Twisted Metal 4
Twisted Metal 4 is a vehicular combat video game developed and published by 989 Studios for the PlayStation console, released in North America on November 16, 1999.[1] As the fourth main entry in the Twisted Metal series, it shifts the narrative focus to the clownish antagonist Sweet Tooth, who has overthrown the tournament organizer Calypso and now hosts a new deadly contest where combatants pilot customizable armed vehicles across diverse battle arenas.[2] The core gameplay emphasizes arena-based demolition derbies, where players wield an array of weapons including missiles, remote mines, and napalm to eliminate opponents in single-player campaigns or multiplayer modes supporting up to four players.[1] Vehicles feature enhanced customization options compared to prior titles, allowing modifications to health, speed, and weaponry, while levels incorporate interactive environments with destructible objects and strategic hazards.[2] A unique feature permits players to swap the game's soundtrack with their own CDs for a personalized audio experience during matches.[2] Upon release, Twisted Metal 4 received mixed reviews, praised for its fast-paced graphics and balanced weapon variety but criticized for uneven artificial intelligence, lengthy levels, and deviations from the series' established lore.[3] It holds an aggregate critic score of 66% on MobyGames and a user rating of 3.4 out of 5, reflecting its polarizing reception as the least favored entry in the franchise.[2] The title was later made backward compatible on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 via the Classics Catalog in July 2025.[4]Gameplay
Combat Mechanics
Twisted Metal 4 features third-person vehicular combat where players control armed vehicles in arena-style battles, emphasizing demolition derby-style destruction through direct collisions, missile barrages, and environmental interactions.[5] The core gameplay revolves around maneuvering customizable or preset vehicles to outlast opponents by depleting their health via weapons and ramming, with battles occurring in destructible environments that include hazards like exploding barrels and acid pools.[6] Unlike earlier entries, the game introduces boss encounters at each level, representing enhanced versions of standard contestants, which add structured challenges to the free-form combat.[6] Vehicle controls build on the scheme from Twisted Metal III but include adjustments for improved responsiveness, such as flipped acceleration and handbrake buttons to enhance precision.[7] Players accelerate forward with the primary drive button, brake or reverse to halt momentum, and use strafing mechanics via shoulder buttons (L1 and R1) to sidestep while firing the unlimited machine gun, allowing for evasive circling around foes.[5] Jumping is executed through a dedicated input, often combined with turbo for mid-air boosts, enabling players to vault over obstacles or avoid ground-based attacks, while a handbrake facilitates tight turns and drifts in confined arenas.[8] These controls contribute to a more fluid handling experience compared to Twisted Metal III, with tighter turning radii and reduced floatiness that minimize unintended rollovers, though the physics remain touchy and prone to vehicles getting stuck on ledges.[6][8] Weapons form the backbone of combat, divided into pickup-based armaments, energy combos, and vehicle-specific specials, all designed for varied tactical approaches in vehicular skirmishes.[5] Common pickups include Fire Missiles for light homing shots, Homing Missiles for stronger guided attacks, Power Missiles for high-damage non-homing blasts, Napalm for area-denial fire trails, Remote Bombs that detonate on command, Ricochet Bombs that bounce off surfaces, Landmines (including Proximity Mines that trigger near enemies), and advanced options like M.I.R.V. (launching five homing missiles) or Mortar (homing with a large explosion radius).[5] Energy combos, powered by a regenerating meter, enable abilities such as Freeze Burst (homing ice projectile), Teleport (instant relocation to the arena center), Invisibility for temporary cloaking, or Massive Attack (barrage of seven missiles at high cost).[5] Each vehicle has a unique special attack, like Sweet Tooth's flamethrower for close-range incineration or Meter Maid's energy ray for piercing shots, which recharge over time and encourage character-specific strategies.