Pros:

• Real-time damage adds to the challenge
• Various two-player modes

• Somewhat lackluster graphics

Features

• Platform: PlayStation
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Ages 6 and up

Reviews (227)

Top of the wall!!!!!!!!!!!! a must buy for all GT fans!
This game is better and the cars are badder than ever! More tracks to race, new cars to drive, and better chances to make SOME HARD CASH!! As you upgrade your car it becomes faster and better that what the shop sold you, and there is also a chance of having race paint on your car. In GT you beat even the world champions, got the best cars, ruled the tracks, and made more than a million. Well it's time to challenge more cars, conquer more tracks, and new champs to beat! If you don't buy this game, you're missing out on some racing of a life time, Well what are you waiting for? Bump all cars in your chance of victory money! This is a racing madness. It's catching hold of you. Buy this game and rule the tracks!

Best GT title out.
It edges GT3 by a bit. Though the graphics arn't exactly PS2 quality (obviously), it's the most addicting game I've every played on PSOne.
The graphics are great (for a PSOne game realesed in 1999). The sounds, car SFX and soundtrack, are pretty cool. The gameplay is fun, yet manages to be realistic. A perfect balance.
I highly recommend GT2 to anyone with a PSOne or PS2.

Be a good driver....
...or just get the 2,000,000cr Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak car and you're good to go. Well...I guess you have to be one to get the other. But then again, there's always good old-fashioned patience. Because frankly, Gran Turismo 2 is not going to hand you anything in a hand basket...especially not the aforementioned (best in the game) vehicle. In this game, you have to work for any car worth having. GT2 isn't playing, folks. There are no super cheats or codes (yes, I looked for them) to earn you free credits, skipped races, or magic cars. The best tricks of the game are tips to tune a car properly, which car to use when, and how to avoid spinning out. Yeah, sounds fun, doesn't it?

Well, if you LOVE cars and get off on racing them, this game will be tons of fun for you. Vastly expanded from the original Gran Turismo, GT2 employs practically any car you can think of---from throwback muscle to tuned-out super cars, if you want to drive it, they've got it waiting for you. And not only do they look just as good as if you were seeing them for real, but they sound and FEEL like real cars. Each car has it's own unique driving style and sound, so you'll never be bored...maybe surprised, but never bored. You can customize your own car from the ground up (GT2 lets you customize your wheels this time...yay!) or if you can hold out long enough, you can buy the "special" models from the car distributors.

However, I do have some issues with this game. First of all, the load times can be a bit irritating and it doesn't help when you have to move to so many different screens to get around in the game. Going from a race to another race or back to your garage seem to take forever after saying no to a dozen replays and the save/do not save question that pops up after all races.

Also, I don't take well to formalities in video games. Like the original, GT2 has those wonderful licenses you must obtain in order to race in different competitions. It's like, am I going to be putting lives in danger by playing this game? Why do I need to be tested on everything from braking distance/time to my S-curve technique? I'm not going to listen to the rules anyway, so why put me through it? When it comes down to it, I am awful at those individual trials. Put me in the thick of the action and I can dominate. I just don't get it.

Finally, I wish that the races weren't so predictable and repetitive. Once you get to the point where you know that you are going to win the race before you even leave the starting line, the game gets a little lackluster. All of the other cars follow the same imaginary line (like the license tests make you follow for "optimal performance") every single time out, so I know where they are going before they get there. Why can't cars spin out for no apparent reason (damnit, I do it!) or give me a little competition? Because let's face it, once you get ahead you stay ahead...that is if you have a reasonably suitable car or you don't spin out stupidly at the final turn, of course.

Ah, but I get over the pain of constant winning quickly. I love this game. I wouldn't complain about it so much if I didn't... I wouldn't still be playing it.

Editorial Review

Few racing games for the PlayStation can approach Need forSpeed III: Hot Pursuit in terms of car selection, track layout, andsheer fun. Combine the game's quality with the fact that it was addedto the PlayStation's bargain Greatest Hits collection, and youhave a title that deserves to be in the library of any racing fan.

