Twisted Metal

Screenshot of Twisted Metal: Black.

Twisted Metal is a vehicular combat series made for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PSP. The series is published by Sony and developed by the game studio Incognito Entertainment.

It is the longest-running PlayStation-exclusive franchise.

Overview

File:Calypso in Twisted Metal 2 Intro.jpg

Calypso in Twisted Metal 2

In concept, Twisted Metal 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.

Although each individual game features its own storyline, they all revolve around the same basic theme: a man named Calypso hosts a vehicular combat tournament called Twisted Metal with the promise of granting the winner one wish. There is a general "be careful what you wish for" theme, as many of the contestants wind up with not-so-happy endings. The games in the series usually contain a healthy dose of black humor.

Twisted Metal and Twisted Metal 2: World Tour (1995/1996)

Format: PlayStation, PC

The first two Twisted Metal games were developed by SingleTrac. Twisted Metal 2 is regarded by most fans as the best game in the series and in general as a PlayStation classic. After developing these two games, along with WarHawk and the first two games in the Jet Moto series, SingleTrac left Sony and signed with GT Interactive, using their Twisted Metal game engine to develop other vehicular combat games such as Critical Depth and Rogue Trip.

An IBM PC version of Twisted Metal 2 exists. It features slightly cut-down graphics compared to the Playstation version (minor details of some levels disappeared) but it doesn't require a 3D accelerator video card and plays well on weak computers. It also features multiplayer over a modem line or Internet.

Twisted Metal characters:

Crimson Fury

Red Lamborghini-type sports car driven by Agent Stone, who fights to obtain a certain object. His special is a weak red laser with no homing capabilities. While his car is the fastest, it also has the least armor.

Darkside

Black semi-truck driven by the mysterious Mr. Ash, who is fighting to get back his demon that Calypso stole. Although Darkside has formidable size and armor, his special weapon, a white laser similar to Crimson Fury's, is relatively weak.

Hammerhead

Green monster truck Stolen by two high-school dropouts named Dave & Mike. Their special attack is triggered automatically upon driving over the intended victim's vehicle. Although Hammerhead is slow, the armor is above average and it handles decently.

Minion

Armored battle tank driven by a demon A.K.A Marcus kane who was the winner of the previous Twisted Metal contest. Minion is a non-playable boss character unless a third-party cheat code is entered. His special weapon consists of all the specials in the game. He is the Final Boss of Twisted Metal 1.

Mr. Grimm

Black motorcycle driven by the Grim Reaper himself. Grimm's special, a skull with no homing capabilities, is the most devastating in the game. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to recharge and Mr. Grimm's armor is practically nonexistent.

Outlaw

Police car driven by an Sgt. Roberts who wishes to put an end to this tournament. His special is an electric tazer that hits anything nearby. Often regarded as one of the best cars, it is suggested that he is the winner of the contest.

Pit Viper

Dune buggy driven by Angela Fortin, a woman with a mysterious past who is competing to win a quarter of a million dollars in cash. Her weapon is a green acid blob which does a good amount of damage.

Roadkill

Armored, scraped-together, 4-wheeled vehicle driven by Captain Spears, a South American War veteran who enters the contest hoping to go back and save the friends he lost in combat. His special is a rusted spear that shoots straight out for decent damage.

Spectre

White Corvette-like sports car driven by a man competing to become "whole" again. His weapon is a ghost missile, which can go through walls and other things to reach its target.

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Sweet Tooth as he appeared in Twisted Metal: Black

Sweet Tooth

Ice cream truck driven by homicidal clown Needles Kane, who is on a quest to find his lost friend. His vehicle throws out flaming ice cream cones, one of the strongest special weapons in the game.

Thumper

Pink lowrider driven by Bruce Cochrane, who seeks to stop the violence in his neighborhood. His special weapon is a flamethrower.

Warthog

Military vehicle driven by army commander Mason determined to capture something for the government. His weapon is a triplet of homing missiles known as the Patriot Missiles.

Yellow Jacket

Taxi driven by Charlie Kane, an old man looking for his son whom he lost 20 years ago. His special weapon, similar to Sweet Tooth's, is flaming molotov cocktails.

