I guess I shouldn't have expected much from a game they were selling for $10 at amazon.com, but this wasn't one of these current $10 games, it was made in 1997. So what am I getting at here? The game plays like today's $10 games.

Test Drive 4 was originally released in 1997, before Gran Turismo, and right when San Francisco Rush and Cruisn' USA was released. While it's a series on it's own, this game steals too many elements from other racers.

The courses run from Point A to Point B, like Cruisn' USA, the cars seem like they came from Need for Speed, and the physics are a cross between SF Rush and Cruisn USA. Why couldn't everything be original?

Graphically, the game looks adequate by 1997 standards, which is safe to say that there wasn't much to compare to befor that. Still, there's a lot of draw-in, clipping and occasional slowdown. The cars are a mixed bag. Some look like their real counter parts, while others (like the 300ZX) look rushed. Also, the opponent cars seem to lose their wheels by a certain distance, which makes them look like hovercars. There goes realism. At least nothing much is flat.

The sound is disappointing, because the cover say's there's music, but they don't say it only plays in the menu. What's up with that? I want some driving music! The car effects are decent, but the tire screeching sound is shrill and uninviting.

The worst aspect of the game is the control. It never feels tight, and oversteer is bad. The game also supports analog control, but doesn't use it efficently. You can't use the buttons for gas and brake, rather, you have to suffer with the right stick. A feature like this should be optional, not manditory.

While TD4 has a few modes of play, and a good selection of cars, the overall gameplay is weak. Try NFS 3 or the N64 version of San Francisco Rush for a good arcade fix.

Recommended: No