How many of you have secretly wished you had machine guns mounted on your car so that you could blast people right off the road? Come on now, 'fess up...you might not admit it, BUT I KNOW BETTER! In Interstate '76, Activision's engaging auto-combat game, you can do just that. Interstate '76 is a native Windows 95 game that comes on two CD-ROMs, one for installation and the other for playing.

Installation was a snap; because the game was designed for Windows 95, you don't have to worry about sound and video configuration. You can choose between options for installation size based on performance of your system. I chose the minimum install and performance has been acceptable; if you have a slower Pentium you may need to go with the maximum install (80 MB HD space).

When I first looked at the package I thought, "Cool! DOOM in a car!" Nothing could be further from the truth. Interstate '76 is more a 3D-driving simulator than a DOOM-type game, but it has plenty of shooting for all you trigger-happy gamers. The game comes with a detailed 70-page manual ("Auto Vigilante Compendium") and a handy color-coded reference card.

Interstate '76 is set in the Southwest in 1976, and the game has a very nostalgic '70s feel, enhanced by the funky music. You play the part of Groove Champion, a reluctant vigilante trying to avenge your sister (who you discover was also a vigilante) who was murdered by auto-villains terrorizing the region. Your "wing-man" is Taurus, a dude that looks and talks like he stepped right out of "The Mod Squad". Taurus acts as your guide in the game scenarios, leads you to your next mission, fights alongside you, and makes plenty of hilarious comments when you accidentally run into his car. Be forewarned that the language in the game uses some four-letter words, which I suppose were put in for atmosphere. Although the dialogue can get pretty funny, it's definitely not a game for young kids. Interstate '76 is rated "Teen" (ages 13+), probably as much for the violence as for the dialogue.

The single-player missions each have a different feel and can get pretty involved. Taurus (the Afro-haired dude) guides you into each mission and explains the objectives. It is imperative to keep up with Taurus at the beginning of each mission; lose him and you'll have to start the mission over again. An annoying feature is the inability to save a game in the middle; the only place you can save is when you've successfully completed a mission. In spite of this omission and the use of four-letter words in the dialogue, Interstate '76 is a great 3D game that is literally a blast to play. A really nice feature is the total 3D freedom you have when driving your vehicle (read my lips - you don't have to stay on the road). And the physics of the cars are pretty good too, with the ability to skid, fishtail, jump, and ram into both stationary and moving objects with resultant damage to both (yes, you can hit a bump wrong, roll your vehicle, and burst into flames). Between missions, your mechanic (Skeeter) will make custom repairs to your car from the supply of parts salvaged from your victims.

In addition to the single-player missions, Interstate '76 also has multiplayer options for competing with friends, enemies, or whatever, over a local area network (LAN), modem, and Internet. There is even an "instant melee" option that allows a single player to battle multiple computer-controlled opponents in several different arena-like settings (I particularly liked this). For the melee and multiplayer games, you can choose from 30 different auto models (from dune buggies to large trucks and lots of stuff in-between) and customize them with over 20 forward, rear, and dropped armaments (i.e., machine guns, cannons, missiles, flame-throwers, mortars, oil slicks, land mines, and many others). You can even change the look of your vehicle by altering the color. Other features include binoculars (to zoom-in on what's up ahead), a notepad (displays mission objectives), and maps (to guide you through each mission).

Graphically, Interstate '76 is eye-candy. The game supports many different viewing (cam) angles in addition to the driver's-seat view (my favorite is the Adjustable External Cam, which allows zooming in and out). The programmers put in a lot of nice extras (I love the way you leave skid marks when you scratch-out, and the bullet-holes and smoke that show up when your car gets hit).

Bottom Line:  Activision has a winner on their hands with Interstate '76. Game-play is great, graphics are amazing, action is exciting, and the story line is engaging. Besides that, it's a load of fun! What are you waiting for?

System Tested On:  IBM-compatible PC with a 133Mhz Pentium; Windows 95; 64-bit PCI-bus SVGA video card; 32 Mb of RAM; 8x CD-ROM drive; 16-bit SoundBlaster-compatible sound card; mouse

Minimum System:  100% Windows 95-compatible PC; Pentium 90 MHz processor; VESA local bus or PCI video with 1 MB RAM; 16 MB RAM; 80 MB hard drive space (uncompressed); quad-speed CD-ROM drive; 256-color SVGA display (640x480); sound card; input devices (supports any 100% Windows 95-compatible input device)

Technical support is available by phone (toll number), e-mail, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.activision.com.

Activision, P.O. Box 67713, Los Angeles, California  90067-9546