Twisted Metal 2 characters

Axel: Strange two-wheeled contraption which Axel is sealed in many years by now, who wants to confront his father (the one who sealed Axel). His special is a shockwave that knocks the opponent up into the air, leaving them vulnerable.

Dark Tooth: The final boss of Twisted Metal 2 in the Hong Kong level. Dark Tooth is a gigantic black ice cream truck which is rumored to be driven by Charlie Kane. He rises out of the sewers of Hong Kong for brutal revenge for the surviving car's actions and challenges the survivor to one last battle. He has several specials, including Dual Homing Napalm Cone Missiles, Clown Ricochet Bombs, and the Flaming Headbut, as well as two different forms. Dark Tooth can be unlocked as a playable character using a third-party cheat system, however, this may cause major glitches to the PS1. He is easily playable in the PC version of the game, but in both the PC and PS1 versions, he is playable only as the truck without his flaming head. The playable version is unable to use specials; the truck will also obstruct the player's view of the level making the playable Dark Tooth less than rewarding. However, Dark Tooth can easily ram his enemies to death.

Grasshopper: Dune buggy driven by Krista Sparks, a teenager looking to find her father. Her special is the Bodyslam; she jumps up and crashes into opponents from above. This will cause some damage to herself as well unless a shield is utilized simultaneously.

Hammerhead: Monster truck driven by Mike and Stu, two punks looking for the power to fly. Similar to Hammerhead in Twisted Metal 1, the special deals damage to any car that the monster truck drives over.

Minion: Boss of the Amazonia stage. Armored tank driven by a dark demon on a mission for revenge against Calypso. He has a unique special: a combination of three missiles and a Freeze Blast, which makes him the second most powerful car in the game behind Dark Tooth. Minion can be accessed as a playable character this time around. Even without his special, his monsterous armor could crush the others.

Mr. Grimm: Red motorcycle with sidecar driven once again by the Grim Reaper, this time with a great hunger to feast upon human souls. His special is the Screaming Soul, which fires a bloody skull straight ahead. The skull has no homing capabilities and takes a long time to recharge. Regardless, it is one of the most powerful special attacks in Twisted Metal 2.

Mr. Slam: Payloader with a grapple fork driven by Simon Whittlebone, a former engineer who dreams of building the tallest tower in the world. His special causes the crane in front of the vehicle to raise, and then slam onto the ground. Any cars within the crane's range when it slams into the ground are then grabbed and slammed twice before getting tossed away. Big cars (such as Minion) cannot be picked up and will be instantly tossed away instead

Outlaw 2: Police car driven by a female officer searching for her brother, the original Outlaw, who disappeared in last year's contest. Her special is a lightning taser which grabs any nearby cars and lifts them up into the air. A missed taser does not grab any enemies; instead, it rotates around Outlaw's vehicle uselessly before disappearing.

Roadkill: Orange scraped-together car driven by Marcus Kane, a homeless man convinced that the world is one big nightmare. His special features a boomerang that is unique in that, if there are no enemies near when the boomerang is fired, it returns to Roadkill; the special will remain fully charged. In addition, a return-trip boomerang does triple the damage.

Shadow: Hearse driven by Mortimer, a mysterious man seeking revenge for his even more mysterious clients. His special sends out a Soul Shadow, which can be detonated similar to a Remote Bomb.

Spectre: White sports car (1960s Corvette) driven by a man with dreams of fame and fortune. Similar to the first Twisted Metal, Spectre features a ghost missile with unparalleded homing abilities as its special.

Sweet Tooth: The ice cream truck driven by the ever-psychotic Needles Kane is back for more! His special is the Napalm Cone, which features cones that bounce up and down in a sine wave-type pattern.

Thumper: Pink lowrider with a white hood driven once more by Bruce Cochrane, who is now fighting for himself. His special, a flamethrower, is arguably the strongest special in TM2.

Twister: Formula One car driven by Amanda Watts, who has a great desire for superspeed. While the fastest car in the game, Twister also has the lightest armor and takes a lot more damage than many other cars. Her special is the Tornado Twist; it's difficult to use, but once an enemy gets caught, there is no way to escape.

Warthog: Military Humvee driven by a 105-year-old army general who wishes for youth. His special is again the Patriot Missiles, three missiles which turn into fireballs at a distance.

