Destruction Derby Wiki
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''{{PAGENAME}}''}}
 
{{Installment
 
{{Installment
|title = Destruction Derby
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|title = ''Destruction Derby''
|image = [[File:DD1.png|180px]]<br/>[[File:DD1cover.jpg|250px]]<br/>'''PlayStation PAL (Europe) cover'''<br/><br>'''All remaining front and back covers are listed below'''
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|image = [[File:DD1.png|180px]]<br/>[[File:DD1cover.jpg|250px]]
|developer = Reflections<br>Perfect Entertainment (Japan, Sega Saturn only)
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|developer = Reflections,<br>Perfect Entertainment (Sega Saturn)
|publisher = Psygnosis<br>Soft Bank (Japan, Sega Saturn only)
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|publisher = Psygnosis,<br>Soft Bank (Japan, Sega Saturn only)
 
|engine =
 
|engine =
|release = 1995
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|released = 1995
 
|genre =
 
|genre =
 
|ratings = [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELSPA ELSPA]: 3+<br>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board ESRB]: K-A<br>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OFLC OFLC]: G
 
|ratings = [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELSPA ELSPA]: 3+<br>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board ESRB]: K-A<br>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OFLC OFLC]: G
 
|modes = 1-2 players
 
|modes = 1-2 players
|platforms = MS-DOS<br>Windows<br>PlayStation<br>Sega Saturn<br>PlayStation Network<br>Android
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|platforms = PlayStation<br>MS-DOS<br>Sega Saturn<br>PlayStation Network<br>Android
|sequel = ''[[Destruction Derby 2]]''
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|sequel = {{DD2}}
 
}}
 
}}
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<small>{{about|the video game|the game mode|Destruction Derby (mode)}}
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</small>
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{{DDquote}}
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'''''Destruction Derby''''' is the first installment in the ''Destruction Derby'' series. It was first released in October 1995 for the [[wikipedia:Playstation|PlayStation]] with an [[wikipedia:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]] port and later a [[wikipedia:Sega Saturn|Sega Saturn]] port. It was developed by [[wikipedia:Ubisoft Reflections|Reflections]] and published by [[wikipedia:Psygnosis|Psygnosis]]. The Japanese title name is: デストラクションダービー.
   
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==Development==
{{otheruses|the original game|the series|Destruction Derby series|the mode|Destruction Derby mode}}
 
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The British development studio Reflections Interactive began had been working on ''Destruction Derby'' for the PlayStation starting around December 1994,<ref name="edge" /><ref name="nextgen3">{{cite journal | author=Staff | title=Head to head | journal=Next Generation | date=August 1995 | issue=8 | pages=50–52 }}</ref> having been concepted by its co-founder Martin Edmondson and by Michael Troughton - both fans of the real-life [[wikipedia:demolition derby|demolition derby]] sport. It was published by [[wikipedia:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]] (SCE)'s Psygnosis branch, which allowed Reflections to receive PlayStation development kits (SDKs) long before that console's release.<ref name="nextgen4" /> Edmondson demonstrated the game to SCE CEO [[wikipedia:Ken Kutaragi|Ken Kutaragi]] who flew over with a team of engineers. Kutaragi was "very enthusiastic", though commented that it was a shame that debris from the cars didn't stay on the track.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=''Retro Asylum'' |title=The History of Psygnosis |page=44}}</ref> The game debuted at the May 1995 [[wikipedia:Electronic Entertainment Expo|Electronic Entertainment Expo]],<ref name="nextgen2">{{cite journal | author=Staff | title=Demolition Derby | journal=Next Generation | date=July 1995 | issue=7 | page=59 }}</ref> and its initial title was variously reported as ''Demolition Derby'' and ''Demolish 'em Derby''. Writers for ''[[wikipedia:Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' commented that the game could "trounce" ''[[wikipedia:Ridge Racer (video game)|Ridge Racer]]'' upon the PlayStation's release.<ref name="edge">{{cite journal | author=Staff | title=''Demolish 'em Derby'' | issue=21 | date=June 1995 | work=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] | page=28 }}</ref><ref name="nextgen2" /><ref>This paragraph is mostly credited to [[wikipedia:User:JimmyBlackwing|JimmyBlackwing]] on Wikipedia.</ref>
   
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[[File:1 Beta logo.png|right|thumb|250px|An early logo of the game as presented by Psygnosis at E3 1995]]
'''''Destruction Derby''''' is the first installment of the [[Destruction Derby series]]. It was first released in October 1995 for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_%28console%29 PlayStation], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Saturn Sega Saturn] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ms-dos MS-DOS]. It was developed by ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubisoft_Reflections Reflections]'' and published by ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCE_Studio_Liverpool Psygnosis]''. The Japanese Sega Saturn version was developed by ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Entertainment Perfect Entertainment]'' and published by ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoftBank Soft Bank]'' instead.
 
  +
To make the results of car collisions easier to predict, Reflections implemented simulated physics into ''Destruction Derby''. Director Martin Edmondson believed that the game would otherwise be "completely unplayable", as with "[[wikipedia:Pool (cue sports)|pool]] when the collisions are all off". Producer Tony Parks noted that the physics were simplified to improve performance and to compensate for the PlayStation's digital controller, and that the team sought a balance between "realism and playability". Performance was also improved by optimising the game's graphics, and by reducing the level of detail of objects in the [[wikipedia:Draw distance|distance]]. ''Destruction Derby'''s game engine supports up to twenty cars on screen simultaneously, which no console racing game, other than ''[[wikipedia:Daytona USA (video game)|Daytona USA]]'', had achieved until that time. However, a single [[wikipedia:wire-frame model|wire-frame model]], differentiated by texture maps, was used for every vehicle. Damage to vehicles is modelled in real-time, based on the speed and angle of the cars involved.<ref name="nextgen4">{{cite journal | author=Staff | title=''Destruction Derby'' | journal=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] | date=September 1995 | issue=9 | pages=58–62 }}</ref> The team made the game's tracks small to "keep the density of the cars on the track very high", which allowed for large-scale wrecks.<ref name="nextgen2" /> Plans were made to support up to eight players with the [[wikipedia:PlayStation Link Cable|PlayStation Link Cable]], but it was implemented with only up to two players.<ref>This paragraph is mostly credited to [[wikipedia:User:JimmyBlackwing|JimmyBlackwing]] on Wikipedia.</ref>
   
  +
''Next Generation''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s August 1995 issue stated after playing a preview build: "''Derby'''s most oustanding feature is the realtime deformation of the vehicles — unlike ''Ridge Racer'', smashes and pile-ups really do affect the cars' bodywork". Interestingly this build also shows the race being 20 laps, which does not occur at any time in the final version.<ref name="nextgen2" /> As late as August, it was still called ''Demolish 'em Derby'' by some outlets, including by ''Edge Magazine'' in its 23rd issue.<ref name="nextgen4">{{cite journal | journal=Edge Magazine | date=1995 | issue=21, 22, 23 }}</ref>
The game achieved high popularity, and was later added to PlayStation's ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platinum_Range Platinum Range]'' / ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Hits_%28budget_range%29 Greatest Hits]'', being one of the first games to achieve platinum sales.
 
   
  +
''Destruction Derby'' was finally released on 20 October 1995 for the PlayStation a few weeks after its European launch.<ref name="CTW559">{{cite magazine |title=CTW Games Guide |magazine=Computer Trade Weekly |location=United Kingdom |date=16 October 1995 |issue=559 |page=32 }}</ref> Shortly afterwards the PC (MS-DOS) version was also released. The game achieved high popularity and was later added to PlayStation's [[wikipedia:Platinum Range|Platinum Range]]/[[wikipedia:Greatest Hits|Greatest Hits]] collection, also being one of the first games to achieve platinum sales. The popularity resulted in a 1996 sequel, ''[[Destruction Derby 2]]''.
Originally, the game was only capable with MS-DOS PCs, but in 1996(?), a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_95 Windows 95] version was released. The popularity of the game resulted in a 1996 sequel, [[Destruction Derby 2]], for PlayStation, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows Windows] and MS-DOS. In February 2007, the game was available for download in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Network PlayStation Network] for the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ps3 PS3] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psp PSP] consoles. Later in February 2011, the game was available for a paid download from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Play Google Play], for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_%28operating_system%29 Android] devices. Since 2012, the game is available for download for the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Vita PSVita] and ''PlayStation Certified'' devices, from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Mobile PlayStation Mobile] service.
 
   
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===Other platforms===
It was originally titled ''Demolish 'em Derby'' before it was changed to ''Destruction Derby'', shortly before E3 1995. The Japanese title name is: デストラクションダービー.
 
  +
[[File:Toonarmy.png|thumb|300px|Comparison between PlayStation (left) and MS-DOS (right) of the "Toon Army" graffiti bridge in [[City Heat]]]]
<br />
 
  +
The Sega Saturn port arrived pretty late, in August 1996, and despite also being advertised in North America it was never released there. It was ported by [[wikipedia:Perfect Entertainment|Perfect Entertainment]] like most Psygnosis ports to the Saturn. The Saturn port suffers from a slower framerate, lower draw distance, and lack of transparencies compared to the original PlayStation release. The Japanese version was published by [[wikipedia:SoftBank|Soft Bank]]. Unlike the Japanese Saturn port of ''[[wikipedia:Wipeout|Wipeout]]'', the Psygnosis banners in-game were not replaced.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://segaretro.org/Destruction_Derby |title=Destruction Derby |publisher=Sega Retro}}</ref>
<br />
 
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<br />
 
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There are a few differences between the different versions. In the MS-DOS version of the game, the 'QUIT' option after a [[Championship]] event is called 'EXIT' instead. In the Sega Saturn version, there is a black background when the game is loading a new event, rather than the usual background. More notably, the MS-DOS version has four competitors cut out, and has four divisions rather than five, with some competitors having been shifted around. The MS-DOS version also lacks many objects in the tracks.
<br />
 
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<br />
 
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===Release dates===
__TOC__
 
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[[File:DD demo logo SCES-00048.png|thumb|200px|The early ''Destruction Derby'' logo as shown in the playable demo on the first Demo One disc, SCES-00048]]
{{-}}
 
