SORE THUMBS - Video Game Review (PS)
Dukes of Hazzard - "Just the Good 'Ol Boys"
by Eric Schofield

For those of you from my generation (30 and above), you will fondly recall the television series that took you back to simpler times. Bo & Luke Duke running around like bandits in a simple country town. Reliable friends with names like Cooter who were always there to back you up. Back then, I didn’t know of a single boy that didn’t have a crush on Daisy Duke.

All these fond memories were still fresh in my mind as I began our evaluation of The Dukes of Hazzard which happens to be from a Cary based company called Southpeak Interac-tive. I must alert you that The Dukes of Hazzard is a very different game than Gran Turismo 2 which we reviewed in our first 2 issues. GT2 was a pure driving simulation, The Dukes of Hazzard is a “game.”

Typically, intros for racing games are quite good. The Dukes of Hazzard (“DOH”) provided an entertaining intro as well and played out like the television series. The famous Dukes of Hazzard television theme song plays while 3-D rendered figures of Uncle Jessie and the entire crew, along with cred-its, greet you.

In single player mode, DOH is plays like a television script. There are missions (9 Episodes with 3 Scenes each - 27 missions total) which follow a complete story line and in order to progress through the game, you must successfully complete each one of these missions. This cer-tainly keeps the game interesting as you are con- stantly changing goals rather than going around an oval track over and over again as is the case with other racers I’ve played in the past.

Each mission is setup for you with a small animated skit performed by our beloved 3-D rendered actors. This was a RIOT!! It was just like being a kid again watching DOH on television. The plots were corny - just like the real television show and the animated characters played the parts perfectly all the way down to Rosco’s goofy snicker.

There are powerups that are placed strategically throughout the game which will enhance your ability to win. Powerups need to be used strategically to help you suc-ceed. Arrows and dynamite arrows are available for you to shoot out the tires of your adversaries. Nitrous oxide will give your car a boost but don’t use this if you’re in the middle of a curve - you’ll wreck for sure! You’ll find toolboxes that will repair damage to your car and oil slick canisters are available to slow down your opponents though we found the oil slicks to be marginally effective.

DOH also has some two player options that add variety to the game too. You can race a friend with a split screen which is common with racing games these days. You can also race a friend via Time Trial which allows only one person to race at a time. We found this option limited in the fun category. Then there is something interesting called “Run the Jug” racing. This is essentially a game of tag where players compete for possession of a “jug”. Makes you wonder why everyone is after this jug, doesn’t it? My guess...moonshine. Anyway...if you get tagged by your opponent or if they find the jug powerup, you lose the jug. The person who holds the jug the longest wins.

The graphics in DOH are good - but not great. All racing takes place in the country so land marks are hard to spot compared to other racing games. The General Lee (the main car) and other cars are quite realistic and the animation for the most part is smooth with good detail. We did experience a few periodic hiccups with the frame rates as the graphics would stall from time to time. It was never bad enough to affect overall game play but it was distracting nonetheless.

The sound effects and music left me a little flat in my seat. There were some interesting details though. If you’re driving Cooter’s wrecker, whenever you back up you can hear the warning beeps. The General Lee allows you to “toot” the horn just like in the television show. But overall, the cars sounded about the same, the crashes sounded about the same and the constant banjo music in the background was fine for the first 9-10 missions but I soon tired of that as well. Not that I have anything against banjos, it was just a bit too repeti- tive for my liking.

DOH did not provide the same level of control that I have become accustomed to in other pure driving simulations. The cars accelerated briskly for the most part but if you let up on the gas, the car lost speed too rapidly. If you hit the brakes for any length of time, you’d lose speed so rapidly that it made the brakes an item to be used with great reservation. The dual shock feed- back was so weak that it didn’t provide any added exhilaration to the game. In two player Run the Jug mode, the cars controlled horribly and steering became a major endeavor.

DOH was overly easy to play when set on the EASY mode. The time limits were so generous that it was nearly impossible for me to fail and I had completed all 27 missions within a few short hours. The game provides more challenge at the harder levels but most experienced gamers will scoff at the lack of challenge provided on the EASY mode. Once you’ve completed all the missions, there is little that DOH offers to bring you back to the console to play more. You could certainly play the game at a harder level and racing a friend is always fun but DOH lacks staying power. The variety of tracks and cars are very limited which hampers DOH’s long term appeal.

DOH has many fine attributes but in all honesty, I have to wonder what market Southpeak Interactive was trying to reach with this game. It certainly has strong nostalgic appeal to mature gamers but it lacks the diversity to hold that age group’s interest for any length of time. Depending on the skill level of our younger gamers out there (some who could make your head spin with a game controller), DOH may be DOA. Very young or non-proficient gamers may gain much enjoyment out of DOH due to the easy learning curve.

As an easy-to-play game with good fun aimed towards a younger age set, DOH can cer- tainly satisfy but I don’t know many kids that are even aware of this beloved television series. Much of the game’s charm will be lost on this generation unless they happen to catch the reruns on TNN. If current technology had only been around during the Hazzard County hay days, this game would’ve been a smashing hit.

