DESCRIPTION

The truce between the alien Haak and the people of Earth has held for seven years. But Earth has lost contact with human installations near the Haak settlements, and those who've gone to investigate have not come back. Enter the Red Dog Tactical Response Team, of which you are the commander. Armed with the most powerful vehicle on the planet, the Red Dog, you alone will be going over enemy lines to make war and send the Haak packing before they take over the planet.

In Crave's Red Dog: Superior Firepower, players go up against the Haak in an advanced battle-tank/4X4 hybrid, armed to the teeth and ready for combat. The Red Dog features a swivel top, allowing you to rotate it to attack enemies, even if you're driving in a different direction. The handling of the Red Dog itself is similar to a monster truck, with giant tires that provide the ability to hop over difficult terrain. The Red Dog is armed with a chargeable laser cannon and a full payload of missiles, and has the ability to pick up a number of optional weapons like a lightning gun, super-bomb or homing missiles. In addition, it has its own armor system that will protect you from enemy attacks.

There are two types of levels in Red Dog: attack-and-destroy areas, and those where you'll need to defend a piece of equipment, protecting both your own craft and the precious cargo as it makes its way along a path. You'll fight robots, tanks and even giant mechanical spiders along the way. Many levels have a boss at the end, whose life meter you must bring down to zero for you to pass. As you progress through the game, the better you do, the more likely you are to unlock secrets such as challenge missions and more items for the multiplayer games.

Also available are a number of challenge levels that give you the opportunity to power up your tank for the main single-player game. Time Trials, Shooting Galleries, Survival, and Gladiator missions are available for players to test their mettle in return for some bonus power-ups.

If the single-player experience isn't for you, there's always the multiplayer mode, where you and three opponents can enter into a split-screen melee in various arenas, with a variety of weapons to choose from. There are seven different multiplayer modes, including deathmatch, Knockout, Bomb Tag, Suicide Bomb Tag, Stealth Assassin, Flag Runner and King of the Hill. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide