By the mid 90s, video game enthusiasts were no stranger to vehicular combat in car based games, but if you really wanted to get in on the action, you'd usually have to settle for a predominantly racing-focused game, with the combat either happening mid-race, or being shoved off into a side mode. Then, when Twisted Metal popularized the strictly demolition derby-type gameplay, it became more and more apparent that 90s kids were really interested in, well, destroying things. Its influence was certainly noticeable in a fair amount of later 5th gen titles, and one of the most prominent was Vigilante 8. Released for both the PS1 and the N64, it was the choice for many Nintendo fans who didn't have access to the Twisted Metal series, but it also picked up a fair amount of fans on Playstation as well. As it stands, it's a pretty good time capsule into the multiplayer mayhem that was the late 90s, and certainly has more than enough jank to go along with it.
Even with its admittedly strong inspiration from Twisted Metal, one of the best things Vigilante 8 has going for it is its character. It's set in the mid 70s (appropriately, the heyday of demolition derbies as well) and features muscle cars, funky music, and caricatures appropriate of the era. It was something that was probably already strangely nostalgic upon release, and another couple decades haven't hurt either. Its characters are, if one-note, pretty memorable, and the random assortment of cars here will mean that everyone can find something they like. The levels are, as was tradition at the time, outfitted with mini-secrets which grant you special weapons, and while they're not anything special, they generally get the job done.
The game offers a quest mode and a versus mode, and while the single player addition is nice in principle, it's nothing other than a way to unlock characters or play 4 of the versus modes in a row. The single player mode is incredibly short, and beating it with one character can be done in a few minutes; still, in order to unlock everyone, it's incredibly repetitive to have to play through it a dozen times. A more fleshed out campaign with multiple missions and, crucially, multiple mission objectives would have gone a long way to alleviate the tedium there.
At the end of the day, all you're really doing in this game is blowing up cars, and while the game struggles to make it as interesting as it sounds in single player, it's certainly a whirlwind in multiplayer. It's got that type of couch co-op energy that only its contemporaries do. The game is fun almost in spite of itself, but fun nonetheless, and it's easy to see how you could pass the time with Vigilante 8 and a couple of controllers. Still, though, it's a pretty one-note experience, and while that's certainly not a problem if the experience is good, it's got that signature 90s jank and lack of polish that makes it frequently frustrating. The physics system is questionable at best, and clipping through walls, ramps, and other enemies happens pretty often. The controls are pretty weak, even for pre-Dualshock PS1 standards, and you'll find yourself spending more time spinning around in a circle trying to aim at your enemy rather than actually firing weapons at them. For some of the bigger maps, this can create an even bigger issue, as usually the more time spent experiencing the actual driving and environment interactions, the worse. Weapons are not particularly varied, nor are they that satisfying to use; save for special weapons, which add a nice degree of personality.
Vigilante 8, then, probably joins the rather large list of games that you kind of had to be there to properly enjoy. Perhaps due to its sequel, it retained a small but dedicated fanbase without a single release since the millennium, and that's impressive in its own right. Playing a quick round or two with your friends, you can certainly see where the enjoyment comes from, and it can even help to tickle that nostalgic feeling you might have for its generation. It's an arcade-style game with an interesting concept, but it doesn't have the stability or the foundation to make its gameplay consistently enjoyable. Not poorly made enough to be called a crash and burn, but it's certainly missing a fair degree of parts.
Even with its admittedly strong inspiration from Twisted Metal, one of the best things Vigilante 8 has going for it is its character. It's set in the mid 70s (appropriately, the heyday of demolition derbies as well) and features muscle cars, funky music, and caricatures appropriate of the era. It was something that was probably already strangely nostalgic upon release, and another couple decades haven't hurt either. Its characters are, if one-note, pretty memorable, and the random assortment of cars here will mean that everyone can find something they like. The levels are, as was tradition at the time, outfitted with mini-secrets which grant you special weapons, and while they're not anything special, they generally get the job done.
The game offers a quest mode and a versus mode, and while the single player addition is nice in principle, it's nothing other than a way to unlock characters or play 4 of the versus modes in a row. The single player mode is incredibly short, and beating it with one character can be done in a few minutes; still, in order to unlock everyone, it's incredibly repetitive to have to play through it a dozen times. A more fleshed out campaign with multiple missions and, crucially, multiple mission objectives would have gone a long way to alleviate the tedium there.
At the end of the day, all you're really doing in this game is blowing up cars, and while the game struggles to make it as interesting as it sounds in single player, it's certainly a whirlwind in multiplayer. It's got that type of couch co-op energy that only its contemporaries do. The game is fun almost in spite of itself, but fun nonetheless, and it's easy to see how you could pass the time with Vigilante 8 and a couple of controllers. Still, though, it's a pretty one-note experience, and while that's certainly not a problem if the experience is good, it's got that signature 90s jank and lack of polish that makes it frequently frustrating. The physics system is questionable at best, and clipping through walls, ramps, and other enemies happens pretty often. The controls are pretty weak, even for pre-Dualshock PS1 standards, and you'll find yourself spending more time spinning around in a circle trying to aim at your enemy rather than actually firing weapons at them. For some of the bigger maps, this can create an even bigger issue, as usually the more time spent experiencing the actual driving and environment interactions, the worse. Weapons are not particularly varied, nor are they that satisfying to use; save for special weapons, which add a nice degree of personality.
Vigilante 8, then, probably joins the rather large list of games that you kind of had to be there to properly enjoy. Perhaps due to its sequel, it retained a small but dedicated fanbase without a single release since the millennium, and that's impressive in its own right. Playing a quick round or two with your friends, you can certainly see where the enjoyment comes from, and it can even help to tickle that nostalgic feeling you might have for its generation. It's an arcade-style game with an interesting concept, but it doesn't have the stability or the foundation to make its gameplay consistently enjoyable. Not poorly made enough to be called a crash and burn, but it's certainly missing a fair degree of parts.