Smash Cars (PlayStation 2)

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Aside from the assorted interactive elements, all of the different tracks look pretty good too. They don't sport a ton of polygons or bump-mapped textures, but the art and design for each track properly capture the atmosphere of the representative environments. All of the different cars also look very nice, and there are a few different types of paint jobs to choose from for each one. The game runs consistently, with only minimal slowdown and few apparent clipping issues. The game does take a bit of a frame rate hit when you're playing in split-screen multiplayer mode, but it doesn't detract heavily from how the game normally looks.

The weakest part of the game is its audio--there just isn't a whole lot to it. Most of the game's soundtrack is composed of generic techno music that isn't all that bad but is fairly repetitive. In-game effects are all quite standard, with the buzzing sounds of the RC engines and the usual catalog of crash and smash effects. There are a few cool effects that present themselves from time to time, such as the retro-sounding gunshot effect and the comical-sounding honks of go-karts as they pass you by, but for the most part, the sound effects are pretty standard.

All in all, Smash Cars delivers one of the more solid RC gaming performances seen in recent years. Though the game is predominantly simplistic, Smash Cars' gameplay is tight and well put together, and the game's various modes and tracks are quite entertaining. Smash Cars isn't going to appeal to everyone, but its easy-to-pick-up style of play, often absurdly amusing level design, and budget price tag make it a worthwhile purchase or rental for any RC or kart racing fan.

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Sony PlayStation 2

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Smash Cars (PlayStation 2): $22.20

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