Twisted Metal III(1998)

Main Article: Twisted Metal III

Twisted Metal III characters

Auger: Yellow construction vehicle with a large drill driven by Buster Cobb, a man who is fed up with the Twisted Metal contestants ruining his buildings. His special is a drill that drills into opponents and then throws them away.

Axel: Strange two-wheeled contraption whose driver wishes to become one with his machine forever. His special is the Super Nova Shockwave, which shocks his opponents and sends them into the air.

Club Kid: Smiley face-covered Mini Cooper whose driver loves to party all the time. His special is the Vortex, which sucks in opponents and deals damage when it explodes.

Firestarter: Hot-rod complete with a flame paintjob, driven by the pyromaniac Damien Coles. His weapon is, of course, a flamethrower.

Flower Power: Hippy car driven by environmentalist Amber Rose. Amber is tired of the Twisted Metal contest endangering the environment and has entered the contest to stop it once and for all. Her special is the Flower of Power, which seeks out her opponents and delivers a blast.

Mr. Grimm: Red motorcycle with sidecar driven once again by the Grim Reaper, who is seeking to win Calypso's soul. His special is a head launched out in front of his vehicle.

Hammerhead: Red monster truck (Jeep CJ) driven by Granny Dread, whose neighborhood was destroyed during the last Twisted Metal competition. Her special is called the Ram which, when activated, lurches the car forward and into any opponents in her way.

Outlaw: Police car driven by both of the car's previous drivers, brother and sister police officers who plan to put an end to Calypso. The car's special is the Omni Taser, which zaps and sends anyone within range into the air.

Roadkill: Scraped-together car driven again by Marcus Kane. He competes to crawl into the forest and frolic with the wildebeests. His special is the Spike Bomb, which arcs out from the front. It has no homing capabilities.

Spectre: Blue Dodge Viper driven by self-proclaimed ladies' man Lance Wylder. His Special is the Ghost Missile, which goes through anything.

Sweet Tooth: Ice cream truck driven by the psychotic clown Needles Kane, who competes to have all the candy and ice cream. His special is a head that shoots out in front of his car and can be detonated. Sweet Tooth is a playable character by cheat code: Left, Left, Left, Right, Right.

Thumper: Purple lowrider driven by Bruce Cochrane, who competes to hang with his homies. His weapon is a sonic blast that blares hip-hop and sends his enemies skidding away from him.

Warthog: Military Humvee driven by the 107-year-old Captain Rogers who wishes for the head of a 20-year-old. His special is the Patriot Missiles, which features red, white, and blue homing missiles. Stating by what Calypso says in the ending, this is the same Warthog from TM2.

Bosses

Darkside: Boss of the Washington, D.C. stage. Black semi-truck driven by Mr. Ash, it is said that he returned from Hell and is out for blood. His special is a freeze/flamethrower combo. Darkside is a non-playable character unless a third-party cheat is utilized. The truck is surprisingly fast for its size, unlike Darkside from the first Twisted Metal which is rather slow in comparison.

Minion: Boss of the London stage. Green armored tank driven by a large demon who wants to spend the rest of eternity in Hell and get revenge on Calypso, whom he apparently has been hunting down for several years. His special is the same as it was in TM2, consisting of three missiles accompanied by a freeze. Like in previous games, it is a very powerful vehicle and is the second most powerful weapon after Primeval. Minion is playable by cheat code: Right, Right, Right, Left, Left.

Primeval: Boss of the final battle at the blimp. Large off-road vehicle driven by a mysterious driver seemingly in a mummy costume covered in mud, he is sent by Calypso as a final attempt to destroy you. His special involves Mr. Grimm's and (x2) Roadkill's special which sounds like spirits of the dead. Primeval is a non-playable character except by using a third-party cheat. He is the most formidable and powerful character in the game, as is reflected by his stats. He is the only character so far who has yet to be accesed as a playable character in any future Twisted Metal series.

Reception

Twisted Metal III has revieved PLENTY of bad reviews.

Twisted Metal 4 (1999)

Main Article: Twisted Metal 4

Format: PlayStation

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989 Studios logo

After a contractual dispute with SingleTrac, Twisted Metal development duties were handed over to Sony's in-house development team, 989 Studios. The Twisted Metal titles developed by 989 Studios were fundamentally different, as the code base was completely rewritten. Sony introduced advanced physics simulation and AI techniques to the series. 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 4 improved upon the shortcomings of Twisted Metal III as was reflected in trade reviews.

