Carmageddon

This is a top down vertically scrolling shooter, in which you start off as a motorbike. You are quite vulnerable to attack at first, but power ups come in the form of a Sega van which you have to dock with. The first time you dock you get double fire, the second time gives you a rocket, the third gives a rear force field and the fourth invulnerablility. There are also letters A-F which you can collect. Collecting A through to D allows you change into a sportscar which is less vunerable to attack, but not as nimble. Collect all of them and you are automatically transformed into a sportscar. Picking up flags gives you bonus points with 10,000 points gaining you an extra life. Eventually as you get further into the level you will transform into a high tech plane.

Carmageddon II is essentially more of the same. Whether this is a good or bad thing pretty much depends on how you liked the first. In case you need to be told, this game sends the politically-correct-o-meter flying towards absolute zero, perhaps only beaten by Duke Nukem 3D. The framework is a futuristic race inspired by Deathrace 2000 and The Cars That Ate Paris: The contestants, in sport cars, monster trucks, and other motorized abominations, are placed on a track, a real populated area. Getting to the finish line first is secondary, and in fact seldom happens; the real winner is the one to trash everyone else, running over pedestrians on the way for extra profit.