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;PlayStation
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*EU: 20 October 1995
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*NA: 16 November 1995
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*JP: 9 February 1996
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;MS-DOS
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*EU/NA: October 1995
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;Sega Saturn
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*EU: 15 August 1996
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*JP: 20 September 1996
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;PlayStation Portable
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*NA: 15 February 2007
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;PlayStation Portable
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*NA: 3 May 2007
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*EU: 29 November 2007
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;PlayStation Classic
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*NA/PAL: 3 December 2018
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===S3 Virge version===
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[[File:S3.png|right|200px|thumb|Gameplay of hardware accelerated Windows version]]
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In April 1996, a ''Destruction Derby'' version optimised for the [[wikipedia:Diamond Multimedia|Diamond Stealth]] 3D 2000 graphics card (using [[wikipedia:S3 ViRGE|S3 ViRGE]] chipset) was released for Microsoft Windows as an exclusive OEM bundle. This version is hardware accelerated and runs at an upscaled 512x384 resolution (at a 70 Hz refresh rate) and also features additional graphical texturing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFVcYvOvCrs |title=3D Acceleration Comparison Ep9: Destruction Derby - S3 Virge/Software |publisher=RetroCompaqGuy (on YouTube) |date=9 September 2012}}</ref> A patch for monitor out-of-sync errors was also released by Diamond Multimedia.
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===Re-releases===
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In February 2007, ''Destruction Derby'' became available for download from the [[wikipedia:PlayStation Network|PlayStation Network]] for the [[wikipedia:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]] and [[wikipedia:PlayStation Portable|PlayStation Portable]] systems. Later in 2011 the game became available for a paid download on the [[wikipedia:Android OS|Android]] platform, but is has since been removed from its store. In 2012 the game was released for download for the [[wikipedia:PlayStation Vita|PlayStation Vita]] and ''PlayStation Certified'' devices from the [[wikipedia:PlayStation Mobile|PlayStation Mobile]] service (this closed down in 2015). ''Destruction Derby'' will also come preloaded on the upcoming [[wikipedia:PlayStation Classic|PlayStation Classic]] system in North America and the PAL region set to be released in December 2018.
   
 
==Gameplay==
 
==Gameplay==
 
[[File:1GP.png|left|thumb|200px|A race in [[Speedway]]]]
 
[[File:1GP.png|left|thumb|200px|A race in [[Speedway]]]]
[[File:1GP2.png|right|thumb|150px|Smoke coming out of your car during a race]]
+
[[File:1GP3.png|thumb|150px|''Destruction Derby'']]
   
  +
''Destruction Derby'' is a driving game focusing on demolition derby. There are three main ''race styles'': one that tailored for racing; one that is just wrecking in a derby bowl; and another that is a combination of the two.
The camera stays facing forward the whole race. So when you spin around and face the wrong direction, your car faces YOU (the camera in this case). Also note that the camera is quite far away from the car. There are many points that you can earn such as spinning etc. (see below). Whenever you'd crash or collide, you would see the 'bits' all coming out of the car.
 
   
  +
There are either 10 or 12 laps in a Wreckin' Racing race. There are 19 opponents (15 in MS-DOS version) in an event - thus 20 cars at a time - which at the time was an impressive feat in a racing game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thepixelempire.net/destruction-derby-ps-review.html |title=DESTRUCTION DERBY (PS) review |date=13 June 2013}}</ref> The gameplay is backed by a British [[commentator]], who would say quotes like "Watch those barriers, they'll only slow you down!" (see its article for a full list of quotes).
[[File:1GP3.png|150px|thumb|left|Some smash 'em up in [[Destruction Derby mode]]]]
 
   
  +
There are also multiplayer modes that work through the [[wikipedia:PlayStation Link Cable|Link Cable]]. ''Destruction Derby'' was only the third PlayStation game to utilise this feature (after Psygnosis's ''[[wikipedia:Wipeout|Wipeout]]''<ref name="Edge11.95">{{cite magazine |magazine=''Edge Magazine'' |date=November 1995 |issue=26 |page=67}}</ref> and 1994 Japanese exclusive ''[[wikipedia:Motor Toon Grand Prix|Motor Toon Grand Prix]]'').
Generally, the gameplay is fast-moving, and that's what made this game so fun at the time. That's what I want to call destruction!
 
{{-}}
 
   
==Modes==
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===Damage engine===
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[[File:RaceOver.png|thumb|right|200px|''Race Over'', displayed when you finish a race, quit the event, or when [[wrecked]].]]
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One of the most innovative features that ''Destruction Derby'' brought was a damage engine that simulates what effect collisions have on the cars.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.godisageek.com/2012/05/retro-corner-destruction-derby/ |title=Retro Corner: Destruction Derby |date=4 May 2012}}</ref>
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  +
If a car has been severely damaged its handling will become worse, with the level of damage indicated by a car diagram on the right of the screen. Severe damage to one of the sides of the car will make it pull significantly to that side, and severe damage to both will make it almost impossible to turn at all.
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Heavy damage to one side of car's rear will reduce its ability to accelerate and hold speed; severe damage to the back on both sides will result in a near complete loss of accelerative ability and make the car almost unable to move. Damage to the front will eventually give the car a blown radiator.
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If more damage is received by the front, eventually the engine will be blown and the car unable to move (for the player, resulting in the end of the race).
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===Points system===
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[[File:Race points DD1.PNG|thumb|right|200px|Race Points indicator]]
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All events uses a points system, called ''Race Points''. The Destruction Derby mode awards points only on the basis of wrecking other players' cars. Stock Car Racing only awards points on race position. Wreckin' Racing is a hybrid of the two (albeit with less points for positions than Stock Car). The maximum number of points available per race in the wrecking modes is 99, whereas Stock Car has a maximum of 50 (the points for first place).
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The points system is as follows:
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*Spinning an opponent's car 90° - 2 points.
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*Spinning an opponent's car 180° - 4 points.
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*Spinning an opponent's car 360° - 10 points.
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*Spinning a car which is in first place during the Wreckin' race, the points are doubled.
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*In Stock Car mode, points are awarded for 1st to 20th place in the following order: 50, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
  +
*In Wreckin' Racing mode, the race position 1st gets ten points, 2nd gets six and 3rd gets four.
  +
*[[Gripping]] an opponent's car - 10 points.
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*In Destruction Derby mode, the last car not [[wrecked]] gets ten points.
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Performing a 360° spin also brings up an animation on-screen.
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==Game modes==
 
[[File:1menu.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Destruction Derby'' Main Menu]]
 
[[File:1menu.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Destruction Derby'' Main Menu]]
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  +
In the ''Destruction Derby'' manual, the four main modes were called "race styles".
   
 
*[[Wreckin' Racing]]
 
*[[Wreckin' Racing]]
 
**[[Race Practice]]
 
**[[Race Practice]]
 
**[[Championship]]
 
**[[Championship]]
**Multi-Player
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**[[Multi-Player]]
 
**[[Duel]]
 
**[[Duel]]
 
*[[Stock Car Racing]]
 
*[[Stock Car Racing]]
Line 53: Line 117:
 
**Championship
 
**Championship
 
**Multi-Player
 
**Multi-Player
*[[Destruction Derby mode|Destruction Derby]]
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*[[Destruction Derby (mode)|Destruction Derby]]
 
**Race Practice
 
**Race Practice
 
**Championship
 
**Championship
 
**Multi-player
 
**Multi-player
 
**[[Total Destruction]]
 
**[[Total Destruction]]
**Duel
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**Duel*
 
**[[Team Pairs]]*
 
**[[Team Pairs]]*
 
**[[Tag]]*
 
**[[Tag]]*
Line 64: Line 128:
 
*[[Time Trials]]
 
*[[Time Trials]]
   
<small>*Special modes. See its respective articles for details.</small>
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<small>*Link Cable multiplayer modes.</small>
   
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==Locations==
In the DD manual, the four main modes were called ''race styles''.
 
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===Tracks===
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<gallery hideaddbutton="true" widths="130" heights="100x" perrow="3" spacing="small" captionalign="left" orientation="none" captionsize="medium">
  +
Speedway.png|[[Speedway]]
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Crossover.png|[[Crossover]] <small>(incorrectly called 'Crossroads')
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Oceandrive.png|[[Ocean Drive]]
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Cactuscreek.png|[[Cactus Creek]]
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Cityheat.png|[[City Heat]]
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Ruinedmonasteryquestion.png|[[Ruined Monastery]]*
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</gallery>
   
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<small>*Bonus track</small>
==Tracks==
 
[[File:Buckle.png|thumb|right|200px|''Buckle up, and sit tight!'' is displayed everytime before the race/event starts. It has become an iconic quote for fans of the original DD.]]
 
   
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===Bowls===
The tracks in Destruction Derby were very short and thin too. As a result, you have to race around each track for a lot of laps (usually 10). All tracks have the same (low) wall next to each side of where you and your opponents are racing. The ground surface is grey concrete.
 
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The game features a single [[bowl]] where derby events take place:
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<gallery hideaddbutton="true" widths="130" heights="100x" perrow="3" spacing="small" captionalign="left" orientation="none" captionsize="medium">
  +
TheBowl.png|[[The Bowl]]
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</gallery>
   
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===Championship variables===
*[[Speedway]]
 
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[[File:Buckle.png|thumb|right|200px|''Buckle up, and sit tight!'' is displayed everytime a race/derby starts (except in MS-DOS version)]]
*[[Crossover]]
 
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In a [[Championship]], each track has a variant version of the course, as well as a different day or night condition or a reversed variant, depending on which Division the player is in. It is worth noting that in some Championship races the finishing line has been adjusted from its visual indication; for example, on a reverse race of the normal Speedway track the finishing line is under the electronic position board.<ref>This information (inc. on track articles) is mostly credited to [[wikipedia:User:Totalinarian|Totalinarian]] on Wikipedia</ref>
*[[Ocean Drive]]
 
*[[Cactus Creek]]
 
*[[City Heat]]
 
*[[Ruined Monastery]]*
 
<small>*Secret track in the [[Race Practice]] mode</small>
 
   
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The table below shows the differing variants and conditions of races between divisions:
==Bowls==
 
The game featured a single [[bowl]] where demolition events took place:
 
*[[The Bowl]]
 
   
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{| class="table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 200px;"
==Vehicles==
 
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| bgcolor="#D78647" |'''Track'''
[[File:Dd1car.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The cars in Destruction Derby]]
 
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| bgcolor="#D78647" |'''Race Practice<br> & Div. 5'''
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| bgcolor="#D78647" |{{nowrap|'''Div. 4'''}}
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| bgcolor="#D78647" |{{nowrap|'''Div. 3'''}}
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| bgcolor="#D78647" |{{nowrap|'''Div. 2'''}}
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| bgcolor="#D78647" |{{nowrap|'''Div. 1'''}}
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|-
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|Speedway
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| width="400px" |⛅
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|{{nowrap|🌆, Ⅱ}}
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|{{nowrap|⛅, Ⅱ, ↩️}}
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|🌆, ↩️
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|⛅, ↩️
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|-
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|Crossover
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|🌆
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|⛅, Ⅱ
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|🌆, Ⅱ
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|🌆
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|{{nowrap|⛅, Ⅱ, ↩️}}
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|-
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|{{nowrap|Ocean Drive}}
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|☀️
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|🌃, ↩️
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|☀️, ↩️
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|☀️, ↩️
  +
|🌃
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|-
  +
|{{nowrap|Cactus Creek}}
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|🌆
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|⛅, Ⅱ
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|⛅, Ⅱ, ↩️
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|{{nowrap|🌆, Ⅱ, ↩️}}
  +
|⛅, ↩️
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|-
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|City Heat
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|🌃
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|⛅, Ⅱ
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|🌃, ↩️
  +
|🌃
  +
|🌃, Ⅱ
  +
|-
  +
|The Bowl
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|⛅
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|🌆
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|⛅
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|⛅
  +
|🌆
  +
|-
  +
|}
   
  +
;Legend:
All three cars looks the same but are different in terms of speed, power and handling.
 
  +
⛅/☀️ = Day,<br>🌆 = Dusk,<br>🌃 = Night,<br>Ⅱ = Variant,<br>↩️ = Reversed.
   
  +
==Vehicles==
*[[Rookie]] (Psygnosis)
 
  +
[[File:Dd1car.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The player 1 cars in ''Destruction Derby'']]
*[[Amateur]] (Grim Reaper)
 
  +
[[File:CarPSDOS.png|thumb|150px|Comparison between cars in the PlayStation and MS-DOS versions - notice the red headlights in the latter]]
*[[Pro]] (Smoothie)
 
{{-}}
 
   
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*[[Rookie]]
==Points==
 
  +
*[[Amateur]]
[[File:Race points DD1.PNG|thumb|right|200px|Race Points]]
 
  +
*[[Pro]]
All events uses a points system, called ''Race Points'' (even if the event is not a race). The Destruction Derby mode awards points only on the basis of [[Wrecked car|wrecking]] other players' cars. Stock Car Racing only awards points on race position. Wreckin' Racing is a hybrid of the two (albeit with less points for positions than Stock Car). The maximum number of points available per race in the wrecking modes is 99, whereas Stock Car has a maximum of 50 (the points for first place).
 
   
  +
All three cars' looks are the same apart from their paintjobs and some differences in attributions. They are each named after difficulties: the Rookie is a beginner's car which is stable but somewhat slow; the Amateur has much better speed and handling; and the Pro is for experienced players and can be considered the 'best' car when adapting well to its powersliding capabilities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/cheats/1778/ |title=Destruction Derby FAQ 1.2 |author=Wendell Martin |date=24 February 1996}}</ref>
The points system for wrecking is as follows:
 
*Spinning an opponent's car 90° - 2 points.
 
*Spinning an opponent's car 180° - 4 points.
 
*Spinning an opponent's car 360° - 10 points.
 
*Spinning a car which is in first place during the Wreckin' race, the points are doubled.
 
*In Stock Car mode, points are awarded for 1st to 20th place in the following order: 50, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
 
* In Wreckin' Racing mode, the race position 1st gets ten points, 2nd gets six and 3rd gets four.
 
*Gripping an opponent's car - 10 points.
 
*In Destruction Derby mode, the last car not [[wrecked]] gets ten points.
 
   
  +
They are each also assigned a different identity and paint job, which for player 1 would be [[Psygnosis]], [[Grim Reaper]] and [[Smoothie]] respectively. There are also player 2 equivalents in the PlayStation game: [[Alien]], [[Blue Rinse]] and [[Vampire]] respectively. Notably many people were never aware of its existance because they only appear in the multiplayer modes which only functions with a [[wikipedia:PlayStation Link Cable|Link Cable]]. It's possible to view one of these using an emulator and a code that replaces the [[Trashman]]'s car, depending on the value you place on the end of the code.
==Damage engine==
 
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{{-}}
[[File:RaceOver.png|thumb|right|200px|''Race Over'' is displayed when you finish a race, quit the current event, or when [[wrecked]].]]
 
 
The game features a [[Damage Engine]] that simulates what effect collisions have on the vehicles.
 
 
If a car has been severely damaged its handling will become worse, with the level of damage indicated by a car diagram on the right of the screen. Severe damage to one of the sides of the car will make it pull significantly to that side, and severe damage to both will make it almost impossible to turn at all.
 
 
Heavy damage to one side of car's rear will reduce its ability to accelerate and hold speed; severe damage to the back on both sides will result in a the commentator's audio announcement "You've broken the rear axle!" and make the car almost unable to move. Damage to the front will eventually give the car a "blown radiator".
 
 
If more damage is received by the front, eventually the engine will be blown and the car unable to move (for the player, resulting in the end of the race).
 
 
Unlike in some sequels, damage could not be repaired during a race, as there is no pit lane functionality in Destruction Derby.
 
   
 
==Competitors==
 
==Competitors==
  +
[[File:Player.jpg|right|150px|thumb|The human player's picture]]
 
In each race, there are 19 CPU drivers (15 in MS-DOS version) who compete along with the main player.
 
In each race, there are 19 CPU drivers (15 in MS-DOS version) who compete along with the main player.
   
The below list of competitors is sorted in order of its starting division in [[Championship]] mode (with their roof colour in brackets), along with their car number shown (competitors shown in ''italic'' are not featured in the MS-DOS version):
+
The below list of competitors is sorted in order of its starting division in [[Championship]] mode (with their roof colour in brackets), along with their car number shown.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/saturn/574094-destruction-derby/faqs/1955 |title=DESTRUCTION DERBY for PSX FAQ v1.0 |date=19 December 1995 |author=Law667 |publisher=GameFAQs}}</ref> On the left is the list for the original PlayStation release as well as the Sega Saturn port, whereas on the right is the list in the MS-DOS PC version.
   
  +
<mainpage-leftcolumn-start />
[[File:Player.jpg|right|150px|thumb|YOUR image (the human player)]]
 
  +
;~ PlayStation, Sega Saturn<nowiki>:</nowiki>
   
[[File:White.png|20px]] '''Division Five (White)'''
+
[[File:White.png|20px]] '''Division 5 (White)'''
 
* Human Player (#01)
 
* Human Player (#01)
 
* [[Trashman]] (#07)
 
* [[Trashman]] (#07)
Line 135: Line 238:
 
* [[The Bouncer]] (#88)
 
* [[The Bouncer]] (#88)
   
[[File:Yellow.png|20px]] '''Division Four (Yellow)'''
+
[[File:Yellow.png|20px]] '''Division 4 (Yellow)'''
 
* ''[[The Idol]]'' (#23)
 
* ''[[The Idol]]'' (#23)
 
* ''[[The Optician]]'' (#47)
 
* ''[[The Optician]]'' (#47)
Line 141: Line 244:
 
* [[Passion Wagon]] (#69)
 
* [[Passion Wagon]] (#69)
   
[[File:Cyan.png|20px]] '''Division Three (Cyan)'''
+
[[File:Cyan.png|20px]] '''Division 3 (Cyan)'''
 
* [[The Skum]] (#13)
 
* [[The Skum]] (#13)
 
* [[The Goddess]] (#35)
 
* [[The Goddess]] (#35)
Line 147: Line 250:
 
* [[Undertaker]] (#77)
 
* [[Undertaker]] (#77)
   
[[File:Red.png|20px]] '''Division Two (Red)'''
+
[[File:Red.png|20px]] '''Division 2 (Red)'''
 
* [[Crunch Bunch]] (#22)
 
* [[Crunch Bunch]] (#22)
 
* [[Learner Driver]] (#37)
 
* [[Learner Driver]] (#37)
Line 153: Line 256:
 
* ''[[Heavy Metal Hero]]'' (#52)
 
* ''[[Heavy Metal Hero]]'' (#52)
   
[[File:Black.png|20px]] '''Division One (Black)'''
+
[[File:Black.png|20px]] '''Division 1 (Black)'''
 
* [[Barmy Army]] (#53)
 
* [[Barmy Army]] (#53)
 
* [[Suicide Squad]] (#82)
 
* [[Suicide Squad]] (#82)
 
* [[The Taxman]] (#95)
 
* [[The Taxman]] (#95)
 
* [[The Doctor]] (#99)
 
* [[The Doctor]] (#99)
  +
<mainpage-endcolumn />
   
  +
<mainpage-rightcolumn-start />
  +
;~ MS-DOS version<nowiki>:</nowiki>
  +
  +
[[File:White.png|20px]] '''Division 4 (White)'''
  +
* Human Player (#01)
  +
* [[Trashman]] (#07)
  +
* [[Barmy Army]] (#53)
  +
* [[The Bouncer]] (#88)
  +
  +
[[File:Yellow.png|20px]] '''Division 3 (Yellow)'''
  +
* [[The Goddess]] (#35)
  +
* [[The General]] (#50)
  +
* [[The Beast]] (#66)
  +
* [[Passion Wagon]] (#69)
  +
  +
[[File:Red.png|20px]] '''Division 2 (Red)'''
  +
* [[The Skum]] (#13)
  +
* [[Learner Driver]] (#37)
  +
* [[Psycho]] (#40)
  +
* [[Undertaker]] (#77)
  +
  +
[[File:Black.png|20px]] '''Division 1 (Black)'''
  +
* [[Crunch Bunch]] (#22)
  +
* [[Suicide Squad]] (#82)
  +
* [[The Taxman]] (#95)
  +
* [[The Doctor]] (#99)
  +
<mainpage-endcolumn />
  +
  +
{{-}}
  +
  +
In each Championship, the drivers start out in a system of 5 (4 in MS-DOS version) divisions, with the goal for the player being to climb to and win Division 1. The drivers that are in each division remain constant for every new game, but are not ordered by ability (clear by the fact that [[Learner Driver]] is in Division 2, despite being one of the weakest competitors).
  +
  +
===AI===
  +
[[File:Finish.png|thumb|200px|right|The screen when finishing a Championship event]]
 
Each driver is of differing ability, and each one has a (slightly) different driving style, which initially creates variation for the player but can easily be predicted after playing the game for a while.
 
Each driver is of differing ability, and each one has a (slightly) different driving style, which initially creates variation for the player but can easily be predicted after playing the game for a while.
   