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.

Twisted Metal 4 characters

Orbital: McLaren F1 car, driven by a man seeking to have the grotesque half of his face restored. Orbital's special is the Teleorb. It electrifies enemies then freezes anyone near the blast. He wishes "to be just like everyone else".

Pizza Boy: Blue Honda Civic, driven by a street racer who wishes to have the fastest car. Sends out two giant pizza saw blades called Pizza Cutters.

Capt. Grimm: Pirate ship car driven by a skeletal figure who wants the soul of Sweet Tooth. Although it is not clearly stated, this driver may possibly be the Grim Reaper (aka Mr. Grimm). Of course, with the pirate style, comes the Cannon special.

Calypso: The host of the Twisted Metal tournaments is finally playable. He aims to reclaim his tournament from Sweet Tooth. Calypso employs a powerful nuclear missile called Nuke, which must be detonated near his opponents.

Quatro: Robotic bounty hunter looking to claim his targets: Capt. Grimm, Mr. Zombie, Calypso and Sweet Tooth. Quatro sends out a pulse of microwave radiation around his hoverbike that severely damages opponents. Similar to Axel's special in the previous Twisted Metal tournaments.

Goggle Eyes: An exterminator who hopes to find a means to contain all bugs, in order to kill them. Sprays green toxic acid that causes, on contact, massive damage.

Meter Maid: Plans to give Sweet Tooth a "surprise". Although somewhat weak, she makes up for it with her Energy Ray, which releases an energy circumference that syphons an opponent's health unto her own.

Gen. Warthog: Aims to command the perfect undefeatable army. Warthog plants a marker, which initializes an ion satellite and later activates a powerful ion blast.

Microblast: Wind-up car driven by an angry leprechaun, who doesn't want to be looked down on anymore (literally). Microblast engages a series of rapidfire speed missiles, called the Gatlinger. Similar to the Speed missile.

Trashman: Wants a world filled with garbage. Using large hydraulic arms, Trashman picks up and slams his opponents repeatedly onto spikes mounted on his roof.

The Joneses: This dysfunctional family launches three Hornet Missiles, which seek out targets.

Drag Queen: Driven by psychotic crossdresser, Dennis "Petunia" Flanders, who wishes to reach "her" dream. Flamethrower projects forward from the car's grille and sets opponent on fire. Almost similar to Thumper's Specials in the previous Twisted Metal tournaments.

Mr. Zombie: The strange and mysterious Rob Zombie (who also wrote some of the music for TM4), fires a spinning skull called Zombie, which draws enemies in as it electrifies, then explodes at its final stage.

Crusher: Boss of the Construction Yard. Driven by an unknown driver who works in the Construction Yard, Crusher is a vehicle with a powerful crushing apparatus on the front, although Crusher is slow. Cursher's special called the Crusha, is somewhat familiar to Super Slamm's.

Moon Buggy: Boss of Neon City. This mysterious driver who is chilling out in the city possesses one of the most powerful specials in the game: Quasars, three taser-like energy blasts that swirl you around. They home in on enemies and are capable of going through walls.

RC Car: Boss of The Bedroom. Another unknown driver that comes and confronts you by ruining the drivers bedroom, whose vehicle, despite its somewhat small size, can go head to head with Minion and other heavily-armored vehicles. Uses the special Ray Gun.

Super Thumper: Boss of Road Rage. This souped-up Thumper is driven by the driver in TM2, (along with the other returning characters-turned SUPER bosses) he retains his TM2 weapon, but now he's got a Megafire. it shoots out TWO flamethrowers.

Super Axel: Boss of Amazonia 3000 B.C. The driver is unknown and confronts you for playing in his place. Retains Axel's usual Supernova special and now also sets his enemies on fire.

Super Auger: Boss of The Oil Rig, who works with his friend, Super Slam. (1 of 2). Returning from TM3, Auger possesses a much more damaging Auger special.

Super Slam: Boss of The Oil Rig (2 of 2). Returning from TM2 with his friend, Mr. Slam also possesses a more powerful version of his Loader special.

