Despite all the attempts, rip offs, variations, and clone efforts - no cast of characters has ever dethroned the characters of Twisted Metal as being amongst the most captivating (and insane) pack in the genre of combat racing. Sweet Tooth (who redefines the phobia of clowns), Calypso (the most megalomaniacal mastermind of them all), and the rest of the gang have been through their ups and downs in the Twisted Metal series - and the last release, Twisted Metal: Black, was definitely the pinnacle of achievement. Twisted Metal: Small Brawl? Well, let's just say that if this was the stock market - there would be quite a few bears hanging around the PSX console as you're playing this title.. 

Let me start off by saying that the concept of Twisted Metal: Small Brawl was an intriguing one. Take the characters from the well-known series (actually the cast from TM2), make them that terrifying pre-teen age and let them loose with their radio control cars all over the house, mini-golf course, playground, a treehouse and a slew of other interesting places that just can't be compared to anything else you've seen. Sounds good doesn't it? A frivolous side-trip at least for a long running series, you would think.

The gameplay at it's core is the essence of the Twisted Metal series, with fairly logical to master controls and an array of different vehicles - each with their own pros and cons. Special weapon attacks are still included, but they are slightly "twisted" from their original forms. Fields are still cleared, and you will still encounter bosses. The storyline is a bit chopped, and most players probably won't notice it as they will be more focused on the combat action. The controls, while mostly the same, juggled a few of the commands around - and you'll soon discover how difficult it really is to un-learn the habits you've pretty much had throughout the series. 

Mode-wise, Twisted Metal also remains true to its predecessors with Tournament, Story Mode, Challenge, and Endurance. Multiplayer still includes the staple head-to-head, cooperative, and the "last-man-standing" type mode. Configuration options are limited, I am assuming because of the younger target audience, but these three modes (reverse, normal, and twisted metal modes) are mostly restricted to basic controls and don't change the experience all that much. There also aren't too many side trips to take along the way in any mode - so all of this together leads to a game that doesn't have much of a replayability factor.

Level design has it's plusses. The kitchen was particularly fun - complete with countertop and floor action, as well as a nifty little can opened to use to your advantage. The settings all include the ramps, jumps, ledges, and other hazards you're used to, but they're just a little different than usual. The mini golf course has golf balls you can use to ram into your opponent, as well as all those other fun things you have enough trouble avoiding during a real-life game of mini-golf. This provided a source of amusement for us - and to be honest, the level design was the real factor that kept us pushing through the game - just to see what was next.

Graphics. This is without a doubt the weakest point of Twisted Metal: Small Brawl and it is responsible for a good portion, but not all, of the shock I felt when playing this game. The cars and settings seemed to have regressed in history, even past Twisted Metal 2, with a very grainy and primitive feeling to the entirety of the game. Items seem pixilated and most of the time you're going to watch things fade in and out of clarity. Attack effects are rather chaotic splotches of color across the screen and they mostly end up being distracting. Most of the time, you can guess what things are, but there are more than isolated occasions where you don't really know what a particular landmark is until it's too late.

The main question Twisted Metal: Small Brawl had me asking was: "Are you SURE this is the same team that developed Twisted Metal: Black, and the first two Twisted Metals?" While we were practically salivating to get started on this title, we spent an hour trying to get past the very unfinished feeling graphics and lack of any real depth to the changes included in Small Brawl. And this isn't just because we're adults, because I've had plenty of fun playing games target toward a younger age group. Small Brawl just seems like it was rushed or neglected, and if you don't rent this one first, you will probably be sorry (you may even be sorry if you do and feel as disappointed as we did). 

Graphics: 5 
The graphics of Twisted Metal: Small Brawl were very disappointing. Many times you would have to guess what certain items were (or you wouldn't figure it out until you collided with, fell off, or destroyed them). Even the graphics of TM 2 seemed better than the graphics in small brawl.

Sound: 6
Sound is pretty average, and not very impressive for the series.

Concept: 7
I was really excited when I first heard about Twisted Metal: Small Brawl. With such a reliably fascinating core of characters - what could have been better than seeing the roots of their dementia? Just picturing these denizens of destruction taking control of a kitchen and all it's appliances was enough to bring a small bit of light to the game.

Overall: 5.5
I'm pretty sure I can't recommend this game to anyone other than the Twisted Metal fanatic (and even if you are, I'm warning you to rent first). Newcomers to the series will get entirely the wrong impression if they play this title first. The graphics are just far too retro, and combined with the unfinished feeling to the game, it really takes away from what could have been a fantastic and entertaining addition to Twisted Metal.