 

Panel	Graphics	Sound	Playability	Replayability
Charlie Baird Creative Director	6.5	9	5	3.5
	While there are no glaring problems or glitches with the graphics, there are no exceptional points of interest either. Even the scene trailers are sub-standard. However, if the intention of the creators was to use texture maps and forms that enhanced the characters’ Gumby-like charm, then bravo.	Not too shabby considering. I must admit, I am a Roscoe P. Coltrane fan, and my sound rating is a direct corollary to that emotional attachment. I lost control of the General Lee the moment I heard Roscoe’s first “Coo, coo, coo.” My main gripe with the sound is that either John Schneider was unavailable or he’s absorbed a few low blows since his time as Bo, the boy wonder.	In a word: Stiff. The car controls were stiff, the menu option controls were stiff and my sphincter was stiff with frustration when I consistently lost in two-player mode. While there were a few trinkets like nitro, rear-mounted oils slicks and car-to-car bow and arrow action, to beef up the game’s cuteness level, I was more impressed by the inclusion of an option to utilize the General Lee’s distinctive car horn.	Despite its faults, I found the game to be an overall ho-down. Alas, like any hay ride, square dance or bar brawl, there comes a time when you’re ready to go home. Bed time comes pretty early in Hazzard County. This game is rent-worthy, but for you Hazzard County memerobelia fanactics, you might consider waiting until it goes on sale. I enjoyed reeling in the game’s nostalgia (it’s good to see Cooter in good health), but it was a jones easily sated within an afternoon.
Lane Singletary Design Editor	5.5	8.5	8	3.5
	The graphics in The Dukes of Hazzard are relativly average. Nothing real spectacular stands out in this game. Although when playing the game there are short clips throughout each stage or episode that really contribute to the games appeal even- though there is no controller involved.	If you liked the television series, you’ll love this game. The sounds are remarkably realistic and exact. It sounds like Luke Duke, Cooter, Roscoe P. Coltrane, and a few others from the origianl series lended their voices for this game. The banter between the Dukes and Roscoe is quite hillarious and reminds me of the times when I used to watch the show and laugh like hell. The car collisions and General Lee’s distinct horn definitly add to the games sound.	I never thought in a million years that I would get caught up in a video game called the Dukes of Hazzard, but I did. I admit it. When I first played it, I could not turn it off. Rolling through each episode driving the General Lee, Daisey’s jeep, or Cooter’s tow truck will give a player a feel for the whole Dukes of Hazzard experi-ence. When you add the dynamite arrows, nitro, and oil slicks, better put on your seatbelt for some real backwards ass country racing.	The one downside to this game is that there are only nine episodes with two or three segments within each that make the game life very short. An average player could probally finish the whole game in three or four hours. No memory card needed.
Steve Egan Photo Editor	6	7	5	1
	When I first saw this game I got that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you might see an old flame or friend. This game takes me back to a point in my youth where I would sit in my tighty-whities and wait for Daisy to give me that pre-pubescent arousal. The graphics for the gameplay are sub- standard but what brings this game out of the depths of mediocrity are the trailers. Daisy is still pretty hot!	It is sure good to hear Bo, Luke, Roscoe, Daisy, Boss Hog, Uncle Jessie, Enos, and of course Cooter again. How could I forget Cooter? I was a little upset that many the voices did not even slightly resemble the idols of my youth. I need a good ‘ol Roscoe P. Coltraine gegegege, then again how would you spell that?	Too easy to even mention. I played the hardest setting and still finished the game in some 60-odd minutes. The game must be geared towards children between the ages of 2 and 4, because any 5 year old worth his salt will be able to finish the game without even missing his ritualistic afternoon cookie break and nap.	The only reason that I would turn this game on again is to, sorry ladies, watch Daisy in her tight shorts during the trailers. I was hoping that I might be able to find some secrets in the game like the back roads the Duke boys used to use to get to Mr Jack’s still but alas Georgia has never had so many guardrails.
Angie Allen Promotions Director	7.5	5	6.25	6
	I first turned on the game and thought, “Wow, these graphics are great!” Then again, all graphics are great in the introduction of a game! Overall, the graphics are typical for this type of game. The characters are realistic renderings of the actors, and the General Lee, well, looks like the General Lee. Some smooth animation and good detail allow the characters and scenes to come to life.	If you love the sound of Luke Duke’s voice, then the sound effects are great, but if you enjoy the rushing sounds of the General Lee in action, then you are to be sadly disappointed. With an over powering sound of banjo music in the background, Dukes of Hazzard provides little variety in the way of sound effects.	Whoa Bo! The playability of Dukes of Hazzard is not what I imagined. The General Lee was quite sensitive and difficult to maneuver around the redundant courses. Plug in the Dual-Shock Analog and you can feel almost nothing as your car plunges into a tree or Deputy Enos. It does have a variety of power-ups though, to help you along the way.	If you’re looking for a game you can entertain your friends with at a spur of a moment, then this is your game! But with only nine episodes, The Dukes of Hazzard is limited for further possibilities. Once you finish this game, the likelihood that you will ever play this game again is slim to none, unless of course you get a rush of testosterone and the on-going need to prove your masculinity to a wannabe Daisy Duke fan!