Minion: The demon is back from hell as the boss of Minion's Maze.Special is called Serpent. Shoots a freeze attack & two missiles that can be set on fire. The Serpent makes a comeback in Twisted Metal: Black.

Sweet Tooth: Boss of The Carnival and new master of the Twisted Metal tournament. Driver is Needles Kane. Sweet Tooth's special, Henchmen, keeps homing in even if you teleport, etc.

Custom Car: Now for the first time, you can create your own car.

Specials:

1. Funny Bomb: similar to a Mortar, except it does more damage.
2. Laser: shoots a laser, much like RC Car's, except it is not as powerful.
3. Twintorchers: Shoots two long ranged homing torchers that only does low damage.
4. Detnoball: It can be detnoated at any time once it fires, and shoots up like a Mortar.

Twisted Metal: Black (2001)

Format: PlayStation 2

After developing several non-Twisted Metal vehicular combat games for GT Interactive, a large number of SingleTrac employees left the company to form the gaming studio Incognito Entertainment and signed with Sony. Naturally, Sony offered them the opportunity to develop a new Twisted Metal title and their first game was Twisted Metal: Black for PS2.

The game is much darker in atmosphere and style than previous games, and it is the first (and to date, only) game in the series to receive a Mature rating due to its content. The designers have stated that the two main sources of inspiration for the atmosphere and storylines were Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs. Although Black takes place in an alternate universe and therefore is not a true sequel to Twisted Metal 2 upsetting a lot of fans, it nevertheless won over some critics. However, the more mature content that some of the endings contained led to the removal of the FMV sequences from the European version, upsetting many of the European fans as well, which was reflected by poor sales in Europe.

Characters

Yellow Jacket: A beat-up taxi whose special is homing spikes that fire from all sides. Driven by Charlie Kane and his son; both were in a taxi one night when the passenger had a gun and shot Charlie. His son watched as his dad died, but then he got an idea. He created a remote that let his dad "live" again as a puppet-zombie. Calypso says when they win this contest, he will make things "all better."

Axel: A man blinded by pain and suffering over the murder of his wife. One day, at the park, Axel's wife went missing, and then days later her body was mailed to him, in pieces. Now he seeks revenge. Axel's two-wheeled vehicle has been equipped with an electrified ring that damages anything close. Axel's special, performed by pressing Up three times in succession, causes the vehicle to become like a monster truck wheel which can ram opponents.

Junkyard Dog: A simple farmer whose life was changed one day. Examining the corn on his farm, a plane let loose a toxic cloud killing all the crop, and nearly him. He woke up hours later to find out himself deformed from the chemicals. In panic, he rushed to his wife Annie, whom he thought would help. But she had other plans. When the farmer saw Annie with the pilot that tried to kill him, he went mad and grabbed the closest thing he could. He took his rage out on his wife and beat her to death. The pilot ran away, and it is revenge upon him that Junkyard Dog seeks. Junkyard Dog's special launches a spiked ball from the back of his tow-truck.

Brimstone: A once-holy evangelist who, one night, was asked to perform an exorcism, but the demon inside the baby was too powerful and infected the preacher. The demon inside him took control, killing everyone in the church that night. As soon as the cops came, the demon hid itself, leaving the preacher to take the blame for those killings. He enters the contest, knowing Calypso will reveal the truth about that awful night... Brimstone's special is one of his maniacal followers chained with explosives. Launch one near a car to have him make the ultimate sacrifice.

Road Kill: A man whose life is a total blank. All he has to help him remember are his tattoos and the visions he has. From the bits and pieces he has seen, he may not want to be who he was. Road Kill has an attack weapon that must be charged. The longer it is held, the more missiles it launches. Holding too long causes a backfire and a waste of a special. Up to six missiles can be launched, and the missiles can blink five times before turning into a more powerful version of themselves.

Crazy 8: A driver whose name suits him, No-Face. He was a small-time boxer who, one night, went against a beast of a man. Before he could even block, he was taken down. Because of his low income and cash on hand, he went to a doctor who was a fan of his fights. But the doctor was angry because he bet on him to win. No-Face went under and only remembered the opera music the doc played while he worked. While he was under, the doctor cut out his eyes and tongue and sewed his eyes and mouth shut. Now he wants revenge on the doc, to make him pay a lot more than just the money he lost. Crazy 8 has an electrical attack, which shocks anyone near. Tapping one directional button (up/down/left/right) 3 times will give the special a bit more juice (but only on enemies in that direction).

