SORE THUMBS - Video Game Review (N64 & DC)
Vigilante 8: The 2nd Offense - "Welcome to the Thunderdome."
by Lane Singletary

Welcome to the thunderdome of automobile destruction and mayhem called Vigilante 8, 2nd Offense. Enter a world of late model cars equipped with war-like ammunition that are commanded by a cast of characters that will put you in a time warp back to the 70’s. Strap on your seatbelt and crank up the nostalgia & sci-fi in this high octane, gun blasting video game for the Nintendo 64 (the console we used to review this game), Sony Playstation and Sega Dreamcast consoles.

The story begins with Slick Clyde and his Coyote gang from the original Vigilante 8. In the mid 1970’s, or the first Vigilante 8 game, Slick’s gang was defeated by the Vigilantes. In an angry rage Slick decides to travel back in time, 2 years before he was defeated, and take on the Vigilantes with new more advanced weapons of destruction.

2nd Offense offers a motley group of characters and vehicles from Thunderbolt, a late model Camaro, to a garbage truck that can flatten its opponent in seconds. Each car is equipped with different power-ups and special weapons that can be obtained throughout each level of play.
After you have chosen your vehicle of destruction, there are many different locations throughout the United States to start from. Each location has unique characteristics to challenge your skills from the Ghastly Bayou in Louisiana to the Alaskan Pipeline.

The graphics in 2nd Offense are sharp and nonpixelated. Sega Dreamcast offers the best picture quality with good contrast and limited rendering flaws. Nintendo 64 offers nearly the same picture quality (to our surprise) but had a few pop up rendering flaws and transparent graphics, just an older platform showing its age.

Each vehicle has its own style of drivability. The Thunderbolt and other small compact vehicles corner relatively well and have good top speed. The Burro bus and garbage truck are true to their names. The handling stinks and they basically move like overgrown snails, but they can outlive their counterparts because they can take more damage.

The power-up options in 2nd Offense are varied and complex. When you start, they give you a machine gun that fires from the front of the vehicle. As you progress through each level of play you can collect different weapons along with ammo. There are special power-ups that can be collected and each one is individualized for that specific vehicle.
The wrench power-up is located in various spots throughout the game and is probably the most important because it gives you extra life by repairing your vehicle.

A player is able to improve their vehicle by achieving success through each level or stage. A few of the options that can be obtained are rapid fire, monster wheels, a jacked up car, or deadlier missiles. Having these options make the game more playable and keep you coming back for more.

Three different modes allow you numerous options for missile launching carnage: Arcade mode or challenge yourself in the Quest or Survival modes. The Quest and Survival modes take a player through the whole country through different levels and environments providing you are not destroyed first. The game is also equipped so you can take on up to 3 of your friends in a battle royal.

Sega Dreamcast offers an awesome trailer with true to life graphics and great sound effects. The one downside to Nintendo’s version is there is no opening trailer due to memory constraints of its cartridges.

The weapon sound effects are great such as the rocket launchers and flying grenades. The vehicle effects are also done well with each vehicle having its own distinct sound. The big Burro bus can let out a huge flatulent burst of smoke that will leave you bewildered. The garbage truck and Big John’s Thunderbolt scream out certain verbiage throughout the game that is quite amusing. The music soundtrack offers some 70’s disco with some futuristic tones mixed in. So crank up the surround sound if you have it because it really brings out the games comedy and unique qualities.

Vigilante 8, 2nd Offense has a great variety of cars, characters, and environments. The graphics in the game are surprisingly realistic to form and offer new surprises at every turn or missile launch. With its nostalgic and futuristic feel mixed all together the game offers something for every kind of player. Grab some friends or whoever and go blow the crap out of each other.

