November 5, 1995

21 years ago, PlayStation users were introduced to the high-octane action game Twisted Metal. The game’s aggressive gameplay would make it one of the most distinctive games on the system.

In 1994, struggling filmmaker David Jaffe became a video game designer for developer Traveller’s Tales. Jaffe’s movie sensibilities made him a perfect fit for the job when the general game landscape was becoming more complex and cinematic. After heading work on the shockingly decent Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse, Jaffe earned a lead designer position at SingleTrac to help develop games for Sony’s upcoming PlayStation console.

One day while the SingleTrac devs were carpooling in agonizingly slow Los Angeles traffic, the glorious idea of blowing up all the neighboring cars with a bazooka started to sound more and more like a good idea. Since doing that in real life would be extremely horrible, the creative team naturally thought it might make a fun video game instead. Twisted Metal offered plenty of those explosive thrills in a chaotic, free-for-all, drive-and-gun gameplay package.

The game takes place within a multi-stage battle to the death contest on the nighttime streets of Los Angeles. To progress to the next level, the player must destroy increasing numbers of enemy vehicles, with their’s being the sole survivor in the end. Players have the choice between twelve ridiculous-looking cars, All vehicles have machine guns mounted on them, with various other usable weapons scattered around levels.

The game can be played in a one-player story mode that offers some backstory to the gameplay. The “Twisted Metal” competition is run by a man named Calypso and each player can only communicate with the mysterious figure by e-mail. The final driver alive is awarded a single wish of unlimited size or scope.

What is your opinion of Twisted Metal? Did the game scare you as a child? We’re, uh… asking for a friend.

Let us know in the comments below.