Spectre: Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Every time one of her friends would get married, she'd go nuts. At one wedding, she went so crazy that she stabbed the bride. She thinks that she is the most beautiful bride she has ever laid eyes on, and she will find a man who agrees, even if she has to go through every last one. Spectre's special is a ghost missile that can fly through anything. If you see a red target on your car, run, because hiding won't help...

Darkside: The mask hides Dollface's true emotions. She worked at a doll shop and spilled coffee on her boss' tax forms, causing him to lock her face inside a mask. Calypso has the key and she wants it, even if means going through other crazy people. Darkside's special suits her personality. It can go at breakneck speeds in an instant, ramming through anything it wants. Don't let her get near you, unless you think you can drive half a car.

Shadow: A goth girl named Raven who lost her best friend, Kelly, when two delinquents decided to see "if a witch can swim." She couldn't, and Raven couldn't swim either. Kelly's last words were, "You get those s, you make them pay." When Raven wins, those two boys are going to feel the pain she has felt since her friend's death. Shadow's special is the soul shadow, which explodes on command or on contact. Shadow's second special, performed by pressing Up three times in succession, causes her to pop out of the roof of the hearse with a machine gun.

Outlaw: A police SUV driven by an ex-police officer who was fired after botching a hostage rescue situation. His wish is to go back to that event, this time doing it right. Outlaw's special attack is similar to Shadow's second special. But if a red targeting taser appears when Outlaw is near an enemy, repeatedly pressing the Fire button will unleash an onslaught of blue homing missiles.

Mr. Grimm: A motorcycle driven by a U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War, him and his comrade/friend were captured during the war. Their captor enjoyed torture through starvation, and the captor allowed Mr. Grimm's injured friend to die from his wounds. The captor gives Mr. Grimm the option of eating his friend or starving to death. He regretably eats his friend and wears his skull as a mask. He became seriously traumatized to the point of madness from this event and developed a hunger for flesh. He wishes to win the tournament to get revenge on the captor that let his friend die and forced him to eat his friend. His special attack is a scythe that he throws from his vehicle. It has no homing capabilities.

Sweet Tooth: The story of Sweet Tooth is long and bloody. A serial killer who loves to open someone's body, Sweet Tooth was known and feared as the "Ice Cream Killer" because of his trademark Ice Cream truck. After killing dozens of victims, Sweet Tooth was finally caught. On the night he was supposed to fry, Brimstone was there. He wasn't there to try to save his soul, but instead, wanted to have God curse him. The instant he started frying, his head burst into flames. And ever since then, the pain gets worse and worse. If he wins this contest, Calypso will let him get the revenge he wants and a cure for the curse. Sweet Tooth's special has reached new heights. His ice cream truck turns into a massive robot and fires a series of 20 missiles, similar to that of the Zoomy weapon, with slight homing capabilities, and a bonus if at least 10 of the 20 missiles hit their target. He also has a very secret secondary special where he uses an attack similar to his special in the first twoTwisted Metal games, except he shoots three large homing candy bombs all at once, instead of just one.

Minion: A massive tanker truck (the largest car in the game, in fact) driven by Marcus Kane, who believes he is living in the mind of Sweet Tooth. His special is the most powerful in the game, shooting several homing fireballs as well as a flamethrower which can easily destroy a car if the whole flamethrower hits.

Tanker: Like a miniature Minion. The driver is unknown. The tankers are probalbly on Warhawk's side. Tanker is a non playable character, using a Third Party Cheat System may also not even unlock him, in fact, Minion is stronger.

Warhawk: A huge helicopter in the final showdown, flown by a mysterious man; seems to be a member of the police agency trying to put a stop to the massacre. Also said to be a friend of Outlaw. He is non playable. It is unknown that using a Game shark will unlock both Tanker or Warhawk, besides,Tanker is weaker then Minion but Warhawk flies and has a shield, so for sure he is a never unlocking character because they have to reprogram all of his abilities, in fact, it could be impossible by doing all of that, the Tanker's could be part of a control of Warhawk if playing as him, maybe or not, who knows.

