Juiced: Eliminator
Score: 70% ESRB: Teen Publisher: THQ Developer: Juice Games Media: UMD/1 Players: 1 - 6 Genre: Racing
Graphics & Sound: Juiced: Eliminator boasts a garage of licensed vehicles ranging from Lancers to Vipers to Skylines. All of the cars are detailed and look great, so no complaints here... Okay, so cars don’t show any damage after collisions -- but this isn’t a big deal in the long run. The real downside is that the more detailed cars mean less detailed courses and cityscapes. There's a decent amount of variety between venues, but even that doesn’t do anything to increase their appeal. With the exception of Limp Bizkit's "Rollin'" (a group I had until now successfully wiped from my memory -- Thanks Guys!), Eliminator features a decent soundtrack that includes a strong mix of rock and techno. There are a few clunkers in the mix, but overall the soundtrack is good enough. Besides, it covers up the poor engine noises.
Gameplay: Juiced was released for consoles not too long ago and was met with limited success. Although it was a fun racing game, it never really mustered up what it took to go against bigger releases in the same genre. Juiced: Eliminator takes the console game and brings it to the PSP in a somewhat more compact form. Like many street racing titles, Juiced: Eliminator places you in the role of a hotshot street racer new to the city. Soon after your arrival, you meet up with Nina, a friend and rival, who takes you through the game’s basic gameplay. Races are built around a betting system; rather than winning a certain pot for winning races, you put up your own money. Win and you can buy new parts to trick out your car’s look and performance. As far a modifications go, Eliminator offers a decent number of upgrades, though not as many as the console version. As you build up a rep as a racer, you’ll also get deeper into the circuit where Eliminator becomes much more interesting. Instead of betting money, you race for pink slips, giving races a more personal feel. You’re no longer racing for imaginary money, but a tangible car that you’ve likely spent hours tweaking out. Eliminator also features a healthy selection of ad-hoc multiplayer modes for up to six players.
Difficulty: Although the number of available parts is limited, there are still enough that you can at least keep your car competitive – especially when you have to start putting it on the line. Generally, the A.I. does its best at trying to keep you in the back, but it never does it so much that you feel like you’re being cheated. Still, the not-so-friendly controls add some unwelcomed “challenge” to each race.
Game Mechanics: Career mode also takes you through a series of events where you try to earn respect points by pulling off tricks. This forces you to think about the little things that go into your car rather than focusing on a car built solely for speed. Unfortunately, the controls weren’t built with pulling off tricks in mind; so, while you can build a car that should theoretically take corners with no problem at all, you still need to put up with sloppy controls. The key problem is sluggish steering. You have the option of using either the D-pad or analog stick, yet you are pretty much forced to use the analog option because of the D-pad’s slower steering response. In the end, Juiced: Eliminator has about as much impact on the PSP as it did on consoles. If you can get past the controls, it is a fun game, but there are better racing games available, leaving this one for only the most starved of fans.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Prey Super Dragon Ball Z