The fastest raw stock car driver in the game is clearly [[The Skum]] in every race, whereas there are several competitors who are better in the [[Destruction Derby (event)|Destruction Derby mode]]. Competitors such as [[Psycho]], [[Undertaker]], [[Barmy Army]] and [[The Taxman]] are amongst the best drivers in all modes, whereas drivers such as [[Suicide Squad]] are good in wrecking modes, but very slow in stock car modes.
+
The fastest raw stock car driver in the game is clearly [[The Skum]] in every race, whereas there are several competitors who are better in the [[Destruction Derby (mode)|Destruction Derby]] event. Competitors such as [[Psycho]], [[Undertaker]] and [[The Taxman]] are amongst the best drivers in all modes, whereas drivers such as [[Suicide Squad]] are good in wrecking modes, but very slow in stock car modes. [[Learner Driver]] is known to be by far the slowest driver.
   
  +
The AI has also been well adapted to the different modes. For instance in a Stock Car Racing event, the competitors drive a good deal faster than they would do in Wreckin' Racing.
[[File:Finish.png|thumb|200px|right|The screen when you finish a race]]
 
   
  +
===Profiles and voices===
In each Championship, the drivers start out in a system of 5 (4 in MS-DOS version) divisions, with the goal for the player being to climb to and win Division 1. The drivers that are in each division remain constant for every new game, but are not ordered by ability (clear by the fact that [[Learner Driver]] is in Division 2, despite being the weakest competitor in all game modes, but hardly ever takes damage, meaning he is the best at the longer races).
 
  +
[[File:Resultsscreen.png|thumb|200px|right|The results screen in a Championship, showing each competitor and their positions (in this example only Points because it's a derby event)]]
  +
Each driver has their own car design and a cartoon picture of the character displayed on the race and championship standings screens. The division of each driver can be seen during races by the colour of the roof of their car, as shown above.<ref>This section is mostly credited to [[wikipedia:User:KaisaL|KaisaL]] on Wikipedia.</ref> The MS-DOS version lacks some of the variety of car designs, and some of them have the same paintjobs, making it more difficult to tell different competitors apart.
   
  +
Most of the drivers also have a voice clip that plays when points are taken from them by the player in wrecking modes. Below is a list of quotes heard in this situation. It may not be entirely accurate (since they're not all easily audible):
There is, however, an obvious pattern to who climbs to the top divisions and who doesn't; in stock car modes, only deliberate player intervention would stop The Skum from rising meteorically from his starting Division 3 to the top division.
 
  +
*"''Stay out of my way!''" - The Bouncer, The Skum
  +
*"''You'll pay for that!''" - The Doctor, The Taxman
  +
*"''Beginner's luck, wimp!''" - The Beast, Suicide Squad
  +
*"''Eat dust!''" - Heavy Metal Hero, Undertaker
  +
*"''[screams]''" - The Idol
  +
*"''You little worm!''" - Passion Wagon
  +
*"''Stay off my back!"'' - Learner Driver
  +
*"''Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!''" - Pyromaniac
  +
*"''You'll regret that!''" - The General
  +
*"''Get outta my way!''" - The Optician, Psycho
  +
*"''I'll have my revenge!''" - The Goddess
   
  +
Several of them change voice clips when they have been [[wrecked]]: The Idol and The Goddess change to Passion Wagon's voice; Suicide Squad changes to The Goddess'; The Optician changes to Learner Driver's; The Bouncer changes to Undertaker's; and Passion Wagon changes to a uniquely new one that sounds like "''Hey, watch the paintwork!''", although that's probably the least of her worries. Three drivers: Crunch Bunch, Barmy Army and Trashman; do not have any sound clips whatsoever.<ref>This section is mostly credited to [[wikipedia:User:Totalinarian 2007|Totalinarian 2007]] on Wikipedia.</ref>
Most of the drivers also have a voice clip for when points are taken from them by the player in wrecking modes, or for when the player [[wrecks]] them in all modes. Also, each driver has their own car design, and a cartoon picture of the character displayed on the race and championship standings screens. The division of each driver can be seen during races by the colour of the roof of their car, as shown above.
 
   
==Music==
+
==Soundtrack==
The soundtracks are cool electronica music, composed by Tim Swan and Elliot Sumner.
+
The soundtrack consists of electronica and techno music (the main uptempo tracks are from the hardcore and jungle techno subgenres) composed by the duo [[Tim Swan & Elliot Sumner]]. This kind of music was highly popular in the UK at the time in the 1990s.
   
  +
Both the PlayStation and Sega Saturn versions of ''Destruction Derby'' use the [[wikipedia:Compact Disc Digital Audio|CDDA]] format, so the all the music tracks can be played on a normal CD player.
''Improve! The 'Featured in' section in some soundtracks is empty. If you know the right answer, add it on there.''
 
   
  +
''Some of the track names are missing - do you know them?''
{| class="wikitable"
 
  +
! Track no.
 
  +
{| class="table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 500px;"
! Name
 
  +
| bgcolor="#D78647" |{{nowrap|Track no}}
! Featured in
 
  +
| bgcolor="#D78647" |Name
! Length
 
  +
| bgcolor="#D78647" |Featured in
! Link to YouTube
 
  +
| bgcolor="#D78647" |Length
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #1
 
| #1
  +
| {{nowrap|Trashers Delight}}
| Duellist
 
| [[Speedway]]
+
| Speedway
 
| 5:36
 
| 5:36
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPguOAfl9lE]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #2
 
| #2
  +
| {{nowrap|Crash Boom Bang}}
| Trashers Delight
 
| [[Crossover]]
+
| Crossover
 
| 5:22
 
| 5:22
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMcKQV73Plg]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #3
 
| #3
  +
| Hardhitter
| Crash Boom Bang
 
| [[Ocean Drive]]
+
| Ocean Drive
 
| 5:25
 
| 5:25
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RiOHV_Z9Vk]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #4
 
| #4
  +
| One Against All
| Hardhitter
 
| [[Cactus Creek]]
+
| Cactus Creek
 
| 5:15
 
| 5:15
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je9MzDrmlzY]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #5
 
| #5
  +
| Chaos Overlord
| One Against All
 
| [[City Heat]]
+
| City Heat
 
| 5:19
 
| 5:19
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt4pOnuVR9M]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #6
 
| #6
  +
| Indestructable
| Chaos Overlord
 
| [[The Bowl]]
+
| The Bowl
 
| 5:14
 
| 5:14
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1XhiD2hzXo]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #7
 
| #7
  +
| Rankings
| Indestructable
 
  +
| Results Screen
|
 
 
| 2:23
 
| 2:23
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EwhVDpsa4E]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #8
 
| #8
  +
| ?
| Rankings
 
 
| Car Select
 
| Car Select
 
| 3:08
 
| 3:08
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeJOwcLpIhQ]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #9
 
| #9
| Lo-ooser
+
| Lo-ooser [?]
  +
| {{nowrap|Finishing Race Screen}}
|
 
| 1:00
+
| 0:18
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAoGkEyUgVM]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #10
 
| #10
  +
| ?
| Beyond All Damage
 
  +
| Season Won
|
 
| 2:37
+
| 0:06
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCtVY-27YE8]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #11
 
| #11
  +
| ?
| Aftershow
 
  +
| Name Entry Screen
| Credits
 
| 2:39
+
| 2:40
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzFBWulri8Q]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #12
 
| #12
  +
| {{nowrap|Beyond All Damage}}
| ?
 
  +
| Lap Times
|
 
| 5:11
+
| 2:38
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV6LusNjSk8]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #13
 
| #13
  +
| Duellist
| ?
 
  +
| Main Menu
|
 
| 4:37
+
| 5:11
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka5Fuf_Q6Bw]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| #14
 
| #14
  +
| Aftershow
  +
| {{nowrap|Championship completed/Credits}}
  +
| 3:37
  +
|-
  +
| #15
 
| ?
 
| ?
  +
| Ruined Monastery
|
 
 
| 4:59
 
| 4:59
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M9F0S5vCtM]
 
 
|-
 
|-
| #15
+
| #16
 
| ?
 
| ?
  +
| Intro
|
 
| 1:46
+
| 0:58
| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPMf_SKovvg]
 
 
|}
 
|}
   
  +
==Reception==
==PlayStation vs Sega Saturn vs DOS==
 
  +
{| class="table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 250px; float: right;"
Here is a video of Destruction Derby gameplay from YouTube.
 
