Motoring Mayhem: B.O.R.E’s top five retro car-combat games.

 

During the 90’s there was a phase of ‘vehicular combat’ games, that  became incredibly popular. Sick and tired of the standard racing format that saturated the market, there was a noticeable demand for alternative driving games. Here is B.O.R.E’s top five countdown of these unorthodox motoring games of the 1990’s;

5. S.C.A.R.S

Released in 1998 for N64 and Playstation, S.C.A.R.S was a fun game designed mainly with kids in mind. Simulated violence aside, it’s great family entertainment. Each car’s design was based on an animal, with the aim of the game sticking to the standard race format with the added bonus of an arsenal of weapons available to slow your opponents down. At the time of it’s popularity it didn’t receive great reviews due to its ‘annoying’ game play and sluggish graphics. But it’s still a timeless classic that’s managed to sneak into our top five.

Watch S.C.A.R.S gameplay here.

4. Carmageddon

In at number four, Carmageddon has a unique twist for the conventional racing game. The 1997 game is set in a futuristic zombie apocalypse situation, players are awarded points for killing the swarms of undead that cover the tracks in the most imaginative ways. Flipping and spinning your car to squish the zombies whilst competing against other racers that will do anything they can to destroy your own vehicle is a recipe for hours of fun. Not one for the easily offended, Carmageddon had more adult themes than other games of the time. When you perform a particularly spectacular manoeuvre you’re awarded a ‘Cunning Stunt’ bonus (be careful how you pronounce that).

Watch Carmageddon gameplay here.

3.Twisted Metal

The number three spot goes to the long running and ever popular franchise Twisted Metal. First released in 1995, it turned its back on the racing format and focused solely on combat. The players take each other on in an arena with an array of weapons from oil slicks to landmines in a fight til the death. Such a long standing game franchise, whose latest addition was released for ps3 this year, deserves a place in B.O.R.E’s top five.

Watch Twisted Metal gameplay here.

2. Vigilante 8

Another ’98 release was Vigilante 8. The game’s story centres on an alternate 1975 where the world’s economy is on the verge of a breakdown. Two rival gangs, the Vigilantes and the Coyotes are battling for control. The game has two modes, the one-player story mode or a death-match with up to six players. What’s great about the game is the range of characters and their vehicles that are available. Players can choose from an array of imaginative machines to drive around the fully destructible arenas, including a muscle car, old camper van and even a school bus. Each vehicle has their own unique special weapon. This game has the number two spot for it’s pure entertainment value. With a great story-line, imaginative characters and arenas and smooth game-play, Vigilante 8 is definitely one of the all time greatest games of the 1990’s.

Watch Vigilante 8 gameplay here.

1. Rogue Trip

The top-spot goes to yet another 1998 game; Rogue Trip: Vacation 2012. The game was developed for Playstation by the same team who created the Twisted Metal franchise. Set in the year 2012, an apocalypse has wiped out most of humanity. Despite the gloomy plot, the game is comical and tongue in cheek. Each arena is based on a location in the USA, from Yellowstone National Park (renamed Hell-o-stone) to LAX. Aside from the generic concept of cars battling it out using an array of weapons, this game has an interesting twist. Each battle-ground has a tourist wandering around that can be picked up by any of the competitors, known as ‘auto-mercenaries’. Once the tourist is on board, the player can take them to various photo-ops around the map to earn extra cash that can be spent on health and power-ups. The game gets the number one spot for it’s great handling and addictive game-play, with new players and arenas to unlock. The story mode can be played over and over again with new things to be discovered every time. Rogue Trip can keep you entertained for hours, and although fairly unknown and overlooked, it’s definitely our favourite car-combat game of the 1990’s.

Watch Rogue Trip gameplay here.