Street Rod 2: The Next Generation

The Good
California dreams knew that they had a good thing in Street Rod's basic interface, so virtually nothing was altered in Street Rod 2. More and faster cars are a delight, as are the numerous new customization options. No longer are you just toying with your engine and transmission - now you must make decisions between a supercharger or fuel injection, whether you want your gear ratio to give you better top speed or acceleration, etc. The addition of a grudge night is also fun - because the races are handicapped, those slower cars are tougher to beat than ever. These changes add to the game's life and replayability, but the other changes aren't exactly improvements.

The Bad
You get three different main race types instead of two, but two of the three are practically impossible to complete, let alone win. California Dreams must have realized that the races in the first game were too easy, but they went too far in the other direction. Also adding to the frustration factor is the fact that dropping your transmission in a gear shift is far too common. I can't figure out what the problem is, since all you do to shift gears is hit the space bar. Because of these problems, the first game is actually more fun. Even if you were to master all of the race types, the game's replayability would still be low.

The Bottom Line
I'd love to see a remake of one of the Street Rod games. They have so much going for them, but they both fall short in the end. The increased depth and replayability that current technology offers would almost certainly make a remake incredibly fun. As it is, Street Rod 2 is slightly less entertaining than the original, but it might be worth your while to pick it up if you can since neither game will keep you occupied for long.

The Good
You can modify different cars and you can drag others.

The Bad
Different cars, yes, but even with the best modifications they still bite. Although they have three races two are suicide tracks. Those are the only ones you can race with pink slips.

The Bottom Line
Very cool, lets you live the street circuit with out the risk both to body and wallet.