Warthog: An armored SUV equipped with treads driven by a deranged serial killer named Cage. He wishes to be the best killer there ever was, but is hindered by a huge "flaw" - he feels remorse for his victims. Calypso promises to remove the part of his brain that exudes this emotion if he wins the contest. The car's special is a streaming flamethrower which causes immense damage to those caught in its path; it is moderately short-range.

Manslaughter: A dump truck driven by the mysterious Black. Very little is known about him, he is really a demon from hell and was built with a human body that was built by other demons to make him win the contest (it is said that one of the demons is Mr. Ash, the first driver of Darkside). He desires to kill Calypso and, in turn, most likely end the Twisted Metal tournament. His special allows him to dump rocks on opponents causing serious damage. It's also able to be rear-fired.

Twisted Metal: Small Brawl (2001)

Format: PlayStation

Instead of delivering a PS2 follow-up to Twisted Metal: Black, Incognito took an unexpected turn and developed Twisted Metal: Small Brawl for the original PlayStation, a Twisted Metal aimed at a younger audience that featured radio-controlled toy cars instead of full-size vehicles.

Characters

Sweet Tooth: This mischievous kid enters the Twisted Metal tournament for a little ice cream. Special involves Ricochet Ice Cream Pops.

Twister: The only girl in the tournament, Twister has entered for a breathtaking rush of speed. Special involves a tornado which collects cars as you drive, throwing them against a wall causing major damage.

Darkside: A mysterious kid named Jimmy Ash that enters the contest for unknown reasons. Unlocked in Easy Death Oven. Special involves ramming into other cars while building momentum.

Thumper: Two hip kids wish for a new stereo system. Special involves 3 base shockwaves that bounce against anything.

Warthog: A child who wants to have a war with Calypso. Special involves 3 missiles that lock on the closest vehicle.

Axel: Unknown controller that enters the contest for just showing the skills of a master at a 2 wheel combat. Unlocked in Playground Peril. Special is not a shockwave like in other Twisted Metal games, but instead shoots a non-homing missile. If the missile hits an enemy, Axel spins out of control and launches more of the same missile, except these are homing.

Spectre: A kid who wishes to find his long-lost father. Special involves 3 ghost missiles that can go through walls and other objects. He is going to find out a link between this and previous contests.

Mr. Grimm: A boy who wants to live in a world where every day is Halloween. Special involves 2 molotov pumpkins. Extremely powerful.

Crimson Fury: Young Agent Stone wishes to become a secret agent for England. Special involves 3 burning paper airplanes.

Shadow: Mortimer is a nerd who wishes for his frog. Special involves explosive Grim Reaper.

Slam: Young construction kid who wishes to get revenge on Calypso. Special uses claw to smash opponents. If claw doesn't make contact with an enemy, it emits a small shockwave.

Mime: An actress that loves mimicking the others in the contest. Character unlocked in Holiday Havoc. Special copies ANY car currently in the level. At top of screen, it will say "_____ special acquired." Can change special by switching between weapons.

Outlaw: A wannabe police officer who wants stop Caylpso and his bullying ways. Special is a taser.

Hammerhead: A kid whose biggest dream is to become a rockstar. When activated, Hammerhead's special causes his tires to gain spikes and more speed. Hitting an opponent will cause great damage.

PieceMeal: A car made from pieces of the other contestant's cars. Boss of Now Slaying. Special involves the attacks from the other Twisted Metal vehicles.

Trapper:Controlled by a jungleboy. Boss of Minigolf Mayhem. Special involves using Barrel of Monkeys monkeys to attack enemies. As the monkeys hit other objects, they multiply.

Levels

Playground Peril: A medium-sized map. Take advantage of the army men with explosives on this map.

Carn o'Maul: A map filled with many boobytraps.

Easy Death Oven: A kitchen full of traps and many ways to die if you're careless.

MiniGolf Mayhem': Feel like a game of mini golf? Once all enemies are dead, sections of the level are sealed off and the boss, Trapper, appears.

Meat your Maker: A level with a deadly saw belt.

Gridiron Gore: An empty field where the only trap is the lawn mower that goes around the field aimlessly. Good for a lot of cars to roam around.

TreeTop Rumble: A Fun little level. Basically a square where in the center you will fall and bounce back up to the other side.