[5] Close-range combat supplements ranged options with ramming for direct damage and special maneuvers like the Auger (spinning drill on select vehicles) that inflict escalating harm through prolonged contact.[5] Health management relies on a depletable bar, with no automatic regeneration but restoration via Partial Health pickups (adding 49 points) or Full Health icons for complete recovery, alongside visual cues like dents and smoke appearing at half health.[5] Environmental hazards amplify combat risks, such as acid pools that erode health on contact or collapsing structures that can crush vehicles, integrating arena destruction into the damage system.[5] The physics engine, dubbed TruPhysics, enhances collision detection for realistic impacts and vehicle deformation, supporting smoother battles than in Twisted Metal III through softer, more forgiving dynamics that allow for acrobatic flips without excessive punishment.[3] In single-player modes, AI opponents mimic human tactics by pursuing pickups, utilizing teleport and shields, and avoiding hazards like fire, though they underuse advanced combos like Massive Attacks and struggle with proximity mine placement.[5] This AI behavior promotes aggressive, adaptive combat while occasionally exploiting predictable patterns for player advantage.[5]Game Modes
Twisted Metal 4 offers a variety of game modes centered on vehicular combat, allowing players to engage in structured campaigns or casual battles against AI or human opponents. The core single-player experience is the Tournament Mode, where players select a vehicle and navigate through 8 distinct battlegrounds, each comprising multiple waves of AI-controlled enemies culminating in a boss fight. Starting with 5 lives shared across the mode, the objective is to eliminate all opponents in each arena to advance, with the last vehicle standing determining victory; completing the tournament unlocks the defeated bosses as playable characters in subsequent playthroughs. This mode supports one or two players, including a co-op option where a second player joins via split-screen, sharing lives with an optional CPU ally to assist against AI foes.[9][5] Multiplayer modes emphasize competitive and cooperative play, with Deathmatch serving as the primary versus option for up to 4 players using a multi-tap adapter for split-screen battles. In Deathmatch, players compete in selected arenas with customizable settings, such as the number of AI opponents (up to 7) and whether worlds repeat after completion; win conditions include being the last vehicle remaining or accumulating points via kills within a time limit. A Practice Mode enables free roaming in any unlocked arena without opponents, ideal for testing vehicle handling and weapon pickups like health and remote bombs that appear sporadically during matches. Co-op extends to Deathmatch indirectly through team settings, though the tournament's built-in two-player support provides the most direct collaborative experience against AI.[9][3] Gameplay across modes is influenced by three difficulty levels—Easy, Medium, and Hard—which adjust AI aggression, accuracy, and the frequency of weapon drops, making higher settings more challenging with relentless enemy pursuit and reduced resource availability. A password system allows players to resume tournament progress from specific points or access advanced options, entered via the main menu for seamless continuation. Hidden unlockables enhance replayability, including secret Deathmatch arenas like The Pits and The Citadel that become available after tournament victories, as well as boss vehicles that join the roster post-completion, encouraging multiple runs to explore varied strategic approaches in combat arenas.[5][9]Story and Characters
Plot Summary
The Twisted Metal tournament is an annual vehicular deathmatch competition originally organized by the enigmatic Calypso, who invites drivers to battle for survival with the promise of granting the sole winner any wish they desire, often twisted in ironic or malevolent fashion.[2] This high-stakes event draws contestants driven by personal vendettas, desires for power, or quests for redemption, setting the stage for chaotic vehicular warfare across destructible environments.[9] In Twisted Metal 4, the core narrative shifts dramatically as the iconic clown driver Sweet Tooth, also known as Needles Kane, stages a violent overthrow of Calypso at the tournament's outset, seizing control and exiling his predecessor.