Total Drivin'
Sony PlayStation
Jack of all trades, master of none? Total Drivin' aims to please everybody all of the time with its variety of driving experiences. Unlike most motor racing games, Total Drivin' doesn't focus its attention on any particular form of racing.
In fact there are five different disciplines to master - Indy Car, Dakar Rally, Sports Saloons, Buggies and Road Rally. There are six different locations ranging from the wet woodlands of Scotland to the streets of Moscow. In between, you can also test your skills on the snow in Switzerland or take to the sand dunes in Egypt.
With 36 tracks in all, you won't feel short-changed. Success at one location opens up a whole new dimension for the racer as the tracks get progressively harder to master. Some are just mirror images of earlier tracks with the odd obstacle thrown in to spice things up.
There are no fancy car settings here, although you do have the choice of either manual or automatic gear selection. You choose the course and team and the appropriate car is selected for you. One nice touch is the intelligence of your opponents. They block your path whenever possible, but after you have had a serious smash they don't seem to get too far ahead. This always gives you a chance of regaining your position.
There are only two views, one from the driver's perspective and one from above and slightly behind the car. This somewhat mean-spirited attitude to camera views is easily offset by the fact that you can take the cars out of their natural environment.
Fed up with mundane tasks of racing around the "normal" tracks, you can head off into the country and admire the scenery. But watch out for those cliffs. Go over the top and it's game over. Of course every risk has its rewards. Scout around a bit and you just might come across some of the shortcuts that are available.
Control with the standard directional keys is fairly easy, but if you would like something a little more challenging you can switch to analogue mode (if you have an analogue controller). In this case, the cars become a lot more sensitive to the touch.
Total Drivin' supports two-player split screen and two-console four-way play. If you are looking for a game that gives you a taste of everything without committing to one style, your wait is over.
Graphics: 88%
Sound: 90%
Gameplay: 89%
Game cheats
EXTREME-G Nintendo 64
At the name selection screen enter the following codes:
RA50 - Quit at any point in the game and still retain your position.
*GTEAM - Replace the * with A, G, J, S and others to see the faces of the games makers on top of the bikes.
FERGUS - Then go into Shoot 'em up mode. The drones now have Fergus's (Games Director) face.
NITROID - Unlimited Turbo Boosts.
ARSENAL - Unlimited Weapons.
BANANA - (Contest Mode) Slippery Track.
GHOSTLY - Everything is transparent.
MAGNIFY - Everything seems huge.
ANTIGRAV - Race upside down.
STEALTH - Drivers are semi-invisible.
WIRED - Wireframe mode.
On the password screen enter:
81GGD5 - Unlocks hidden track and both hidden bikes.
61GGB5 - Unlocks the Neon bike
Address any correspondence to Game Zone, The Irish Times, 1315 D'Olier St., Dublin 2 or alternatively by email to GAMES@IRISH-TIMES.IE