Hot Pursuit gets its name from our favorite mode of gameplay, inwhich players try to exceed the reach of the long arm of the law bygreatly exceeding the speed limit. The ultimate goal is to beat youropponent to the finish line, but usually it's hard enough just dodgingoncoming traffic, swerving around police roadblocks (complete withspike strips), and trying to keep pursuit vehicles from slamming youoff the road. It's nearly as fun to watch replays as it is to race, andwe've only discussed one of the game's five types of play. Thisdiverse, fast-paced racer is definitely a keeper. --T. ByrlBaker

Pros:

• Nearly perfect arcade racing action
• Nice graphics, special effects, and sounds

• Some modes of play are incredibly difficult
• Can't play as the police

Reviews (14)

Terrible game
I rented this game thinking this would be the best game ever. Boy was I wrong. 'Monster Truck Madness 64' stinks. It has very little options, and even though there are five or six multiplayer options, they are all the same thing and they are boring. The controls are terrible, the 1-player is even more terrible than the contols, and the main menu is the most terrible thing of all. I'm suprised this game was even made, it's so terrible. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME! If you buy it, you'll 100% regret buying it. DO NOT BUY. EVER.

Terrible game
I rented this game thinking this would be the best game ever. Boy was I wrong. This game stinks. It has very little options, and even though there are five or six multiplayer options, they are all the same thing and they are boring. The controls are terrible, the 1-player is even more terrible than the contols, and the main menu is the most terrible thing of all. I'm suprised this game was even made, it's so terrible. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME! If you buy it, you'll 100% regret buying it. DO NOT BUY. EVER.

Editorial Review

By marrying arcade controls with real cars, upgradeable car systems, and multiple play modes,Test Drive 6 attempts to be the driving game for everyone. The result is a fragmented, ordinarygame lacking the focus to be suited for a particular type of gaming audience.

The game purports to offer the thrill of driving a selection of testosterone-charged real cars in some of theworld's most scenic locations. But instead of hitting top speed on the open road or doing doughnuts on theVatican's lawn, you must race a bunch of veteran professional drivers around a number of preset trackswith hairpin turns. Even that could be fun, but here the tracks are missing the shortcuts and power-ups of anarcade racing game, and the cars are missing the accurate physics and customization of a simulation racinggame. This "neither here nor there" approach applies to all of Test Drive 6, a game that on thesurface is packed with features, most of which, on digging deeper, add nothing to gameplay.

Play modes include single and groups of races where you wager money or your pink slip; cop chases whereyou try to pull over speeding cars; and two-player mode. The economic system by which players purchaseand upgrade cars seems out of place, and the game's graphics are merely passable. --Jeff Young

Pros:

• Great soundtrack, including the entire video for Fear Factory's remake of Gary Numan's "Cars"
• Nice collection of new and classic hot rods

• Too shallow for a racing simulation, too difficult to be an arcade game
• Poor handling cars and poorly designed tracks

Reviews (95)

Definatly a Legend worthyness
THIS game is cool,you get four U.S. Cities Miami,Florida and San Francisco,Ca. and Los Angeles,ca. and finnaly New York all of these cities are 70% successful rplicas of the real thing.You play a driving expert Tanner whose mission is to go undercover as a Mafia man & a Gangster and seek and destroy the Castaldi group.LISTINGS:GRAPHICS:8/10:the graphics are not what we would now call up 2 date they are 1999 PSONE graphics because people are blocky but, what earns this game it great rating is that the damaging effects on vehicles look so realistic.SOUND:9/10:the sound is actually great the smashing sounds sound real,the cops sirens also the cops radio,ure able to hear it when in persuit or hiding.GAMEPLAY:9/10;gameplay is cool i love smashing into cop cars when/or when not their after you because it realy irritates them i also love driving on private property and breaking fences up.there are very little ramps around but if i do find some thing to ramp on i reverse so far back that i`m able to realy cut air.you unlock types of car to drive in including Taxi,Police car,ect.RECCOMENDINGS:i would reccommend this game to to anyone who like fast cars,ramps,getting chased/or chasing or love movie style storylines.COMPARE: this game knocks GTA 1 and 2 out of the water but is beaten by five other games Driver 2,Driver 3,GTAIII,GTA:Vce Cty and GTA San Andras.SIMMILARITIES:On the PSONE this game is very simmilar to The Italian Job and The Worlds Scariest Police Chases.FromFG(also former Stationplay reviewer),Coventry,England.

worthless waste of money
I bought this game for a present because I thought my brother would enjoy it.I wanted to try it too, because I fell for the marketing hype (including tainted reviews in magazines that act in the interests of their advertisers instead of their readers).I also wanted to cruise around San Francisco.

My brother didn't like it, and he gave it to my neices.They said it was too hard for them.I laughed, borrowed it from them, and it ended up being a waste of time.I'm sorry I bought it in the first place.

Why, might you ask?You are REQUIRED to pass a very difficult driving test before you can do anything else with the game.The test consists of some maneuvers that require a lot of skill, and even if you are able to do each one of them, you have to do them in so little time that it is nearly impossible to pass.There is no cheat code to get around it, and you can't even go for a leisurely cruise through the cities without passing this lousy test.So for me, anyway, it makes the game useless and a useless game is a worthless game unless you enjoy getting frustrated.

I have Driver 2, and recommend that instead.At least you can play the game without having to pass a stupid test.It's difficult, so you might not play well at first, but at least you can do *something* with it.Don't get me wrong, though: Driver 2 is far from easy and the level of difficulty can be frustrating at times.At least it isn't as worthless as this piece of junk.

You can get plenty of useless CDs in the mail for free.Why pay for one?

Editorial Review

Curious about those individuals who drive tricked-out Japanese cars? Youknow, the lowered Hondas with tires so wide they extend beyond the fenders, thesouped-up Toyotas with super-sized exhaust pipes, and the custom-painted Nissans withtinted windows and back windshields adorned with a adjectives such as "wicked"?

Wonder no more. Tokyo Xtreme Racer delves into the world of highway racingfeaturing customized Japanese autos. The basic premise: cruise the Tokyo highway untilyou find someone who looks a bit too cocky, flash your lights to signal your racingintentions, and commence speeding. The racing physics in the game aren't perfect and thegraphics may not bowl you over, but TXR is a lot of fun and it can be a very deepgame for dedicated players.

There are hundreds of prospective opponents, and plenty of ways to upgrade your car, butthe one element that will no doubt turn off American racing gamers is that there's onlyone track for the entire game. If you can handle that, and the lack of any apparent damagefrom collisions, then TXR is good fun. --Jeff Young

Pros:

• High replayability
• Impressive replays
• Unique concept and design

• Only one track
• Graphics are nice, but don't push the Dreamcast's capabilities

Reviews (82)

Great racing Game !
After reading all the reviews I wanted to let people know that this Racing game is great.I think most people dont like this game cause its not realistic, but I dont want games to be realistic either.I hardly like any new games, but this one is a great racing game. The graphich is ok, but the gameplay is great !! the last Grand Prix is almost impossible on the hardest levell ! You take Sunny Beach ,Green Field on the hardest level.

I recommend this if u liked the other Ridge Racer Games, Personally I loved this one and dont get the awful reviews this one has gotten, very unfair.

A total waste of time
I got this on the cheap thinking that it would be a decent racing game. I was wrong. I didn't know what to expect, but cars that handle EXTREMELY unrealistically, graphics that are just average in my eyes (compared to NFS 2 Hot pursuit and GT 3) and a general unexpected hardness in gameplay made me sorry I got this game. The cars are fake, which isn't too much of an issue but you have to make the fake cars good. If you're looking for a fun racing game with realistic cars, go for Need For Speed 2: Hot Pursuit, and if you want a good driving sim, go for Gran Turismo 3. Rent this if you must, but don't spend a lot of money for it.

Editorial Review