  +
| bgcolor="#D78647" |Reviewer
  +
| bgcolor="#D78647" |Score
  +
|-
  +
| ''The Electric Playground'' (CA)
  +
| 9 out of 10 (PS)<ref name="elecplay">{{cite web | last=Lucas | first=Victor | authorlink=Victor Lucas (television producer) | title=''Destruction Derby'' | url=http://www.elecplay.com/arch95/dderby.html | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19970804211537/http://www.elecplay.com/arch95/dderby.html | date=29 October 1995 | archivedate=4 August 1997 | work=[[EP Daily|The Electric Playground]] }}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| ''Next Generation''
  +
| 4 out of 5 (PS, PC)<ref name="NGen11">{{cite magazine|last= |first= |title=Smashing|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=№11|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=November 1995|page=170}}</ref><ref name="NGen14">{{cite magazine|last= |first= |title=Here Comes Another One...|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=№14 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=February 1996|page=172}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| ''Sega Saturn Magazine'' (UK)
  +
| 68% (SAT)<ref name="SatMag12">{{cite magazine |last=Allsetter |first=Rob |title=Review: Destruction Derby|magazine=[[Sega Saturn Magazine]]|issue=№12 |publisher=[[Emap International Limited]]|date=October 1996|pages=70-71}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| ''Sega Saturn Magazine'' (JP)
  +
| 67% (SAT)<ref>https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:SSM_JP_19960823_1996-14.pdf&page=241</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| ''GameSpot''
  +
| 7.1 out of 10 (PC)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030802070531/http://www.gamespot.com:80/pc/driving/destructionderby/review.html |title=Destruction Derby Review for PC |publisher=GameSpot (archived) |date=1 May 1996}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| ''IGN''
  +
| 7 out of 10 (PS)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/1996/11/22/destruction-derby |title=Destruction Derby - IGN |publisher=IGN |date=21 November 1996}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| ''Sonic the Comic'' (UK)
  +
| 7.5 out of 10<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=''Sonic the Comic'' |issue=№95 |page=10}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| ''Computer and Video Games'' (UK)
  +
| 3 out of 10 (SAT)<ref name="cvg">{{cite web | last=Randell | first=Kim | title=''Destruction Derby'' | url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=7980 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070916033348/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=7980 | archivedate=16 September 2007 | dead-url=yes | work=[[Computer & Video Games]] | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| ''Sega Power'' (UK)
  +
| 8 out of 10 (SAT)<ref>https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:SSM_UK_12.pdf&page=70</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| ''Weekly Famitsu'' (JP)
  +
| 63% (SAT)<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=''Weekly Famitsu'' |issue=№406 |page=29}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| ''GameFan'' (US)
  +
| 88% (PS)<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=''GameFan'' |issue=Vol 3 Issue №12 |page=16}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| ''Edge'' (UK)
  +
| 7 out of 10 (PS)<ref name="Edge11.95" />
  +
|-
  +
| ''Superjuegos'' (ES)
  +
| 93% (PS)<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=''Superjuegos'' |issue=№43 |page=47 |date=November 1995}}</ref>
  +
|}
  +
Writing for ''[[wikipedia:GamePro|GamePro]]'', Captain Squideo called ''Destruction Derby'' "the most raucous racing experience of the fall". He believed that its "graphics are almost all you could want for a game" of this type, but wrote that "nothing here stands out as graphically spectacular". He complained that the game does not let players customise cars, and he disliked its lack of split-screen multiplayer. He summarised, "Limited options keep ''Destruction Derby'' out of the winner's circuit, but this rowdy stock-car racer still generates a stadium full of thrashin' fun."<ref name="gamepro">{{cite magazine | author=Captain Squideo | title=''Destruction Derby'' | issue=86 | magazine=[[GamePro]] | date=November 1995 | page=54 }}</ref> [[wikipedia:Victor Lucas (television producer)|Victor Lucas]] of ''[[wikipedia:EP Daily|The Electric Playground]]'' stated that "the beauty of the game" is the strategy involved in making "calculated strikes" against enemy vehicles, and he wrote, "If you go all out and try to make big noise on the track, more than likely you'll be limping to the scrap yard in seconds." He believed that the game's Stock Car racing mode "is no match for the white knuckle inertia of either ''Wipeout'' or ''Ridge Racer''", and that the demolition derbies in The Bowl were "most fun to be had" in the game. He praised the game's graphics and physics, and concluded, "''Destruction Derby'' is a winner in every capacity."<ref name="elecplay" /> A reviewer for ''[[wikipedia:Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' was extremely pleased with the concept of smashing into other cars, saying it taps into a near-universal fantasy. He remarked the single-player mode is indefinably "lacking" but the multiplayer offers unqualified enjoyment.<ref name="NGen11" /> The review from ''[[wikipedia:Edge (magazine)|Edge Magazine]]'' noted that whilst the game provides good fun, the "central problem" is that the tracks are too "narrow." The reviewer felt that the game should have been given more time to fix this flaw.<ref name="Edge11.95" />
   
  +
The PC port was also well-received. Lee Buchanan of ''[[wikipedia:PC Gamer US|PC Gamer US]]'' praised "the spectacular visuals that bring to life the most jarring collisions I've seen on a computer", and he noted that "[car] damage is depicted beautifully". Like Lucas, he wrote that the player "can't just mindlessly smash into other cars; this is thinking man's destruction". Although he found the game too easy "even at the toughest difficulty level", he found this to be a minor issue that did not detract from the experience. He considered the game's online play to be a high point, and he finished, "''Destruction Derby'' is a blast, and a welcome change of pace from high-end driving simulations." Peter Olafson of ''[[wikipedia:Computer Gaming World|Computer Gaming World]]'' called the game "a great simulation" of demolition derbies, and he wrote that the wrecks are "convulsive and realistic". He believed that the game "has never-before-seen quality that will instantly make it a showpiece game to demonstrate to open-mouthed friends and relatives", and he considered the car damage to be "especially marvelous—and unprecedented for this sort of game". However, he found that its "useful life span is surprisingly short" and he hoped for a track editor in its sequel. He summarised, "Despite its limitations, this is a great game, but it has a lot more potential."<ref name="cgw">{{cite journal | last=Olafson | first=Peter | title=Car Wars | issue=139 | date=February 1996 | journal=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=68, 70, 72, 254 }}</ref> A reviewer for ''Next Generation'' remarked that while the game is a straight port of the PlayStation version, it is an impeccably accurate one. He applauded the authentic modelling of vehicle crashes, multiple modes, smoothness of gameplay, and inclusion of both network and modem options, and found the game's only downside is that the camera zooms out so little that it can be difficult to see nearby cars.<ref name="NGen14" />
Play it. Notice the smoother graphics in the PlayStation version, and the ugly smoke in the Sega Saturn version. Also see how the Saturn version had a horrible frame-rate and bad pop-up too.
 
   
  +
Reviewing the game's Sega Saturn version, Kim Randell of ''[[wikipedia:Computer & Video Games|Computer & Video Games]]'' noted its "inferior graphics" that do not have "the sheen and glossiness of its PlayStation counterpart". Randell believed that it was made "much too late to cause the kind of sensation that ''WipEout'' did. Comparisons with the PlayStation version are inevitable, and the rather haphazard conversion means that the Saturn version lacks the polish of its rival."<ref name="cvg" /> Rob Allsetter's review in ''[[wikipedia:Sega Saturn Magazine|Sega Saturn Magazine]]'' (from the same publisher as ''Computer & Video Games'') recycled most of the text from Randell's review, including the closing remarks.<ref name="SatMag12" />
[[Video:PlayStation vs Sega Saturn|thumb|500px|left]]
 
   
  +
<ref>This section is mostly credited to [[wikipedia:User:JimmyBlackwing|JimmyBlackwing]] on Wikipedia.</ref>
The developers clearly haven't done a nice enough port for the Saturn.
 
{{-}}
 
'''Here's a video for the MS-DOS version.'''
 
   
  +
==Advertisement==
[[Video:MS-DOS|thumb|500px|right]]
 
  +
===Print===
 
  +
<gallery orientation="none" columns="3" spacing="small" position="center" widths="200" captionalign="left" hideaddbutton="true">
{{-}}
 
  +
1ad2.jpg|A German language ad reading ''Liebe deinen nachsten. Zerstore seine karre.''
 
  +
1ad.jpg|A French language ad reading ''Votre garagiste va adorer!!''
==Commercial==
 
  +
DestructionDerby Saturn JP Flyer-1.png|A Japanese flyer (for Sega Saturn)
===Magazines===
 
<gallery orientation="none" columns="2" spacing="large" position="center" widths="200" captionalign="left" hideaddbutton="true">
 
1ad2.jpg|An advertisement from Germany. ''Liebe deinen nachsten. Zerstore seine karre.'' = ''Love your neighbour. Destroy his barrow.''
 
1ad.jpg|An advertisement from France. ''Votre garagiste va adorer!!'' = ''Your mechanic will love this!!''
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   
 
===Television===
 
===Television===
  +
A U.S. PlayStation television commercial that aired after the game's release.
 
[[File:Destruction Derby Playstation commercial (US)|thumb|500px|left]]
 
[[File:Destruction Derby Playstation commercial (US)|thumb|500px|left]]
 
{{-}}
 
{{-}}
Line 326: Line 507:
 
DD1specialPC.jpg|'''A-List Essential release for PC (1998)'''
 
DD1specialPC.jpg|'''A-List Essential release for PC (1998)'''
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 
==Notes from the manual==
 
'''''Warm-up'''''
 
 
''An unofficial history of chaos and destruction.''
 
 
''After motor vehicles were discovered, flags began to be used on roads. Destruction Derby arrived shortly after. Want to know why? Read on.''
 
 
''Coloured flags could be called the forerunners of traffic lights. Men used them to direct very heavy traffic. These men, the forerunners of race judges, calmly stood in front of the cars and let them pass one by one. Nowadays their jov would not be much of a contribution to road safety but it was then. The world was not so crazy and cars were not so fast. The judges went to work equipped with a red flag and a green flag. They showed the red flag when a car coming from behind had to stop. Shortly after they showed the green flag, indicating that the driver could continue.''
 
 
''Sometimes a gust of wind would blow the flags into the flagman's face. Flaying his arms in an attempt to get untangled, he goy drivers into a tight spot. Understandably, the drivers got angry at the damage to their vehicles that they could hardly resist the lure of destruction, so they deliberately turned it into a fun pastime. Bales of hay were used to mark the track. With these and a few rules for the starting line, drivers began to take their places. What happened to the flagmen? They were allowed to use their flags to give the starting signal for the destruction track... without coming to any harm of course. That is how something as simple and innocent as waving a couple of flags brought about the birth of such an exciting, savage sport!''
 
 
''Today, most of the world's cities have a Destruction Derby track. Cities like Rome and Athens that still do not have a track can practice their hobby on the city's streets.''
 
 
''You don't need to know all this. You don't even have to know how to drive. Right now you own just about the most incredible, fascinating game in the world. So invite a couple of friends in, turn the sound up... and cause some destruction out there!''
 
   
 
==Cheats==
 
==Cheats==
  +
;All platforms
===PS1, Saturn and DOS===
 
 
*Enter ''REFLECT!'' as a name. When the main menu returns, go to [[Practice]] mode. Notice that a new track, [[Ruined Monastery]], will be available. This is normally unlocked when finishing first in the Division 1 in [[Championship]].
 
*Enter ''REFLECT!'' as a name. When the main menu returns, go to [[Practice]] mode. Notice that a new track, [[Ruined Monastery]], will be available. This is normally unlocked when finishing first in the Division 1 in [[Championship]].
 
*Enter ''!DAMAGE!'' as a name to get invulnerability. Your vehicle is now impossible to be damaged.
 
*Enter ''!DAMAGE!'' as a name to get invulnerability. Your vehicle is now impossible to be damaged.
   
===PS1 only===
+
;PS only
 
*Enter ''CREDITZ!'' as your name. The credits will be displayed, which will be animated.
 
*Enter ''CREDITZ!'' as your name. The credits will be displayed, which will be animated.
 
*At the piracy warning screen, press and hold L1 + LEFT + O. An image of the Reflections team will appear.
 
*At the piracy warning screen, press and hold L1 + LEFT + O. An image of the Reflections team will appear.
Line 353: Line 519:
 
*Select [[Total Destruction]] mode from the main menu. As soon as the game starts, pause and exit. If you had 0 seconds on the clock, your name will appear on the scoreboard with either 599.00 seconds or 566.?? seconds.
 
