Reviewed: May 24, 2001
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Electronic Arts

Developer
Electronic Arts

Released: April 24, 2001
Genre: Racing
Players: 2
ESRB: Everyone

9
9
6
7
8.1

Supported Features:

Therefore it should surprise no one that EA would try to capitalize on the concept by issuing a new and updated version for the PlayStation 2 console. Rumble Racing is the unofficial sequel to NASCAR Rumble minus the names and cars from the popular motor sport. Obviously this gives the designers much greater freedom in the car design, so be prepared to see some wild rides in this game. This arcade style racer claims unprecedented speeds and 'no rules' muscle car and sports car racing. Choose from 35 vehicles to race on the 15 courses - 3 of which are stunt tracks. There are a couple 2-player modes as well as Local Championships, 1-on-1 Showdown, and Stunt Challenge.

The first of these is a new "stunt mode" where you can pull off crazy stunts like barrel rolls, flips, twists, and other acrobatic moves. These stunts will charge your nitro booster and the wilder the stunt, the more nitro you get. Mixing up your stunts will also increase your boost; so don't get too comfortable with that easy barrel roll. The entire trick/boost system is very much like that found in SSX with the exception that you cannot use the nitro when you want. It activates immediately upon landing a stunt and continues until you run out. Of course you can chain stunts to keep the nitro meter filled.

Shortcuts were a big part of the first game and an even bigger part in Rumble Racing. The opponent AI is so aggressive that you are forced to locate and use almost every shortcut on every track. In fact I highly recommend your first time on each track you simply ignore the race and go exploring to find these shortcuts. Some are obvious while others are extremely well hidden. Knowing which shortcuts to take will take time and exploration. Some shortcuts will cause you to miss a group of power-ups or even another shortcut.

There is some strategy in using the shortcuts. In the earlier levels the opponents won't use the shortcuts until you use them. This means that if you save them for the final lap you can shoot to the front of the pack. Use them too early in the race and the rest of the pack will also use them. Once the AI cars use the shortcuts you are obligated to use them every lap if you want to keep up. This is unfortunately because once a shortcut is "required" it is no longer a shortcut but simply part of the racetrack. As you advance to the harder levels the AI cars will start to use these shortcuts whether you do or not. When this happens you will have to rely on plenty of stunt-generated nitro and power-up attacks to take and keep the lead.

Power-ups are back and like the first can be toggled off for a pure racing experience. A nice feature in Rumble Racing is the ability to store up to two power-ups and use them individually with the L1 and L2 keys. This way you don't have to waste one power-up to get to another. Power-ups only stay with you for a short time and if you don't use 'em, you lose 'em. Of course the ultimate power-up is back - the tornado attack, only this time the visuals are stunning as you see dark clouds roll in casting a gloom over the entire track as a funnel cloud whips ahead of you sending cars flying through the air.

Many of the power-ups can also be launched behind you creating a "mine" that when struck will have the same effect as if you had fired it forward. Be warned that you can hit your own "mines" so it's a good idea to remember where you drop them. A good tip is to drop these "mines" in narrow areas like a tunnel or gap between ramps so the other cars are forced into them.

The killer AI from the original is back in full force and will have you cursing and throwing you controller at the TV about halfway through the Pro series. Even with the difficulty set to "Forgiving" (the lowest setting) you will encounter some of the most vicious drivers in the history of a racing game. What is most frustrating is the fact that to unlock additional cars and tracks you must get a Gold Cup in each of the Championship series. To do this you must earn the most points in a series of three races. The problem is that only one car out of your seven opponents will win the race if you don't. The way the point system works this means you must place 1st in two of the three races and no less than 2nd in the third. If you ever place 3rd in any race or 2nd in two races you may as well abort the series and start over. Such a strict opponent AI takes the challenge out of the championship mode, because once you get too far behind you lose all hope of earning the required points to win.

There are plenty of cars and tracks to choose from. The cars each have unique abilities ranked in areas such as Speed, Stunt Ability, and Acceleration. Knowing which car to pick for each track is something you will learn by experimenting, but is required to win the later races. Controlling the cars is extremely easy and intuitive. The analog stick offers smooth steering control and the other commands such as power-up attacks and stunts are simple to master.

The game flies by at a fluid 60fps and never drops, even with a full pack of cars ahead of you and special effects on the screen. Even in the two-player split-screen mode, the PS2 has no problem in maintaining the smooth frame rate. Even more surprising is the lack of any fogging allowing you to see clear to the horizon on most tracks.

The replays are very exciting and shown through a variety of camera angles. These camera angles can be quite useful in locating a series of hidden Easter Eggs on the various courses to unlock additional secrets. While these are rarely obvious during the course of a normal race, the reverse angle of the replay can be used to locate the brightly colored eggs - yes the Easter Eggs are really giant decorated eggs!

My only complaint in the graphics department is that the power-ups are not always as distinct as they should be. It takes a long time to memorize all the icons that represent each power-up, but in the heat of a race it is not always easy to study the icon long enough to actually know what you have and effectively use it.

As with most arcade racers there is the ever-present and oh, so annoying commentator who talks too often, and with his limited bag of comments tends to repeat himself to the point of driving you insane. Much like sporting games, his comments also do not necessarily reflect the current game situation. You will often find him degrading your driving abilities even when you are in first place.

There is also something strangely addicting about this game. Even when you lose, it may be less than a one or two second gap from the leader, which leaves you with that glimmer of hope that you can "beat him the next time".

When you get burned out on the killer computer AI you can always challenge a human to some split-screen racing. With frame rates just as fast as the single experience and the sheer thrill of head-to-head racing (and combat) there is plenty to keep you and your friends busy for hours on end. There is even a cooperative racing mode; something unheard of in most racing games, allowing you to team up against the computer AI and show them who's boss!

The steep difficulty may scare off the timid drivers, but if you have the guts and patience to stick it out and learn the tracks you can eventually overcome the competition and win this game - just don't try to do it in a 3-day rental or you will go insane.