Smashing Drive is a racing game that was published by Namco and originally developed by Gaelco. The game was released in arcades on December 2000, and was then ported by Point o View to Nintendo Gamecube on February 2002. A port for Gameboy Advance was made by DSI Games and Raylight Studios, which was released on November 2004.
Gameplay[]
In the game, you drive a taxi cab through New York City, picking up passengers taking them to their destinations before time runs out. At the end of a stage, the player's score is based on the amount of time it took to reach the destination, the cab's condition, the rival being passed, and the number of shortcuts obtained.
The game has four levels. In the first three levels, you pick up three passengers and drive them to their destinations as fast as you can before the time runs out. As you drive the passengers to their destinations, you can collect special power-ups along the way. The power ups give the taxi cab special abilities to smash through things like traffic and other things in the cab's way easily.
If time runs out, or you fail to beat the CPU at the end of route, the taxi stops and the passenger in the cab climbs out and gets angry at the cab driver for not getting the passenger to his or her destination or failing to beat the CPU to where the passenger wanted to go to. If you get a record lap when you reach the end of route, getting the passenger to his of her destination, the passenger gives good advice to the cab driver and thanks the driver for getting the passenger to where he or she wanted to go to. If you get a high score at the end of a level, you get to drive through the bonus route, which is driving to the third passenger's destination again while the background flashes colors.
The fourth level of the game follows a longer version of the bonus route from the first three levels.
Power-ups[]
Sonic[]
This power-up gives the taxi cab two special horns that make a loud sonic blast which causes cars and other things in the cab's way to explode (this power up is good for getting rid of traffic jams).
4x4 (Bigfoot in arcade version)[]
This power up gives the taxi cab big monster truck tires so it can crush anything in its route like cars and other things.
Crash[]
This power up gives the taxi cab special pushers that cause cars and other vehicles to explode when the cab hits them with them (these pushers are also good for clearing other things out of the way).
Turbo[]
This power-up gives the taxi cab fast turbo booster flames which makes the cab zoom fast like a rocket, this power-up is good to get the passengers to their destinations faster (it also can make the cab do stuff like climb buildings and other stunts).
Glider[]
This power-up gives the taxi cab special glider wings which can make the cab steer in any directions while in the air after jumping over a ramp to cover longer distances.
Cutter[]
This power-up gives the taxi cab round power saws that can help the cab cut through long objects like trailer trucks and trains.
Repair[]
This power-up fixes any damages on the taxi cab if it gets any damage.
Time[]
This power-up gives you extra time if you collect it.
Mystery[]
This power-up, denoted by a question mark, is a secret that gives the taxi cab a special surprise if you collect it.
Levels[]
Early Bird[]
The taxi cab first picks up a camera toting tourist and must take him to Downtown Brooklyn. The cab takes a shortcut through the airport and could take another shortcut through a big sewer pipe, or can take a shortcut through a construction site.
Next, the cab must take an investment banker to Wall Street. The cab could jump on ramps onto the top railings of the Brooklyn Bridge and take a jump shortcut over a passenger ferry at the docks. The cab can also take a shortcut through a mall to get to the banker's destination faster.
Next, the taxi picks up a lady and her dog and must take them to Little Italy. The cab could take a shortcut between two buildings (using the cutters to slice through the pipes in that shortcut), and also can take another shortcut through a building on fire while fire trucks are putting the fire out. The cab can also use a fire escape as a ramp.
Rush Hour[]
The cab picks up two gangsters and must take them to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The cab can take a shortcut through a grocery store and through a construction yard while the construction vehicles are at work, and also jump off a broken side of a bridge that was caused by a crashed truck and land onto a barge.
The taxi next picks up the camera toting tourist again and has to take him to the Radio Music City Hall. The cab could jump off a ramp using the cutters to slice through a train on a train bridge it goes over, and take a shortcut through an industrial area pipe. It cab could also take a shortcut through a sewer system and over the Rockefeller Center Ice Rink (and could bounce off the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree to collect a line of power ups), and through a building that leads to the tourist's second destination.
Next, the taxi picks up the investment banker again and must take him to West Central Park. Using the turbo boost, the cab could take a turbo boosting shortcut over a building or just go through it, running over people's desks. The cab could also jump over a ramp taking a shortcut through the top floor of a church. The cab takes a shortcut through the American Museum of Natural History to get to the banker's second destination.
Night Owl[]
The taxi picks up a grocery toting lady and has to take her to the Sea and Air Museum. The cab can take a shortcut through a parking lot to get her to her destination faster.
Next, the taxi picks up the lady and her dog again and must take them to the intersection of 5th Avenue and 34th Street. The cab could take a shortcut over the Sea and Air Museum's deck and jump over the edge of the aircraft carrier, through a helicopter and onto the roof of a building. The cab could also take a shortcut through the bus station where it will jump over the edge and collect a line of power ups, and also through a basketball stadium during the middle of a basketball game.
Next, the cab picks up the gangsters again and must take them to Times Square. The cab drives around Central Park, and races a giant ape (possibly King Kong) to the Empire State Building. Using the turbo and crash power ups, the cab could bash the giant ape off the Empire State Building as he climbs it and the cab enters the top of the building and goes down the elevator shaft. The cab could also take another shortcut through a movie theater driving through a theater screen.
Dusk and Wired[]
The taxi picks up the camera toting tourist again and this time must take him to the Statue of Liberty. The cab could take another shortcut through another building on fire while fire trucks are putting the fire out, and could also jump over a ramp onto the roofs of buildings and take another shortcut back through the same mall it went through on the Early Bird Level. The cab always collects the 4x4 power up to use as flotations to get across the water to the Statue of Liberty, the tourist's third destination, and final passenger's destination in the game. After the cab climbs the Statue of Liberty and drops off the tourist to his third destination, the game's end credits roll.
Reception[]
Reviews for Smashing Drive were generally negative for the Gamecube version and mixed for the Game Boy Advance version.