*Select [[Total Destruction]] mode from the main menu. As soon as the game starts, pause and exit. If you had 0 seconds on the clock, your name will appear on the scoreboard with either 599.00 seconds or 566.?? seconds.
   
  +
Some sites have claimed there is a ''MONKEY'' name cheat where if you perform five 360° spins, "a monkey will begin running around the track. Hitting the monkey is worth large amounts of points." This cheat is a hoax.
===PS1 and Saturn only===
 
  +
  +
;PS and Saturn only
 
*Enter ''NPLAYERS'' as a name. From the main menu, go to the track selection screen. After you select a track, you will be able to choose the number of [[competitors]].
 
*Enter ''NPLAYERS'' as a name. From the main menu, go to the track selection screen. After you select a track, you will be able to choose the number of [[competitors]].
*In multiplayer mode, enter ''RIDGE'' as a name for player 1 and ''RACER'' as a name for player 2, to unlock a Ridge Racer-like track.
 
   
  +
Some sites have claimed that entering ''RIDGE'' and ''RACER'' as multiplayer names unlocks a ''Ridge Racer''-style track. This is a hoax, and would not be possible anyway as ''Ridge Racer'' is the property of [[wikipedia:Namco|Namco]] and not Psygnosis. Another hoax is ''DERBYMAN'', "when the event starts, most of your competitors will start out smoking."
===PS1 and DOS only===
 
*Enter ''DERBYMAN'' as a name. Select your event and track etc. When the event starts, most of your competitors will start out smoking.
 
   
===DOS only===
+
;DOS only
 
*Enter ''!SPEEDY!'' as a name. Select a [[Championship]] event, and notice that your car is a lot faster.
 
*Enter ''!SPEEDY!'' as a name. Select a [[Championship]] event, and notice that your car is a lot faster.
   
==Getting the game==
+
==''Warm up'' - from the manual==
  +
'''''Warm-up'''''
===Android===
 
The game is available for purchase on selected devices running Android OS. Link to Google Play: [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sony.playstation.NCEA00008_0]
 
   
  +
''An unofficial history of chaos and destruction.''
===PlayStation ISO===
 
Here is the link to download the ISO image file and burn it on a CD:  [http://www.emuparadise.me/Sony_Playstation_ISOs/Destruction_Derby_%5BU%5D/36766-download]
 
   
  +
''After motor vehicles were discovered, flags began to be used on roads. Destruction Derby arrived shortly after. Want to know why? Read on.''
==Release==
 
[[File:1 Beta logo.png|right|thumb|250px|An early beta logo of DD]]
 
   
  +
''Coloured flags could be called the forerunners of traffic lights. Men used them to direct very heavy traffic. These men, the forerunners of race judges, calmly stood in front of the cars and let them pass one by one. Nowadays their jov would not be much of a contribution to road safety but it was then. The world was not so crazy and cars were not so fast. The judges went to work equipped with a red flag and a green flag. They showed the red flag when a car coming from behind had to stop. Shortly after they showed the green flag, indicating that the driver could continue.''
===MS-DOS===
 
*EU/NA: October 1995
 
   
  +
''Sometimes a gust of wind would blow the flags into the flagman's face. Flaying his arms in an attempt to get untangled, he goy drivers into a tight spot. Understandably, the drivers got angry at the damage to their vehicles that they could hardly resist the lure of destruction, so they deliberately turned it into a fun pastime. Bales of hay were used to mark the track. With these and a few rules for the starting line, drivers began to take their places. What happened to the flagmen? They were allowed to use their flags to give the starting signal for the destruction track... without coming to any harm of course. That is how something as simple and innocent as waving a couple of flags brought about the birth of such an exciting, savage sport!''
===PlayStation===
 
*EU: October 1995
 
*NA: 16 November 1995
 
*JP: 9 February 1996
 
   
  +
''Today, most of the world's cities have a Destruction Derby track. Cities like Rome and Athens that still do not have a track can practice their hobby on the city's streets.''
===Sega Saturn===
 
*EU: 15 August 1996
 
*JP: 20 September 1996
 
   
  +
''You don't need to know all this. You don't even have to know how to drive. Right now you own just about the most incredible, fascinating game in the world. So invite a couple of friends in, turn the sound up... and cause some destruction out there!''
===[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Network PlayStation Network] (PSP)===
 
*NA: 15 February 2007
 
 
===PlayStation Network (PS3)===
 
*NA: 3 May 2007
 
*EU: 29 November 2007
 
   
  +
==References==
===[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_%28operating_system%29 Android]===
 
  +
<references />
*Worldwide: February 2011
 
   
 
==Credits==
 
==Credits==
Line 422: Line 574:
 
;Producer
 
;Producer
 
:
 
:
*Tony Parkes
+
*Tony Parks
   
 
;Product Management
 
;Product Management
Line 464: Line 616:
 
*At Work Werbeagentur GmbH; Wiesbaden, Germany
 
*At Work Werbeagentur GmbH; Wiesbaden, Germany
 
[[Category:Games]]
 
[[Category:Games]]
  +
[[Category:Destruction Derby]]

Revision as of 15:26, 17 April 2019

Destruction Derby
DD1
DD1cover
Developer Reflections,
Perfect Entertainment (Sega Saturn)
Publisher Psygnosis,
Soft Bank (Japan, Sega Saturn only)
Original release 1995
Players 1-2 players
Ratings ELSPA: 3+
ESRB: K-A
OFLC: G
Successor Destruction Derby 2

Disambig iconThis article is about the video game. For the game mode, see Destruction Derby (mode).

Buckle up... and sit tight!
~ from the loading screen

Destruction Derby is the first installment in the Destruction Derby series. It was first released in October 1995 for the PlayStation with an MS-DOS port and later a Sega Saturn port. It was developed by Reflections and published by Psygnosis. The Japanese title name is: デストラクションダービー.

Development

The British development studio Reflections Interactive began had been working on Destruction Derby for the PlayStation starting around December 1994,[1][2] having been concepted by its co-founder Martin Edmondson and by Michael Troughton - both fans of the real-life demolition derby sport. It was published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE)'s Psygnosis branch, which allowed Reflections to receive PlayStation development kits (SDKs) long before that console's release.[3] Edmondson demonstrated the game to SCE CEO Ken Kutaragi who flew over with a team of engineers. Kutaragi was "very enthusiastic", though commented that it was a shame that debris from the cars didn't stay on the track.[4] The game debuted at the May 1995 Electronic Entertainment Expo,[5] and its initial title was variously reported as Demolition Derby and Demolish 'em Derby. Writers for Edge and Next Generation commented that the game could "trounce" Ridge Racer upon the PlayStation's release.[1][5][6]

1 Beta logo

An early logo of the game as presented by Psygnosis at E3 1995

To make the results of car collisions easier to predict, Reflections implemented simulated physics into Destruction Derby. Director Martin Edmondson believed that the game would otherwise be "completely unplayable", as with "pool when the collisions are all off". Producer Tony Parks noted that the physics were simplified to improve performance and to compensate for the PlayStation's digital controller, and that the team sought a balance between "realism and playability". Performance was also improved by optimising the game's graphics, and by reducing the level of detail of objects in the distance. Destruction Derby's game engine supports up to twenty cars on screen simultaneously, which no console racing game, other than Daytona USA, had achieved until that time. However, a single wire-frame model, differentiated by texture maps, was used for every vehicle. Damage to vehicles is modelled in real-time, based on the speed and angle of the cars involved.[3] The team made the game's tracks small to "keep the density of the cars on the track very high", which allowed for large-scale wrecks.[5] Plans were made to support up to eight players with the PlayStation Link Cable, but it was implemented with only up to two players.[7]

Next Generation's August 1995 issue stated after playing a preview build: "Derby's most oustanding feature is the realtime deformation of the vehicles — unlike Ridge Racer, smashes and pile-ups really do affect the cars' bodywork". Interestingly this build also shows the race being 20 laps, which does not occur at any time in the final version.[5] As late as August, it was still called Demolish 'em Derby by some outlets, including by Edge Magazine in its 23rd issue.[3]

Destruction Derby was finally released on 20 October 1995 for the PlayStation a few weeks after its European launch.[8] Shortly afterwards the PC (MS-DOS) version was also released. The game achieved high popularity and was later added to PlayStation's Platinum Range/Greatest Hits collection, also being one of the first games to achieve platinum sales. The popularity resulted in a 1996 sequel, Destruction Derby 2.

Other platforms

Toonarmy

Comparison between PlayStation (left) and MS-DOS (right) of the "Toon Army" graffiti bridge in City Heat

The Sega Saturn port arrived pretty late, in August 1996, and despite also being advertised in North America it was never released there. It was ported by Perfect Entertainment like most Psygnosis ports to the Saturn. The Saturn port suffers from a slower framerate, lower draw distance, and lack of transparencies compared to the original PlayStation release. The Japanese version was published by Soft Bank. Unlike the Japanese Saturn port of Wipeout, the Psygnosis banners in-game were not replaced.[9]

There are a few differences between the different versions. In the MS-DOS version of the game, the 'QUIT' option after a Championship event is called 'EXIT' instead. In the Sega Saturn version, there is a black background when the game is loading a new event, rather than the usual background. More notably, the MS-DOS version has four competitors cut out, and has four divisions rather than five, with some competitors having been shifted around. The MS-DOS version also lacks many objects in the tracks.

Release dates

DD demo logo SCES-00048

The early Destruction Derby logo as shown in the playable demo on the first Demo One disc, SCES-00048

PlayStation
  • EU: 20 October 1995
  • NA: 16 November 1995
  • JP: 9 February 1996
MS-DOS
  • EU/NA: October 1995
Sega Saturn
  • EU: 15 August 1996
  • JP: 20 September 1996
PlayStation Portable
  • NA: 15 February 2007
PlayStation Portable
  • NA: 3 May 2007
  • EU: 29 November 2007
PlayStation Classic
  • NA/PAL: 3 December 2018

S3 Virge version

S3

Gameplay of hardware accelerated Windows version

In April 1996, a Destruction Derby version optimised for the Diamond Stealth 3D 2000 graphics card (using S3 ViRGE chipset) was released for Microsoft Windows as an exclusive OEM bundle. This version is hardware accelerated and runs at an upscaled 512x384 resolution (at a 70 Hz refresh rate) and also features additional graphical texturing.[10] A patch for monitor out-of-sync errors was also released by Diamond Multimedia.