 

Panel	Graphics	Sound	Playability	Replayability
Eric Schofield Editor-In-Chief	8.5	6.5	7.5	7.5
	Surprise, surprise – the graphics for 2nd Offense were good on both platforms. The cars looked cool, the landscape had lots of color and shading (though lacking some fine detail), and the special weapons all looked and behaved uniquely. Thumbs up, dude!	In a word – FUNKY! The cool 70’s style music with the electric guitar was groovy. The chorus was vintage 70’s but the lack of variety got old rather quickly. The sound effects were detailed with different noises for the various weapons. Pretty good overall, it just needs a more diverse sound track.	2nd Offense was fun and easy to play. The controls were a little overly sensitive which made driving and hunting the enemy difficult at times. The weapons selection, acceleration and braking were easy to master. Using the radar mapping was intuitive and if you’re looking for some good mindless fun, 2nd Offense certainly delivers.	2nd Offense should keep game addicts coming back for a good while. It’s easy to pick up so any time new friends come over, the learning curve is almost nill to start a new shoot ‘em up session. The varied weapons, smooth animation and versatile 2-4 player interface keep the replayability factor high.
Gary Briddle Account Manager	8	7.5	9	9.5
	The graphics in Vigilante 8 are good for a fast shooter. Nothing I like more than a vehicle with a machine gun, mounted front and center, as standard equipment. The details in the scenery and weapons are great. The radar, which is used to track you’re your enemy, is overly simple but effective.	The crashing, accelerating, sliding, shooting, and launching sounds were diverse and interesting. A little more variety in music would be nice, but I was too busy chasing someone down so I could launch a missile in their back seat. The funky 70’s porno music is good and makes you feel a little like John Holmes driving in an all out demolition derby.	The playability is awesome. Vigilante 8 is such a fast paced game that I find myself still wanting to continue to drive even after I have totally wasted Eric’s vehicle. The one-on-one all out derby to the death is the most exciting way to play the game. Nothing beats mindless thumb cramping destruction!!	The replayability is without question an addiction waiting to happen. As long as I keep whooping Eric like a small child, my need to seek out and destroy new victims is a wanted reoccurrence. I may write a manual to help him gain the knowledge to build his skills against my unsurpassable natural talent with high adrenaline pumping video games like Vigilante 8. Better luck with the next game buddy.
Steve Egan Photo Editor	8	5	5	9
	In this day of 64 and 128 bit graphics processing it is good to see a game with as advanced visuals such as this one has. Although hard to tell on our test television Vigilante 8 certainly is geared towards the gamer that thrives on crisp detailed realism.	Mediocre sounds make you want to put on a set of headphones. Better yet, go smack a little baby so that its’ screams make you feel like you are doing real damage to your opponents.	I found this game to be extremely hard to get used to. Controls, depending on the game system you use, in this case Nintendo 64, are very clunky and non-intuitive. I have played this more than a dozen times now and still have not gotten to first base. Reminds me of when I first stared dating.	Excellent replayabiltiy. I am of the firm belief that you would need about a 40-hour workweek to get the hang of this game. I don’t know about everyone else, but I certainly don’t have that kind of time which makes it a perfect game to perpetually come back to.
Charlie Baird Creative Director	7	8	8.5	9
	Have you ever heard a teacher or parent, in a moment of frustration, chide a child by pointing out that he/she is not living up to their potential? This is all I could think of as I monkied around with Vigilante 8. The problem is: I’ve seen the Dreamcast version and was crushed to find that the N64 version was stripped of all the trailers and movies. Also, the interior game rubbed me a little anti-climactically. The graphics are good, but there is a place where they are great.	As with the graphics, the sound is tough as nails on the Dreamcast, but lacks that blue-veined-throbber quality when converted to N64. It’s not that the sound is sub-standard. It’s got a nice beat and I did have to repress an urge to whip up the ol’ pompadour and break it down ala James Brown. The soundtrack, weapons and vehicles are all fairly unique.	Addictive, for certain. You can hammer away for 4 hours and coax yourself away, but not for long. Hell, the only reason I can find time to write this is that the others in the office are moaning and muttering words like “monopolization” and “selfish whore.” They mean well.	Like similar auto shooters such as the Twisted Metal series, Vigilante * keeps you coming and sends you away frustrated. You know, like that girl around the corner when you were a kid. It’s a chase that is never quite won.