DESCRIPTION

Radio-controlled vehicles elicit some of childhood's best memories. And for years, Toy-Volt has been producing those toys for children around the world. It's almost like there was something magical about them — so magical, in fact, that the R/C cars gained minds of their own! Now they are causing chaos all over the neighborhood, and they don't necessarily play nice, either. Fortunately, they'll let you control them to keep from being held prisoner on store shelves.

Re-Volt, which was developed by Acclaim's London studios, is the first attempt at R/C racing on the platform. A multitude of options and features make the R/C experience completely customizable. For instance, in the Options screen, numerous game, video, audio and controller settings can be toggled. Under Game Settings, the number of cars, number of laps, speed units and more all can be changed.

And once a gameplay mode is selected, four action modes are available: Junior R/C, which is reduced speed and gives cars better grip; Console, which is full speed and simple collisions where cars don't spin out when they hit walls; Arcade, which is full speed and superfine collisions where cars don't spin out when they hit other cars; and Simulation, which is full speed and realistic collisions with lots of bouncing. Then you can enter your name and can pick from different cars in different power classes.

Re-Volt contains a variety of gameplay modes. Single Race is for one player. Each race can be from 1 to 20 laps. Extra cars can be unlocked here. Championship Mode offers the ability to race over a career. This is where new tracks are opened. Multi-Player is the mode for two to four players. It's available in Single Race and Battle Tag. As expected, Multi-Player Single Race is just like the single-player race. Four cars are always on the track, so the computer will take control of those that aren't human. Battle Tag is a variation of the childhood game "it."

The Time Trial mode is where you can compete against a "challenge time." Reversed and mirrored variations of tracks are unlocked here. Practice lets you master the R/C controls without any constraints. New cars can be unlocked by collecting stars here, too. Finally, Stunt Arena exists for one player in which you'll need all your R/C racing skills to collect 20 stars. A "special" secret can be revealed from this mode.

Actual racing in Re-Volt takes place in a variety of environments. The little cars race in big worlds such as Toy World, Museum, Neighborhood, Supermarket, Botanical Gardens, and Ghost Town. On-screen indicators show which way to turn, because the courses are wide and, sometimes, have overlapping parts. And much like, say, Mario Kart, pick-ups can be used to gain an advantage over your opponents. (Pick-ups can be turned off, too, however.) Some examples of pick-ups include fireworks (missiles), bombs, oil slicks, turbo batteries, and water balloons.

Re-Volt also contains one more special option: a track editor. A Controller Pak is required to save your creation. Then it can be imported into the Single Race, Time Trial, or Practice modes. Over 25 pieces can be used — with the ability to adjust orientation, height, and angle — to construct the track.

Re-Volt supports the Controller Pak, Rumble Pak, and Expansion Pak. In addition to saving custom-made tracks, the Controller Pak saves options, progress, and best times. The Expansion Pak can be used for a medium resolution mode. ~ Scott McCall, All Game Guide