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Ever cleared up a traffic jam with a flatbed truck before?

From Angel Studios and Microsoft comes Midtown Madness 2, the sequel to the 1998 release Midtown Madness. For those uninitiated to the series, Midtown Madness is a game of fast cars, sharp turns and pedestrians with the uncanny ability to always get out of the way of your car.

Midtown Madness 2 offers two accurately detailed cities, complete with famous landmarks. Players can fly through traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge in a city bus or take a jolly old tour by Buckingham Palace in the new Martin Vantage DB-7.

The Vantage is just one of 10 all-new cars introduced in Midtown Madness 2 that complement those accessible from the original game. The vehicles used in Midtown Madness 2 range from the speedy Austin Mini to a huge fire truck.

Midtown Madness 2 utilizes new physics layered on top of the original engine, introducing new moves such as power slides and hand brake turns. The damage modeling for Midtown Madness 2 has been improved as well, adding parts that actually break away and detailed damage to the vehicles.

One new mode added to the sequel is the crash-course mission that challenges players to perform a wide-variety of tricky tasks. Each mission challenges drivers' current skills and requires the learning of new ones. From here, players can also unlock races and cars as well as find a load of funny in-game secrets.

Midtown Madness 2 features the same racing modes as the original: Blitz, Checkpoint, Circuit, Cruise and Multiplayer Capture the Gold.

The game is fully optimized for Internet or LAN play and allows up to eight players to compete simultaneously. Players can connect via the Microsoft gaming zone or directly via IP. ~ Chris Couper, All Game Guide