Retro Game Review-Driver
Classic PS1 game receives high praise, except for singular flaw
Wes Huntington
Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: Arts & Entertainment
History
In the mid-1990's more competition entered into the console wars with Sega and Nintendo. A few came and went, such as Sega's Genesis add-ons 32X and Sega-CD, the Panasonic CD-i and the 3DO Multiplayer system. However, the one system that seems to have captured the imagination and money of its customers was the Sony PlayStation, which was released on Sept. 9, 1995 following a Japanese release almost a year earlier, in Dec. 1994. Sony, who by the time had made a name for itself in the electronics department (such as making CD players, VCRs and TVs) entered into a deal with Nintendo to manufacture a CD-based add-on to Nintendo's popular Super Nintendo Entertainment System. In 1993, Sony announced the SNES-CD, which was basically what it sounded like, a CD-based game attachment to the SNES.
However, in 1994, legal disputes between Nintendo and Sony over the design of the attachment led to Sony pulling out of its deal with Nintendo and hence the PlayStation was born. Credited with destroying the cartridge-based gaming industry popular with Nintendo and Sega, the PlayStation had one of the longest production runs in video game history. At 11 years of production of consoles and games, the PlayStation is second only in lifespan to the one system that started the video game craze: the Atari 2600.
"Driver"
The game was released in 1999, early on in the console's lifespan. The game focuses on Tanner, a NYPD detective gone undercover on a mission to destroy a crime syndicate operating across the country from within. After proving his driving skills to the syndicate's boss named Rufus, Tanner goes on various missions that will take him through the cities of Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles and finally back to New York City.
Good and Bad
There is only one fault with this game: Unlike the sequels that would follow in the next eight years, "Driver" does not feature on-foot action. However, the rest is excellent. The cutscenes make you feel like you are watching a crime drama-type movie and the gameplay is excellent too. The Survival mode is where the game really shines. You are the driver on the run from the police, and you have to survive as long as you can against the cops. This game mode is especially fun when you have a group of friends together and they all try to vie for the top score, especially in the town of San Francisco, where the city is known for its inclines and declines of paved roads. If you own any of the three PlayStation systems, and haven't picked this game up, do it now. The game is compatible with all three.
GRADE: A-
In the mid-1990's more competition entered into the console wars with Sega and Nintendo. A few came and went, such as Sega's Genesis add-ons 32X and Sega-CD, the Panasonic CD-i and the 3DO Multiplayer system. However, the one system that seems to have captured the imagination and money of its customers was the Sony PlayStation, which was released on Sept. 9, 1995 following a Japanese release almost a year earlier, in Dec. 1994. Sony, who by the time had made a name for itself in the electronics department (such as making CD players, VCRs and TVs) entered into a deal with Nintendo to manufacture a CD-based add-on to Nintendo's popular Super Nintendo Entertainment System. In 1993, Sony announced the SNES-CD, which was basically what it sounded like, a CD-based game attachment to the SNES.
However, in 1994, legal disputes between Nintendo and Sony over the design of the attachment led to Sony pulling out of its deal with Nintendo and hence the PlayStation was born. Credited with destroying the cartridge-based gaming industry popular with Nintendo and Sega, the PlayStation had one of the longest production runs in video game history. At 11 years of production of consoles and games, the PlayStation is second only in lifespan to the one system that started the video game craze: the Atari 2600.
"Driver"
The game was released in 1999, early on in the console's lifespan. The game focuses on Tanner, a NYPD detective gone undercover on a mission to destroy a crime syndicate operating across the country from within. After proving his driving skills to the syndicate's boss named Rufus, Tanner goes on various missions that will take him through the cities of Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles and finally back to New York City.
Good and Bad
There is only one fault with this game: Unlike the sequels that would follow in the next eight years, "Driver" does not feature on-foot action. However, the rest is excellent. The cutscenes make you feel like you are watching a crime drama-type movie and the gameplay is excellent too. The Survival mode is where the game really shines. You are the driver on the run from the police, and you have to survive as long as you can against the cops. This game mode is especially fun when you have a group of friends together and they all try to vie for the top score, especially in the town of San Francisco, where the city is known for its inclines and declines of paved roads. If you own any of the three PlayStation systems, and haven't picked this game up, do it now. The game is compatible with all three.
GRADE: A-
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