Bruce Von Stiers

Do you like the Monster Truck Rallies? Do you like Demolition Derbies? How about a combination of both in a console game? Well, that is just what Ubi Soft has done. They have included both spectator events into a single game that is almost as much fun as actually participating in a real event. The title of this game is Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction. Wait a minute, you say. Isn’t there an actual event called Monster Jam? You bet! And Ubi Soft has captured the essence of the event in this game. I got a chance to play the PS2 version of the game.

In the press sheet for the game, they listed a whole bunch of selling points for you the player. It was developed by the creators of the WCW Nitro and WCW Thunder games. Over 4 million people attend Monster Jam events each year. And the television show on TNN enters of 2 million households each weekend. And if that isn’t enough, the game “combines the twisted metal of aggressive vehicular combat with the most unique racing machines on the planet!”

These racing machines that the press sheet talked about are modeled after the actual vehicles that are used in Monster Jam events. There is Grave Digger, Gunslinger, Wild Thang and several other growling, snarling Monster Trucks. The game has a total of 30 licensed Monster Trucks in it, with 30 bonus ones and 10 hidden trucks.

Eight different arenas are available for gameplay. Roam the streets of New York or Las Vegas in your truck looking for others to smash into. Hang out in the Junkyard and find out that the dogs aren’t the only hazard there.

The game has three play modes. The first is Exhibition. Here you will compete against other Monster Trucks in a single match. The second mode is Season. This is a series of Exhibition matches that make a full season of competition. The third mode is called Mini-Game. These are scaled down, yet intense, games that either have you racing against someone or doing battle.

Some cool moves that can be done while playing include wheelies, spins and jumps. Popping a wheelie might get you out of the way of an oncoming truck or could just be cool to watch. You can slide and skid in the game but be careful how hard you brake.

The game offers three play settings in both the Exhibition and Season modes. These are Points, Death Match and Cash Grab. In Death Match, you will drive and crash into other vehicles until either your truck is destroyed or, as the manual puts it, you are the “last man standing.” With Cash Grab, you will have to grab as many Maximum Destruction Cash Power-Ups that can be had in a specified amount of time. And the Points setting makes you earn a certain amount of points by destroying everything in sight.

Some of the Power Ups are Cash, Wrench and Weapons. The Cash power up gives you some needed, and well earned, cash. The Wrench power up help increase the health of your Monster Truck by about 25 percent. And the Weapons power ups are really cool. Get a Pulse Gun and shoot balls of energy at other trucks. Fire up to 100 tracer rounds at another truck with the Machine Gun power up. And the Flamer can be used to burn up the truck in front of you. But be careful to get the heck out of the way afterwards. There is also a Boost power up that gives your vehicle increased speed.

Two players can play the game. This will be done is split screen mode.

I had a lot of fun playing Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction. I have the PS2 hooked up to a VCR. The audio output from the VCR goes into a stereo which I’ve set up as a kind of surround sound system. Therefore, my office was not only cooking from the game, I had incredible sound effects bouncing off the walls. The action was hot and the sound effects were just too cool.

Check Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction out at your favorite gaming retailer. While you are at it, check out the Ubi Soft web site. This game isn’t the only cool title that they put out. Their web site is www.ubisoft.com.