Now Slaying: Final level. An empty movie theater with chairs and a huge screen that basically shows what you see. Every time you kill an enemy here, Piecemeal will spawn. His special consists of the cars that are used to make him up (including yours and the cars you defeated). After lowering his health by ¼, he will disappear as the other cars respawn.

Twisted Metal: Black Online (2002)

Format: PlayStation 2

Simply an online version of Twisted Metal: Black, a free copy could be obtained by mailing in a card that came packaged with the PS2 online Network Adapter. After Sony stopped offering the disc, it was later included in subsequent reissues of Twisted Metal: Black on Greatest Hits, in a 2-disc set.

Twisted Metal: Head-On (2005)

Format: PlayStation Portable

Despite the return of SingleTrac/Incognito with 2001's Twisted Metal: Black, they still had yet to deliver a true sequel to Twisted Metal 2. With the PSP, Incognito created a game that picks up where Twisted Metal 2 left off. Twisted Metal: Head-On is, for all intents and purposes, the "real" Twisted Metal 3. Utilizing the Twisted Metal: Black game engine but taking place in Twisted Metal 2's universe, Head-On combines aspects of the two most highly-regarded games in the series. It's the first game in the series to ship fully online-enabled.

Music in Twisted Metal

Beginning with Twisted Metal III, various music artists and bands have been brought in for each game's soundtrack. One such person was singer Rob Zombie, who contributed songs to both Twisted Metal III and Twisted Metal 4, and is even a playable character in the latter. Music from the game disk can also be played on a CD player or in a computer.

Track listing of Twisted Metal III by use:

Main Menu Screen: Unknown - "Generic Rock Song 1"
Hollywood: Rob Zombie - "Superbeast"
Washington, D.C.: Pitchshifter - "Microwaved"
Hangar 18: Pitchshifter - "W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G."
North Pole: White Zombie - "Rob Zombie Christmas Theme (More Human Than Human)"
London: Unknown - "Metallica London Theme (Fuel)"
Tokyo: Pitchshifter - "Innit"
Egypt: Unknown - "Valley Of The Kings"
Blimp: Rob Zombie - "Meet The Creeper"

Track listing of Twisted Metal 4 by use:

Introduction Video: One Minute Silence - "South Central"
Main Menu Screen: One Minute Silence - "A More Violent Approach (instrumental)"
Construction Site: Rob Zombie - "Dragula (Hot Rod Herman Mix)"
Neon City: Cirrus - "Time's Running Out"
Road Rage: Cypress Hill - "Lightning Strikes"
Sweet Tooth’s Bedroom: Ghoulspoon - "Alien Magnet"
Amazonia 3000 B.C.: Skold - "Chaos"
The Oil Rig: One Minute Silence - "And Some Ya Lose"
Minion’s Maze: Rob Zombie - "Superbeast (Remix)"
The Carnival: White Zombie - "Grease Paint and Monkey Brains"

Competition

Twisted Metal is often compared to other vehicular combat games, such as Vigilante 8, Carmageddon, Rogue Trip, Full Auto and 187 Ride or Die.

News

In November 2006, reports in the latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly say that a new Twisted Metal has been in development for Playstation 3 and PS2 which will feature huge online worlds and other features including Krista Sparks (a.k.a. Grasshopper) as a boss.

Trivia

Twisted Metal 2 can be seen in an episode of Friends, with Joey and Ross battling it out on the Paris level.

Twisted Metal III can be seen in the (1999) movie Big Daddy as Julian is playing. Julian is playing as Sweet Tooth in the Washington Level before Sonny makes him turn it off.

Twisted Metal III can also be seen in the (2000) movie Bring It On. Torrance's brother, Justin, is playing while Torrance is trying to get ahold of her boyfriend. As Justin makes his snippy comments, Torrance takes out her frustration on Justin's PS1, ruining his game.

Twisted Metal Head On and Twisted Metal Small Brawl are the only games in the series which do not feature Minion as a boss or as a playable character.

Mr. Grimm, Warthog and Sweet Tooth are the only characters that are featured in every Twisted Metal game.

Thumper, Outlaw, Spectre, and Axel have been featured in all except one Twisted Metal Game. Thumper does not appear in Twisted Metal: Black, Outlaw and Spectre do not appear in Twisted Metal 4, and Axel does not appear in Twisted Metal 1.