[2] Assuming the role of Chief Clown of Operations (CCO), Sweet Tooth now hosts the event himself, infusing it with his deranged circus aesthetic and promising to grant wishes through his captured wish-granting ring, though his interpretations promise even greater peril and dark twists.[9] This coup introduces themes of revenge, unbridled chaos, and macabre humor, as Calypso himself enters as a vengeful contestant piloting a massive Soviet-era missile launcher.[9] The tournament unfolds with 13 contestants clashing in a series of brutal battles across eight nightmarish arenas inspired by Sweet Tooth's twisted visions, such as abandoned carnivals and oversized bedrooms turned warzones.[2] Players progress through escalating confrontations, eliminating rivals level by level until facing enhanced boss enemies in a climactic rush, all while the overarching story emphasizes the contestants' motivations tied to their coveted wishes—ranging from personal atonement to destructive ambitions—without revealing individual outcomes.[9]Character Roster
Twisted Metal 4 features a roster of 13 playable characters available from the start, primarily original creations with a few altered returns like Calypso and Goggle Eyes, each piloting unique armed vehicles with special weapons reflecting their personalities and motivations for entering the tournament under Sweet Tooth's rule.[9][10] New entrants introduce themes of horror, military excess, and eccentricity, such as Rob Zombie (as Mr. Zombie) and Drag Queen. Unlockable characters, including bosses like Minion and Super Axel, expand the roster to 22 in total, accessible after completing story mode levels. Vehicle stats vary, with factors like health, speed, armor, and handling influencing combat performance, though special weapons provide character-specific advantages in battles.[10] The roster emphasizes individual narratives tied to the tournament's wish-granting prize, with each character's ending depicting a darkly ironic fulfillment of their desire upon victory, granted by Sweet Tooth. Below is a catalog of the default playable characters, highlighting their drivers, vehicles, and brief backstories where documented, followed by unlockable bosses.| Character | Vehicle | Driver/Details | Backstory Summary | Special Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calypso | Nuke Mobile | Calypso (exiled organizer) | Overthrown by Sweet Tooth, enters as contestant seeking revenge with nuclear arsenal. | Nuclear Missile |
| Captain Grimm | Pirate Ship Car | Dead pirate captain | Undead pirate tired of routine hauntings, seeks adventure in the tournament. | Cannon Fire |
| Drag Queen | Hot Rodder | Dennis "Petunia" Flanders | Flamboyant drag racer seeking fame and acceptance in a misunderstood life. | Feather Boa Bombs |
| General Warthog | WW1 Tank (Trojan) | General Dominic Warthog, age 99 | Obsessive warmonger aiming to build an unbeatable army through victory. | Ion Blaster |
| Goggle Eyes | Roach Coach | 26-year-old exterminator | Twisted by roach infestations, enters to eradicate pests and prove his sanity. | Green Acid Spray |
| Meter Maid | 3-Wheeled Meter Car | Tina Delaney, age 23 | Strict enforcer frustrated by chaos, wishes for ultimate control over disorder. | Ticket Bombs |
| Micro Blast | Toy Car | 29-year-old elf (leprechaun-like) | Mischievous figure allying with Sweet Tooth for world domination via tiny terror. | Gatling Gun |
| Mr. Zombie | Dragula (hearse) | Rob Zombie (undead musician) | Revived rocker aiming to unleash undead horde and conquer through macabre music. | Zombie Summon |
| Orbital | Sleek Sports Car | 41-year-old disfigured spy | Scarred operative seeking restoration to normalcy after a botched mission. | Teleorb (homing orb) |
| Pizza Boy | Illegal Street Racer | 19-year-old delivery extortionist | Dominates streets with armed pizzas, enters for ultimate power in his territory. | Pizza Cutter Blades |
| Quatro | Xeon Hoverbike | Alien law enforcer | Intergalactic cop pursuing Sweet Tooth for a massive bounty. | Microwave Shockwave |
| The Joneses | Family Wagon | Suburban family | Bored couple and kids seeking excitement beyond mundane suburbia. | Family Fireworks |
| Trash Man | Garbage Truck | 42-year-old waste manager | Vengeful sanitation worker wanting to bury the world in trash as revenge. | Trash Compactor Claws |
Development
Studio Transition
