What makes the game unique is its scoring system. Crashes are rated by how much damage they cause as well as the type of collision. For example a low speed smash into the back of a car will earn less points than a high speed T-Bone. Points are only given to the aggressor of the impact. In other words, defensive driving does not pay. The ultimate scoring move is to total an opposing vehicle, reducing it to a pile of burning metal.

Gameplay is fast and furious; either you smash or get smashed into. A handbrake enables sharp turns as well as allowing you to swing the backside of your car into competitors. The right analog stick can be used to look around or behind you while driving. There is a good feeling of speed, especially if you activate the limited turbo boost function. There will be pile-ups and huge crashes that send cars spinning through the air. Cars deform in real-time as damage accumulates. Smashed doors fly open, hoods dent, and broken bumpers drag behind your vehicle. Smoke billows from damaged engines and squealing tires. It's an intense experience that certainly does its source material justice.

The meat of the single player game is the Career Mode. You travel to many courses and compete in a variety of different challenges. Demolition courses have varying goals, ranging from the traditional last man standing, racing to a certain number of points, or destroying the marked car. There are also some minigames thrown in to add even more variety. One of the first involves knocking barrels into scoring regions. You will also be challenged to jump buses, as well as to slalom events in which you drive around huge snowmen. Completing most levels unlocks new courses or vehicles.

Multiplayer is where the game really shines, as smashing your friends into pieces never ceases to be fun. You can adjust time limits, winning conditions, and the number of bots to better suit your multiplayer tastes. What's rather strange is that some courses don't allow you to adjust every variable, which limits these courses to less desirable configurations. In effect, this reduces the number of courses available to you for any given game type.

Totaled! will definitely impress everyone graphically. The game features beautiful high-resolution textures that splash the game with color and detail. Instead of the junkers that that are usually associated with a demolition derby, Totaled! allows you to choose from many beautifully rendered street racers. Each car is rendered in immaculate detail, has multiple paint jobs to choose from, and simply looks fabulous. Light reflects off their super-detailed bodies very impressively. Particle effects abound, as dirt and sparks fly everywhere.

Unfortunately, there are some problems that hamper the gameplay a bit. Starting from a stop is almost painfully slow. Driving in reverse is so slow that it's probably not even worth the trouble. While the cars do display region-specific damage, the damage meter registers only cumulative damage. This removes the age-old demolition strategy of driving in reverse to protect your engine from contact. The game is also full of many lengthy loading screens that will test the nerves of any impatient gamer.

Overall, Totaled! is definitely an entertaining game. Although there are problems, the game provides enough fun to overlook them. The shallow single-player experience is best played in short sessions; but add a couple friends to the mix and you're in for a smashing good time.

· · · PBMaX