RUSH HOUR (PSX)
Type: Arcade Racing
Developer: Clockwork Games
Publisher: Psygnosis
Number of players: 1 or 2
Rating: K-A

The title of this racing game, "Rush Hour" is misleading.  You might think
you'll be racing in rush hour traffic.  Wrong!  You might also expect some
behind-the-wheel high speed action.  Wrong again!  Rush Hour is an arcade
racing game with exceptional graphics.  Is the game "Fun" or is it
"Frustrating"?  Read on and you decide!

Driving is simple.  No shifting gears!  Steering with a standard controller
is a chore.  The vehicles steer like the bumper cars at amusement parks.
 Handling your vehicle at high-speeds is difficult.  There are 3 steering
options: Slow, Normal and Fast.  The steering is still over-responsive even
if you select the "Slow" option.

The only driving view is an overhead, Goodyear blimp view of the race.  This
view can be zoomed in or out.  The zoomed out view allows you to see more of
the track.  However, from this angle your vehicle looks like a tiny bug
zipping down the track.  There is also a rear view and camera view.  The
camera view can be scrolled to vehicles in front and behind your vehicle.  In
the One Player Mode you can view the race from a track-side camera.  These
additional views are nice but when you're racing you should be watching the
road ahead.

When you hit other race vehicles they simply glance off and keep on going.
 Parts fly off your vehicle and the damage is recorded on a bar at the bottom
of the screen.  When the bar turns completely red the race ends.

There are 8 challenging race tracks which includes country and city roads.
 The Downtown track is one of the most interesting tracks with detailed
buildings and other urban delights.

Race vehicles are available in two classes: Performance vehicles and Heavy
Metal vehicles.  Each class has 4 different vehicles.  The generic
Performance class vehicles are: Europa Tourer, Yellow Thunder, Red Flash and
Silver Bullet.  The Heavy Metal vehicles are a little more interesting.
 These include: Ranger, Dune Buggy, Jeepster and Dallas Pick-Up.  There are
also 4 additional hidden vehicles for each class.

There are three race modes: Time Trials, Single Race and Championship.  The
Championship races vary in length depending on the difficulty level you've
selected.  The Novice races are 2 laps in length on 4 tracks.  Intermediate
is 3 laps on 6 tracks.  Professional is 4 laps on 8 tracks.  You start the
race with 3 credits.  If you finish outside of Third Place you lose a credit.
 When you lose all your credits it's "Game Over".  You must finish in First
Place to progress to the next race.  Prepare to replay races over and over.

The Options Screen includes: Controller Setups (5), Difficulty (Novice,
Intermediate or Professional), Audio (Mono, Stereo, QSound and Dolby
Surround), Video (Normal, High Res and Widescreen), Checkpoints (On/Off),
Direction Icons (On/Off), and an Autosave feature.

The graphics are exceptional if you're on a sight-seeing tour.  But you're
not.  You're racing and you don't have time to look around and enjoy the
scenery.  There's a "Watch Replay" option available after you complete a
race.  This is where you can see the game's gorgeous and detailed graphics.
 The entire race is replayed via some fascinating and entertaining camera
angles.  Here you'll see beautifully rendered signs, buildings, tires
spinning, smoke from your damaged vehicle, sparks flying, and much more.
 Objects occasionally become transparent.

The soundtrack by Stu Ellis features 15 tracks of good rocking music.  You
can select your favorite music track for racing from the Audio Options
screen.

The game does support 2 players via a split screen.  You can handicap the
better player by adding a start time delay up to 30 seconds.

Bottom Line:  Great graphics.  Gameplay is frustrating due to the
over-responsive steering, lack of additional driving views, and repetitive
play to finish "First" in Championship races.  Having fun is short-lived.
 Not for hard-core racing enthusiasts.  Die-hard arcade racing fans should
rent before buying.

Street Price:  $49.99
Password:  No
Memory Card:  1-10 Blocks

Supports:  2 player split-screen
           neGcon and MadCatz analog controllers.

Graphics:  90
Sound:  90
Soundtrack:  85
Learning Curve:  Easy
Difficulty:  Medium to Hard
Controller Options:  5
Manual:  OK
Replay Value:  Moderate

FINAL SCORE:  75

=*=A Voltranic Syndicated Review=*=