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Twisted Metal 4

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Twisted Metal 4
Developer(s)989 Studios
Publisher(s)989 Studios
SeriesTwisted Metal (series)
Platform(s)PlayStation
ReleaseOctober 31, 1999
Genre(s)Vehicular combat
Mode(s)Single player, Multiplayer

Twisted Metal 4 is the fourth game in the Twisted Metal vehicular combat high selling series, released in 1999. It was the second and last attempt at the Twisted Metal series developed by then recent game company 989 Studios and was an improvement over the previous game.

The game was re-released as part of Sony Greatest Hits program.

Overview

In concept, Twisted Metal 4 is a demolition derby which permits the usage of ballistic projectiles. Players choose a vehicle and an arena—or a series of arenas in the story mode—to engage in battle with opposing drivers. A variety of weapons and upgrades are obtainable by pick-ups scattered throughout the stage. The last driver alive is the winner.

History

After a contractual dispute with the developer of the first two games in series, SingleTrac, Twisted Metal development duties were handed over to Sony's in-house development team, 989 Studios. Many fans of Twisted Metal and Twisted Metal 2 were upset at the resulting change of game play; however, new players received these titles well and they went on to become best-sellers.

Twisted Metal III and 4 are no longer considered part of the official Twisted Metal canon and their storylines are disregarded in newer games in the series.

Story

Taking a slightly different turn from the originally established plot, the game starts off by explaining the origin of Sweet Tooth and his driver as well as the debut of the Twisted Metal contest and its infamous host Calypso, all according to 989. Apparently, Twisted Metal started around the 1900's and travelled cross-country in a circus type manner that spread destruction everywhere it went. A young Needles is seen amazed by the contest and he is later inspired by the chaos it brought which causes him to run off with the traveling contest in hopes of one day being the victor. Apparently Calypso has a ring which steals the souls of those who died in the contest and with each soul he gains more strength and youth.

Sweet Tooth eventually wins and wishes to be the star of the contest. Calypso gives him his wish making Sweet Tooth as powerful as himself and Sweet Tooth is venerated by his chaotic prowess. However, as the years of the long running contest passed, Sweet Tooth became envious of Calypso's place as MC, initiated a coup d'etat and became the new MC of the contest.

Game features

Though ostensibly similar to the previous games in gameplay, Twisted Metal 4 features new additions that remained in the game alone.

  • Smart weapons: The weapon technology in Twisted Metal 4 allowed tactical attacking as players could pick up rockets that fired smaller homing missiles, remote freeze bombs and additional napalm weapons.
  • Save game: Twisted Metal 4 utilized the memory card save and load option with ease over its predecessor, allowing players to save up to thirty car-campaigns.
  • Create-A-Car: Twisted Metal 4 was and remains to date the only home-console car combat game to utilize a Create-A-Car mode in which players could make their own car they could save and use in combat.

Characters

Playable Characters: Orbital a super-spy driving a super car, with half of his face badly damaged and scarred.Weapon: Teleorb

Pizza Boy a white-rapper pizza delivery boy by the name of Connor Nazang driving a modified pizza delivery hatch-back.Weapon: Blades

Captain Grimm a deceased, skeletal pirate driving a pirate ship car.Weapon: Cannon

Calypso, the de-throned master of Twisted Metal on a Soviet mobile missile truck.Weapon: Nuke

Meter Maid an attractive young female police officer by the name of Zanita Corbett in a meter car.Weapon: Enegry Ray

Goggle Eyes a first rate chemist on an exterminator van.Weapon: Greentox

Quatro a four armed alien driving a hover-cycle.Weapon: Microwave

Gen. Warthog a victorious World War I veteran on a World War I tank.Weapon: ION Blast

Micro Blast an ex-circus performer on a life-size Toy car.Weapon: Catillinger

Trash Man a huge, childish garbage man driving a garbage truck.Weapon: Lifter

The Joneses a family of obnoxious tourists driven by couple Ralph & Meg in a luggage bound station wagon.Weapon: Hornets

Drag Queen an obscenely large professional drag racer and cross-dresser known as Dennis 'Petunia' Flanders in a Funny car.Weapon: Flames

Mr. Zombie, an evil zombified rendition of Rob Zombie.Weapon: Zombie

Crusher mobile scrap crushing vehicle.Weapon: Crush

Moon Buggy a long, six-wheeled moon trekker with a large clam-shell cock-pit.Weapon: Quasers

Super Thumper modified luxury car/lowrider.Weapon: MegaFire

RC Car life-size remote control car with a huge laser gun attached to the top.Weapon: Ray Gun

Super Axel Axel from Twisted Metal 2 in an armored version of Daddy's Revenge.Weapon: Supernova

Super Auger Auger from Twisted Metal III, a crane cab with an oil drill on the front.Weapon: Auger

Super Slamm Mr. Slamm from Twisted Metal 2 in a bulldozer.Weapon: Loader

Minion a modified war tank.Weapon: Serpent

Sweet Tooth a psychotic clown driving an armored/modified ice cream truck.Weapon: Henchmen

Reception

The game was panned by critics and fans, though it did review more favorable reviews than its predecessor Twisted Metal III. It has an average score of 69% at Game Rankings.

Many Twisted Metal fans sites do not even support the game (and Twisted Metal III), namely Twisted Metal Alliance which started in protest of the game even going as far as setting up a petition against 989 Studios and potentially Sony which was later ended when Incognito Entertainment was put in charge of developing Twisted Metal: Black.

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