Re-releases

In February 2007, Destruction Derby became available for download from the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable systems. Later in 2011 the game became available for a paid download on the Android platform, but is has since been removed from its store. In 2012 the game was released for download for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation Certified devices from the PlayStation Mobile service (this closed down in 2015). Destruction Derby will also come preloaded on the upcoming PlayStation Classic system in North America and the PAL region set to be released in December 2018.

Gameplay

1GP

A race in Speedway

1GP3

Destruction Derby

Destruction Derby is a driving game focusing on demolition derby. There are three main race styles: one that tailored for racing; one that is just wrecking in a derby bowl; and another that is a combination of the two.

There are either 10 or 12 laps in a Wreckin' Racing race. There are 19 opponents (15 in MS-DOS version) in an event - thus 20 cars at a time - which at the time was an impressive feat in a racing game.[11] The gameplay is backed by a British commentator, who would say quotes like "Watch those barriers, they'll only slow you down!" (see its article for a full list of quotes).

There are also multiplayer modes that work through the Link Cable. Destruction Derby was only the third PlayStation game to utilise this feature (after Psygnosis's Wipeout[12] and 1994 Japanese exclusive Motor Toon Grand Prix).

Damage engine

RaceOver

Race Over, displayed when you finish a race, quit the event, or when wrecked.

One of the most innovative features that Destruction Derby brought was a damage engine that simulates what effect collisions have on the cars.[13]

If a car has been severely damaged its handling will become worse, with the level of damage indicated by a car diagram on the right of the screen. Severe damage to one of the sides of the car will make it pull significantly to that side, and severe damage to both will make it almost impossible to turn at all.

Heavy damage to one side of car's rear will reduce its ability to accelerate and hold speed; severe damage to the back on both sides will result in a near complete loss of accelerative ability and make the car almost unable to move. Damage to the front will eventually give the car a blown radiator.

If more damage is received by the front, eventually the engine will be blown and the car unable to move (for the player, resulting in the end of the race).

Points system

Race points DD1

Race Points indicator

All events uses a points system, called Race Points. The Destruction Derby mode awards points only on the basis of wrecking other players' cars. Stock Car Racing only awards points on race position. Wreckin' Racing is a hybrid of the two (albeit with less points for positions than Stock Car). The maximum number of points available per race in the wrecking modes is 99, whereas Stock Car has a maximum of 50 (the points for first place).

The points system is as follows:

  • Spinning an opponent's car 90° - 2 points.
  • Spinning an opponent's car 180° - 4 points.
  • Spinning an opponent's car 360° - 10 points.
  • Spinning a car which is in first place during the Wreckin' race, the points are doubled.
  • In Stock Car mode, points are awarded for 1st to 20th place in the following order: 50, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
  • In Wreckin' Racing mode, the race position 1st gets ten points, 2nd gets six and 3rd gets four.
  • Gripping an opponent's car - 10 points.
  • In Destruction Derby mode, the last car not wrecked gets ten points.

Performing a 360° spin also brings up an animation on-screen.

Game modes

1menu

Destruction Derby Main Menu

In the Destruction Derby manual, the four main modes were called "race styles".

*Link Cable multiplayer modes.

Locations

Tracks

*Bonus track

Bowls

The game features a single bowl where derby events take place:

Championship variables

Buckle

Buckle up, and sit tight! is displayed everytime a race/derby starts (except in MS-DOS version)

In a Championship, each track has a variant version of the course, as well as a different day or night condition or a reversed variant, depending on which Division the player is in. It is worth noting that in some Championship races the finishing line has been adjusted from its visual indication; for example, on a reverse race of the normal Speedway track the finishing line is under the electronic position board.[14]

The table below shows the differing variants and conditions of races between divisions:

Track Race Practice
& Div. 5
Div. 4 Div. 3 Div. 2 Div. 1
Speedway 🌆, Ⅱ ⛅, Ⅱ, ↩️ 🌆, ↩️ ⛅, ↩️
Crossover 🌆 ⛅, Ⅱ 🌆, Ⅱ 🌆 ⛅, Ⅱ, ↩️
Ocean Drive ☀️ 🌃, ↩️ ☀️, ↩️ ☀️, ↩️ 🌃
Cactus Creek 🌆 ⛅, Ⅱ ⛅, Ⅱ, ↩️ 🌆, Ⅱ, ↩️ ⛅, ↩️
City Heat 🌃 ⛅, Ⅱ 🌃, ↩️ 🌃 🌃, Ⅱ
The Bowl 🌆 🌆
Legend

⛅/☀️ = Day,
🌆 = Dusk,
🌃 = Night,
Ⅱ = Variant,
↩️ = Reversed.

Vehicles

Dd1car

The player 1 cars in Destruction Derby

CarPSDOS

Comparison between cars in the PlayStation and MS-DOS versions - notice the red headlights in the latter

All three cars' looks are the same apart from their paintjobs and some differences in attributions. They are each named after difficulties: the Rookie is a beginner's car which is stable but somewhat slow; the Amateur has much better speed and handling; and the Pro is for experienced players and can be considered the 'best' car when adapting well to its powersliding capabilities.[15]

They are each also assigned a different identity and paint job, which for player 1 would be Psygnosis, Grim Reaper and Smoothie respectively. There are also player 2 equivalents in the PlayStation game: Alien, Blue Rinse and Vampire respectively. Notably many people were never aware of its existance because they only appear in the multiplayer modes which only functions with a Link Cable. It's possible to view one of these using an emulator and a code that replaces the Trashman's car, depending on the value you place on the end of the code.

Competitors

Player

The human player's picture

In each race, there are 19 CPU drivers (15 in MS-DOS version) who compete along with the main player.

The below list of competitors is sorted in order of its starting division in Championship mode (with their roof colour in brackets), along with their car number shown.[16] On the left is the list for the original PlayStation release as well as the Sega Saturn port, whereas on the right is the list in the MS-DOS PC version.

~ PlayStation, Sega Saturn:

White Division 5 (White)

Yellow Division 4 (Yellow)

Cyan Division 3 (Cyan)

Red Division 2 (Red)

Black Division 1 (Black)

~ MS-DOS version:

White Division 4 (White)

Yellow Division 3 (Yellow)

Red Division 2 (Red)

Black Division 1 (Black)


In each Championship, the drivers start out in a system of 5 (4 in MS-DOS version) divisions, with the goal for the player being to climb to and win Division 1. The drivers that are in each division remain constant for every new game, but are not ordered by ability (clear by the fact that Learner Driver is in Division 2, despite being one of the weakest competitors).

AI

Finish

The screen when finishing a Championship event

Each driver is of differing ability, and each one has a (slightly) different driving style, which initially creates variation for the player but can easily be predicted after playing the game for a while.

The fastest raw stock car driver in the game is clearly The Skum in every race, whereas there are several competitors who are better in the Destruction Derby event. Competitors such as Psycho, Undertaker and The Taxman are amongst the best drivers in all modes, whereas drivers such as Suicide Squad are good in wrecking modes, but very slow in stock car modes. Learner Driver is known to be by far the slowest driver.

The AI has also been well adapted to the different modes. For instance in a Stock Car Racing event, the competitors drive a good deal faster than they would do in Wreckin' Racing.

Profiles and voices

Resultsscreen

The results screen in a Championship, showing each competitor and their positions (in this example only Points because it's a derby event)

Each driver has their own car design and a cartoon picture of the character displayed on the race and championship standings screens. The division of each driver can be seen during races by the colour of the roof of their car, as shown above.[17] The MS-DOS version lacks some of the variety of car designs, and some of them have the same paintjobs, making it more difficult to tell different competitors apart.

Most of the drivers also have a voice clip that plays when points are taken from them by the player in wrecking modes. Below is a list of quotes heard in this situation. It may not be entirely accurate (since they're not all easily audible):

  • "Stay out of my way!" - The Bouncer, The Skum
  • "You'll pay for that!" - The Doctor, The Taxman
  • "Beginner's luck, wimp!" - The Beast, Suicide Squad
  • "Eat dust!" - Heavy Metal Hero, Undertaker
  • "[screams]" - The Idol
  • "You little worm!" - Passion Wagon
  • "Stay off my back!" - Learner Driver
  • "Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!" - Pyromaniac
  • "You'll regret that!" - The General
  • "Get outta my way!" - The Optician, Psycho
  • "I'll have my revenge!" - The Goddess

Several of them change voice clips when they have been wrecked: The Idol and The Goddess change to Passion Wagon's voice; Suicide Squad changes to The Goddess'; The Optician changes to Learner Driver's; The Bouncer changes to Undertaker's; and Passion Wagon changes to a uniquely new one that sounds like "Hey, watch the paintwork!", although that's probably the least of her worries. Three drivers: Crunch Bunch, Barmy Army and Trashman; do not have any sound clips whatsoever.[18]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack consists of electronica and techno music (the main uptempo tracks are from the hardcore and jungle techno subgenres) composed by the duo Tim Swan & Elliot Sumner. This kind of music was highly popular in the UK at the time in the 1990s.

Both the PlayStation and Sega Saturn versions of Destruction Derby use the CDDA format, so the all the music tracks can be played on a normal CD player.

Some of the track names are missing - do you know them?

