Well after my initial reaction to DD I was ready to have 
a weekend of fender bending.  Of course I didn't know I 
was going to be laid low by a flu like virus but I played 
all day Sunday anyway.

Loads to tell, good and bad.  Where to start...

HUGE tip for people starting off.  Don't go into first 
position.  Let the car in front be 1st.  You get double 
points for any damage or spins you put on the first car. 
 With a lap to go, yeah, go for glory and try to pick up 
10 points for coming first.  Just remember, it's 6 points 
for second and if you put the lead car in a 90o spin it's 
4 points.  Puts winning in perspective eh?

People that say it only has 5 tracks haven't even read 
the manual. It clearly states that as you progress up the 
divisions you are made to race on different tracks.  Once 
you beat the first league you will understand.

As you progress up the leagues, you find yourself 
starting each race from further back.  A neat feature.  
Which makes it harder to whack the lead car, unless 
you're willing to race a full lap behind to give yourself 
a chance at x2 points.

Collision detection is poor.  Many times you're sure you 
whacked an opponent 360o only to find either no points or 
less.  It's just something you have to live with.  

Forget the replay function.  It's hopeless.  The editing 
facilities are pathetic.

A previous poster said that the first 2 cars are useless. 
 If you don't think DD can perform tight spinning turns, 
when you select you car, watch the computer turn the 
Smoothie and Grim Reaper, they seem to handle nicely 

In-car views are good, they are fast and smooth.  Stop 
griping about the sides of the track.  So what, they 
disappear.  Is that such a big deal?

About the person who said the cars never leave the 
ground.  Fair enough, they should.  But it would end the 
race for you if your car did, seems a better reason to 
allow no flip overs eh?

The Bowl tournament is good, it allows a good practice 
for the end of season finalle.  The bowl is much harder 
to do as Rookie than as Smoothie or GR IMO.  The other 2 
cars handle better and allow a much higher top speed.  
essential for that 180o turn at the start and reverse 
into the pack.  At the beginning of Bowl I always go in 
reverse.  The computer cars start of by slamming their 
engines against each other.  If you can avoid this until 
your back goes orange, then you can have some frontal 
ramming fun from inside the car.

I don't seem to be getting all the music with my version 
of DD, that's probably my swap method though and I'm sure 
I'll get that sorted soon enough.  (I use Jap Tekken).  I 
listened to DD on the CD Player mode and the sounds seem 
similar to Wipeout (monkey on E/Crack with a $30 keyboard 
and drumkit).

Those crossroads are bastards!  You can be doing fine, 
points OK front still green and get winged by another 
car.  Then fuckn-wham-slam you're car is a goner!  That 
is a bit annoying, but then it does smack of realism.

Overall it isn't as good as I hoped.  It has limited 
appeal because of the short circuits, the ejaculations of 
the characters you ram are amusing but I keep hearing the 
same ones (maybe it's my swap method).

Also  the part with the naming of your charcter and the 
truck place.  Would it have been so tough to allow longer 
character names?  Gridlock and Ramrod are my favourite 
ones for my guys yet.  Also no option about how our char 
looks?  THat was quite lazy by my way of thinking.  So 
what happens in a multiplayer race, you can't check on 
what your human opponent's vehicle looks like?

Could we not have designed our own trucks from a pallete? 
 Would that have been to monsterous?  You know, selected 
figures and colours for our own vehicle + trailer.  It 
would have been nice to be able to select a face for our 
lone ranger type figure.

Race finishing is a pain, if you get whacked early then 
you have to wait and wait until the points resolve 
themselves about you.  It seems to last far too long for 
it's own good.  Also race positions are determined by 
whoever crosses the line first.  A few times I've seen 
the race over message then beat the 2nd placed car to the 
line and still came in second.  Seems silly.  On the 
other hand, I've been about to 'your car is wrecked' mode 
and finished in the points because th computer has 
finished the race.  Odd.

Sorry to winge, I still seriously LOVE this game.  But 
you've got to point out the good and the bad.  I would 
play from the interior view but I need to know what is 
just behind me.  No rearview mirror put's paid to that.  
Then again, in interior view you get all the crashing 
suprises and tight corner effect.  The game is easier 
from the distance and more exciting and harder close up.

Mark Thompson (PSXer) and I will be getting a combat 
cable soon so we can tell you how it rates as a 2 player 
game.  I'm sure it'll be good.  (Mark, you're lada is 
getting it in the grill .)

It's still a classic game IMO, but more could be done to 
make it a truly great game.  DD2 will have me in the 
front of the queue.

P.S.  'Watch where yer goan" - Anyone know who it is that 
gives you this shout (in a Scottish accent) after you 
whack them?

	Pete.
 
=========================================================
Pete Lambie           | Extension 6594       
University of Glasgow | E-mail-gkrx11@udcf.gla.ac.uk
Adam Smith Building   | W3-http://www.gla.ac.uk/~gkrx11/
'Walk tall, or baby don't walk at all' Bruce Springsteen.