Robert: You know that kid, the one who always played by himself at recess, crashing Hot Wheels cars into each other? Well, this game is what he imagined, a demolition derby clattering with the sounds of machine-gun fire and industrial demolition, a strange place where cops, army men, and evil clowns seek to murder each other for no particular reason.

Twisted Metal has circled the block a few times, and it shows. I resisted its archaic control scheme (the Mortal Kombat–style D-pad combos for special moves). I scoffed at the charmless characters and simple jousting patterns. But as the later, larger levels opened up and I started getting a feel for the combat, Head-On grew on me. I really love the Monaco level, a racetrack (full of race cars) wrapping around the tiny Mediterranean city/country. Despite some early networking problems at release, the game’s online play has since become more reliable—Head-On is a great café game.

Shawn: Moscow, Paris, Cairo, Monaco—I like the gigantic go-anywhere-you-should-and-everywhere-you-shouldn’t settings. The Eiffel Tower as take-off ramp, the Acropolis as NRA assembly and crash derby in one—I like smashing world monuments like so many mailboxes. (Is my PSP wearing a mullet wig or is that Twisted Metal?) I like the combo moves, the specials, and the whole fighting-game-on-wheels feature set that made me a fan when the series first rolled off the line. But I don’t like how car combat is too pell-mell, too haphazard, with its lock-on missile showers and spastic speed, to get you into that fighting-game groove in which know-how trumps accidents. I’ve changed, but Twisted Metal hasn’t; maybe that’s why this time I like it without loving it.

Bryan: Huge interactive environments, spectacular means of destruction, a hotheaded clown—yep, this is Twisted Metal. So why am I—a longtime fan of the series—not feelin’ very homicidal behind the wheel? Aside from the new minigames (which are either lame or damn near impossible), Head-On hardly advances the demented demolition derby form. I mean, how about introducing some new weapons or an original cast of born-to-be-bad drivers, or better yet, tweaking the controls? And why have backdrops that resemble the “Around the World” putt-putt course from the 1987 Goldie Hawn flick Overboard rather than Twisted Metal Black’s grittier scenery? This one may mildly entertain those who’ve never been Twisted before, but series vets should simply drive away.

Good: New boss battles, great-looking cut-scenes

Bad: Camera problems, doesn’t take very long to beat

Strange Minigame: Play a game of Simon to defuse bombs

The verdicts (out of 10)

Robert: 7.5

Shawn: 6.5

Bryan: 6.0

Publisher: Sony CEA

Developer: Incog

Players: 1 (2-8 via Wi-Fi and online)

ESRB: Teen

www.playstation.com

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Electronic Gaming Monthly.