Burnout was one of those marvelous games that only Playstation 2 owners would be able to enjoy; until now. Acclaim has confirmed a GameCube release of Burnout around the third quarter 2002 fiscal year – somewhere between March and May of this year, 2002. With that said and done we should probably take a look at how the game plays and what the point of the game even is. Burnout is not your typical arcade racing game; at first glance it has a lot in common with them: You are racing against a pack of other drivers and you must be the first across the finish line while crossing checkpoints that will add much needed time to your clock. All of that is typical, however, you have a 'boost meter' and the only way to fill that up is racking up points for pulling off insane stunts. You will have to play chicken with buses and pulling out to escape within a thousandth of a second. Another example of how you can get your boost meter filled up is by simply racing into oncoming traffic! In the Playstation 2 version of Burnout Criterion was able to get this game running at a rock-solid pace of 60 frames per second, so the conversion should be smooth as silk; also we should expect to see some improvements during the porting process. Burnout should be able to release right on schedule due to the GameCube being incredibly efficient and easy to develop for. When this game is released stateside I can assure you that we will have a import review of it up ASAP as I plan to get my hands on this baby as soon as Acclaim lets me.

There is no story whatsoever, but racers don't need stories to create a reason to play them; they just need fast cars and ferocious opponents; Burnout is set to offer both. While racing down the road you will encounter more than 300 pedestrian-driven vehicles that will fill the highways and streets that offer you an unlimited amount of things to crash into. However, as all good drivers don't much like getting their car thrashed and bent out of shape, they will try to avoid you and all the other of your racing buddies. The fact that the crash and damage physics are based on actual physics formulas and models also lends to the unique nature of this game. If you have played, or even seen the movies on Acclaim's Burnout website then you will know all too well of what I am talking about. If you have not then here is a quick description of a scene depicted in the Burnout trailer: As you are down the wrong side of the road in your taxi cab you blink only to see that you are within inches of an oncoming bus, there is only one thing to do – hold on. The bus violently smashes into your front end, but doesn't send you flying (due to the real physics); instead the bus carries you, backwards, as your back end is sparking from being plowed into the ground… Sounds good to me. The car crashes are not the only reason why you would play this game though (although it is a great reason), the reason why would play this game is simply because you get the thrill of racing opponents that are said to have advanced AI that will have you begging for mercy, however, pull off enough stunts and fill up your boost meter and you can leave those drivers back in the dust. Also you are offered a great deal of cars to choose from, each with their own unique traits, such as weight, mass, acceleration, top speed, etc… Along with having their own mass and weight you will get different results from crashes, creating endless fun by just being broadsided by another driver; not to mention all the other ways in which to crash in the 14 traffic-filled levels provided.

The graphics and sound on the PS2 were made to please the eyes and ears, with white-knuckle speed and ear shattering sound; this was a game that showcased the graphical and aural capabilities of the PS2. This can only get better on the GameCube, hopefully the developer that works on the port will take advantage of GameCube's advanced hardware that allows for better looking textures and full-scene FSAA, among the many other great advances (from PS2) in the GameCube hardware. The sound may not be on par with the PS2 though, as the GameCube doesn't technically support Dolby Digital 5.1, but if they pull off a trick like Factor 5 did with Rogue Squadron 2 then we should be able to virtually hear everything the way it was meant to be heard; But those without a Dolby Digital 5.1 setup most likely will not notice a difference anyway. The rest of this section talks about the graphics as they were on the PS2 system (as GameCube specific screenshots have not been released), so please keep that in mind. The graphics coupled with the intricate details make Burnout quite photo-realistic: The cars patiently wait at red lights as others drive by in front of them to quickly make it before their lights turn red, street signs hang all over telling you where you are and such, small boats sit beside the docks, there is so much more detail in Burnout that it would take forever to tell you everything. The vehicle models are very detailed as well, tail lights, turn signals, cargo on the semi's that you actually have a chance to drive; there is so many details for a gamer to love in this game that I can't even explain it properly. The physics and damage engine in Burnout are by far the best I have ever seen in a game. As you crash your windshield shatters, your body crumples, and depending on how you are hit – you fly, roll over and mangle every part of your car. I am actually having a difficult time describing this aspect of the game just because I have never seen anything like this before. I have played and loved GTA 3, it has fine crashes, but they just seem very sub-par when compared to what the crashes in Burnout have to offer you.

Burnout may very well be in a class of its own if I can successfully pull this off on the GameCube such as it did on the PS2. GameCube doesn't have much in the way of racing games, so this will most likely be a great addition to the GameCube's library that will really start filling up quick once spring has sprung. The graphics are top notch on the PS2 and can only get better with the conversion over to GameCube, the sound was also great but that may be a little detail that could degrade as Burnout is ported to the aurally underpowered GameCube. Criterion has made one heck of a fun arcade style racer and I hope that they won't make the mistake that Neversoft did with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, and try to rush their game onto the shelves.