Track no Name Featured in Length
#1 Trashers Delight Speedway 5:36
#2 Crash Boom Bang Crossover 5:22
#3 Hardhitter Ocean Drive 5:25
#4 One Against All Cactus Creek 5:15
#5 Chaos Overlord City Heat 5:19
#6 Indestructable The Bowl 5:14
#7 Rankings Results Screen 2:23
#8 ? Car Select 3:08
#9 Lo-ooser [?] Finishing Race Screen 0:18
#10 ? Season Won 0:06
#11 ? Name Entry Screen 2:40
#12 Beyond All Damage Lap Times 2:38
#13 Duellist Main Menu 5:11
#14 Aftershow Championship completed/Credits 3:37
#15 ? Ruined Monastery 4:59
#16 ? Intro 0:58

Reception

Reviewer Score
The Electric Playground (CA) 9 out of 10 (PS)[19]
Next Generation 4 out of 5 (PS, PC)[20][21]
Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) 68% (SAT)[22]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) 67% (SAT)[23]
GameSpot 7.1 out of 10 (PC)[24]
IGN 7 out of 10 (PS)[25]
Sonic the Comic (UK) 7.5 out of 10[26]
Computer and Video Games (UK) 3 out of 10 (SAT)[27]
Sega Power (UK) 8 out of 10 (SAT)[28]
Weekly Famitsu (JP) 63% (SAT)[29]
GameFan (US) 88% (PS)[30]
Edge (UK) 7 out of 10 (PS)[12]
Superjuegos (ES) 93% (PS)[31]

Writing for GamePro, Captain Squideo called Destruction Derby "the most raucous racing experience of the fall". He believed that its "graphics are almost all you could want for a game" of this type, but wrote that "nothing here stands out as graphically spectacular". He complained that the game does not let players customise cars, and he disliked its lack of split-screen multiplayer. He summarised, "Limited options keep Destruction Derby out of the winner's circuit, but this rowdy stock-car racer still generates a stadium full of thrashin' fun."[32] Victor Lucas of The Electric Playground stated that "the beauty of the game" is the strategy involved in making "calculated strikes" against enemy vehicles, and he wrote, "If you go all out and try to make big noise on the track, more than likely you'll be limping to the scrap yard in seconds." He believed that the game's Stock Car racing mode "is no match for the white knuckle inertia of either Wipeout or Ridge Racer", and that the demolition derbies in The Bowl were "most fun to be had" in the game. He praised the game's graphics and physics, and concluded, "Destruction Derby is a winner in every capacity."[19] A reviewer for Next Generation was extremely pleased with the concept of smashing into other cars, saying it taps into a near-universal fantasy. He remarked the single-player mode is indefinably "lacking" but the multiplayer offers unqualified enjoyment.[20] The review from Edge Magazine noted that whilst the game provides good fun, the "central problem" is that the tracks are too "narrow." The reviewer felt that the game should have been given more time to fix this flaw.[12]

The PC port was also well-received. Lee Buchanan of PC Gamer US praised "the spectacular visuals that bring to life the most jarring collisions I've seen on a computer", and he noted that "[car] damage is depicted beautifully". Like Lucas, he wrote that the player "can't just mindlessly smash into other cars; this is thinking man's destruction". Although he found the game too easy "even at the toughest difficulty level", he found this to be a minor issue that did not detract from the experience. He considered the game's online play to be a high point, and he finished, "Destruction Derby is a blast, and a welcome change of pace from high-end driving simulations." Peter Olafson of Computer Gaming World called the game "a great simulation" of demolition derbies, and he wrote that the wrecks are "convulsive and realistic". He believed that the game "has never-before-seen quality that will instantly make it a showpiece game to demonstrate to open-mouthed friends and relatives", and he considered the car damage to be "especially marvelous—and unprecedented for this sort of game". However, he found that its "useful life span is surprisingly short" and he hoped for a track editor in its sequel. He summarised, "Despite its limitations, this is a great game, but it has a lot more potential."[33] A reviewer for Next Generation remarked that while the game is a straight port of the PlayStation version, it is an impeccably accurate one. He applauded the authentic modelling of vehicle crashes, multiple modes, smoothness of gameplay, and inclusion of both network and modem options, and found the game's only downside is that the camera zooms out so little that it can be difficult to see nearby cars.[21]

Reviewing the game's Sega Saturn version, Kim Randell of Computer & Video Games noted its "inferior graphics" that do not have "the sheen and glossiness of its PlayStation counterpart". Randell believed that it was made "much too late to cause the kind of sensation that WipEout did. Comparisons with the PlayStation version are inevitable, and the rather haphazard conversion means that the Saturn version lacks the polish of its rival."[27] Rob Allsetter's review in Sega Saturn Magazine (from the same publisher as Computer & Video Games) recycled most of the text from Randell's review, including the closing remarks.[22]

[34]

Print

Television

A U.S. PlayStation television commercial that aired after the game's release.

Destruction_Derby_Playstation_commercial_(US)

Destruction Derby Playstation commercial (US)


Covers

Front

Back

Cheats

All platforms
  • Enter REFLECT! as a name. When the main menu returns, go to Practice mode. Notice that a new track, Ruined Monastery, will be available. This is normally unlocked when finishing first in the Division 1 in Championship.
  • Enter !DAMAGE! as a name to get invulnerability. Your vehicle is now impossible to be damaged.
PS only
  • Enter CREDITZ! as your name. The credits will be displayed, which will be animated.
  • At the piracy warning screen, press and hold L1 + LEFT + O. An image of the Reflections team will appear.
  • At the beginning of an event, hold X + RIGHT for a few seconds to get 4 points.
  • Select Total Destruction mode from the main menu. As soon as the game starts, pause and exit. If you had 0 seconds on the clock, your name will appear on the scoreboard with either 599.00 seconds or 566.?? seconds.

Some sites have claimed there is a MONKEY name cheat where if you perform five 360° spins, "a monkey will begin running around the track. Hitting the monkey is worth large amounts of points." This cheat is a hoax.

PS and Saturn only
  • Enter NPLAYERS as a name. From the main menu, go to the track selection screen. After you select a track, you will be able to choose the number of competitors.

Some sites have claimed that entering RIDGE and RACER as multiplayer names unlocks a Ridge Racer-style track. This is a hoax, and would not be possible anyway as Ridge Racer is the property of Namco and not Psygnosis. Another hoax is DERBYMAN, "when the event starts, most of your competitors will start out smoking."

DOS only
  • Enter !SPEEDY! as a name. Select a Championship event, and notice that your car is a lot faster.

Warm up - from the manual

Warm-up

An unofficial history of chaos and destruction.

After motor vehicles were discovered, flags began to be used on roads. Destruction Derby arrived shortly after. Want to know why? Read on.

Coloured flags could be called the forerunners of traffic lights. Men used them to direct very heavy traffic. These men, the forerunners of race judges, calmly stood in front of the cars and let them pass one by one. Nowadays their jov would not be much of a contribution to road safety but it was then. The world was not so crazy and cars were not so fast. The judges went to work equipped with a red flag and a green flag. They showed the red flag when a car coming from behind had to stop. Shortly after they showed the green flag, indicating that the driver could continue.

Sometimes a gust of wind would blow the flags into the flagman's face. Flaying his arms in an attempt to get untangled, he goy drivers into a tight spot. Understandably, the drivers got angry at the damage to their vehicles that they could hardly resist the lure of destruction, so they deliberately turned it into a fun pastime. Bales of hay were used to mark the track. With these and a few rules for the starting line, drivers began to take their places. What happened to the flagmen? They were allowed to use their flags to give the starting signal for the destruction track... without coming to any harm of course. That is how something as simple and innocent as waving a couple of flags brought about the birth of such an exciting, savage sport!

Today, most of the world's cities have a Destruction Derby track. Cities like Rome and Athens that still do not have a track can practice their hobby on the city's streets.

You don't need to know all this. You don't even have to know how to drive. Right now you own just about the most incredible, fascinating game in the world. So invite a couple of friends in, turn the sound up... and cause some destruction out there!

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Staff (June 1995). "Demolish 'em Derby". Edge (21): 28. 
  2. Staff (August 1995). "Head to head". Next Generation (8): 50–52. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Staff (September 1995). "Destruction Derby". Next Generation (9): 58–62.  Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "nextgen4" defined multiple times with different content
  4. "The History of Psygnosis". Retro Asylum: 44. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Staff (July 1995). "Demolition Derby". Next Generation (7): 59. 
  6. This paragraph is mostly credited to JimmyBlackwing on Wikipedia.
  7. This paragraph is mostly credited to JimmyBlackwing on Wikipedia.
  8. "CTW Games Guide". Computer Trade Weekly (United Kingdom) (559): 32. 16 October 1995. 
  9. Destruction Derby. Sega Retro.
  10. 3D Acceleration Comparison Ep9: Destruction Derby - S3 Virge/Software. RetroCompaqGuy (on YouTube) (9 September 2012).
  11. DESTRUCTION DERBY (PS) review (13 June 2013).
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Edge Magazine (26): 67. November 1995. 
  13. Retro Corner: Destruction Derby (4 May 2012).
  14. This information (inc. on track articles) is mostly credited to Totalinarian on Wikipedia
  15. Wendell Martin (24 February 1996). Destruction Derby FAQ 1.2.
  16. Law667 (19 December 1995). DESTRUCTION DERBY for PSX FAQ v1.0. GameFAQs.
  17. This section is mostly credited to KaisaL on Wikipedia.
  18. This section is mostly credited to Totalinarian 2007 on Wikipedia.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Victor Lucas (television producer) (29 October 1995). Destruction Derby. The Electric Playground. Archived from the original on 4 August 1997.
  20. 20.0 20.1 "Smashing". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (№11): 170. November 1995. 
  21. 21.0 21.1 "Here Comes Another One...". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (№14): 172. February 1996. 
  22. 22.0 22.1 Allsetter, Rob (October 1996). "Review: Destruction Derby". Sega Saturn Magazine (Emap International Limited) (№12): 70-71. 
  23. https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:SSM_JP_19960823_1996-14.pdf&page=241
  24. Destruction Derby Review for PC. GameSpot (archived) (1 May 1996).
  25. Destruction Derby - IGN. IGN (21 November 1996).
  26. Sonic the Comic (№95): 10. 
  27. 27.0 27.1 Randell, Kim. Destruction Derby. Computer & Video Games. Archived from the original on 16 September 2007.
  28. https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:SSM_UK_12.pdf&page=70
  29. Weekly Famitsu (№406): 29. 
  30. GameFan (Vol 3 Issue №12): 16. 
  31. Superjuegos (№43): 47. November 1995. 
  32. Captain Squideo (November 1995). "Destruction Derby". GamePro (86): 54. 
  33. Olafson, Peter (February 1996). "Car Wars". Computer Gaming World (139): 68, 70, 72, 254. 
  34. This section is mostly credited to JimmyBlackwing on Wikipedia.

Credits

Design
  • Martin Edmondson
Programming
  • Russell Lazzari, William Musson, Michael Troughton, Robert Troughton
Graphics / Artwork
  • Phil Baxter
3D Modelling
  • Martin Edmondson
Music and sound effects
  • Elliot Sumner, Tim Swan
Voices
  • Steve Cooke, Jessica Martin
Producer
  • Tony Parks
Product Management
  • Joanne Galvin, Michelle Harris
Marketing / PR (France)
  • Catherine Jaymond
Marketing / PR (UK)
  • Glen O'Connell
Public Relations Germany
  • Ingo Zaborowski
Documentation
  • Huw Thomas
German Manual Translation
  • Ulrich Mühl
Project Lead
  • Clemens Wangerin
Packaging
  • Peter Dyke
Quality Assurance
  • Jonathon Wild
Box and manual design
  • At Work Werbeagentur GmbH; Wiesbaden, Germany