In a cartoony sort of way, the graphics are actually quite well done. If you are expecting spectacular graphics, however, stop reading now. This game is not about graphics. It is about GAMEPLAY! And in that department - WOW! Dare Devil Derby 3D was, to my knowledge, the first of its kind released on the PlayStation. It has the same look and feel as RC Pro Am did when released on the original Nintendo.

The soundtrack and sound FX are remarkably good. The soundtrack changes with every course and gives you good auditory impressions of what type of course you are on (for example, under water). The sound FX include the typical engine, crashing, bumping, and accelerator noises, which aren't all that great, but very adequate for this game.

Dare Devil Derby 3D allows you to hook up to 8 players (yes, I said EIGHT) to the PlayStation, all with different characters. I wish there were more characters to choose from. A better option would be if you had the ability to let multiple people use the same cars.

This game allows for a variety of vehicles, which depend on the type of course you are on. These include cars, blimps, boats, spacecraft, and submarines. Control of your vehicle changes with course conditions, so this adds to the gameplay greatly. Some people may be great at driving the cars, but couldn't fly straight over a football stadium using the blimps!

Gameplay is simple - put the pedal to the metal and steer around corners while avoiding obstacles and other cars. There are many different game modes - too many to go into detail. But the basic structure for single player games is to get first place if you can! The part of the game that I like about single-player mode is that the camera pretty much follows you from behind. However, by itself, a single-player game or this type would loose all replay value without multi-player mode.

And that is where the fun part is - MULTI-PLAYER!!! I am gonna tell you straight out. I have wasted away countless hours of my life on this game (along with Circuit Breakers)! I only have support for 5 players, but, man, this is ADDICTIVE!!! In multi-player mode, the computer keeps track of everyone's win/loss record until you start a completely new game. The basic strategy is to defeat or be defeated (and knocking other players off the track is a good way of doing it!).

Unfortunately, even the best driver can drive off the edge easily because of the camera angle. In multi-player mode, the camera zooms in and out to allow players to see the entire track at times. However, this gets annoying because on certain levels (when everyone is at all corners of the track), the camera doesn't zoom out far enough or fast enough and the person currently in first place may not be able to see all of the track in front of him.

The learning curve is fairly simple. The only thing you need to know is that you control the vehicles as if you were inside them and not in relationship to the screen. Also, it takes a little getting used to the different physics of each course, which makes steering somewhat difficult.

In single-player mode, difficulty is surprisingly hard. Don't expect to get first place in every race on the first try. In multi-player mode, difficulty is determined by your competition.

It's simple - come in first! There are no points, power-ups, or tissues to cry in later included in Dare Devil Derby 3D. You can only rely on your driving skill. Get used to controlling your vehicles in the different driving conditions and you will survive.

By the way, is it just me, or does 'Dr. Diabolical' have a strong resemblance to 'Gargamel' from The Smurfs?