Following the release of Twisted Metal II in 1996, development of the series transitioned from external studio SingleTrac to Sony's in-house team at 989 Studios. SingleTrac, responsible for the first two entries, had completed its contractual obligations with Sony and was subsequently acquired by publisher GT Interactive, which precluded further work on the Twisted Metal intellectual property.[11] As a result, 989 Studios assumed responsibility for Twisted Metal III and Twisted Metal 4, marking the second and final games under their leadership.[12] The handover occurred amid corporate restructuring at Sony, with 989 Studios—formed as a division of Sony Computer Entertainment America—focusing on titles optimized for PlayStation hardware to ensure exclusivity and seamless integration with the console's capabilities.[12] The team at 989 Studios built a new game engine from scratch to support the series' evolution on PlayStation.[12] Twisted Metal III was announced and released in November 1998, continuing the rapid yearly release cadence established by the franchise.[11] Twisted Metal 4 entered development shortly thereafter, with previews emerging in mid-1999. A preserved beta build from September 29, 1999, reveals early prototypes featuring incomplete elements, such as the absence of intro music, altered title screen layouts, and remnants of unused levels that were not included in the final version. The studio transition was reportedly marked by tension, as SingleTrac responded to the loss of the Twisted Metal rights by developing Vigilante 8, a rival vehicular combat title released in 1998. This move underscored underlying friction in the handover process, contributing to SingleTrac's eventual closure in 2000 after GT Interactive's acquisition by Take-Two Interactive.[11]Design and Production
In response to criticisms of Twisted Metal III's handling and opponent AI, the development team at 989 Studios, directed by Jonathan Beard, refined the core mechanics for Twisted Metal 4. The game features improved vehicle control and more aggressive opponents that utilize environmental hazards, as noted in contemporary reviews.[3] The title expanded weapon variety with new options like the flame thrower and proximity mines, alongside returning favorites, allowing for greater strategic depth in combat encounters.[13] The level design process emphasized diversity to keep arenas fresh and engaging, resulting in 13 unique environments that ranged from urban chaos to fantastical settings. Examples include Neon City, a sprawling urban landscape filled with towering skyscrapers and narrow alleys for high-speed chases; Amazonia 3000 B.C., a prehistoric jungle with dense foliage, rivers, and ancient ruins that encouraged ambush tactics; and Sweet Tooth's Bedroom, a bizarre, toy-strewn interior with oversized furniture and hidden traps for close-quarters mayhem.[5] These arenas were crafted to balance open spaces for long-range attacks with confined areas for intense duels, drawing from beta testing feedback that highlighted the need to fix collision detection issues in complex geometries.[3] Character and vehicle redesigns aimed to refresh the roster while maintaining series traditions, including the introduction of a celebrity tie-in with musician Rob Zombie, who pilots the Dragula—a hot rod inspired by his hit song and featuring custom flame decals and high-speed capabilities.[14] To ensure fairness, the team balanced vehicle stats such as health, speed, armor, and special weapons across the 14 playable contenders, with souped-up versions of fan-favorite characters like Super Axel and Super Thumper serving as stage bosses selected via an internal 989 Studios staff ballot.[15] Production began with concept work in 1998, following the handover to 989 Studios, and progressed through intensive iteration until the game's North American release on November 15, 1999.[2] Beta testing incorporated player feedback on persistent collision glitches, leading to tweaks in the engine for more reliable interactions. On the technical side, the title was optimized for PlayStation hardware, leveraging the console's 33 MHz CPU and 2 MB RAM for detailed textures and particle effects without frame rate drops, though online multiplayer was omitted due to the era's limited networking infrastructure for console games.[3]Audio
Soundtrack
The soundtrack of Twisted Metal 4 consists primarily of licensed tracks from nu-metal, rap-rock, industrial, and electronic artists, selected to complement the game's intense vehicular combat and apocalyptic themes. Developed by 989 Studios, the audio features around a dozen prominent songs integrated across levels, menus, and cutscenes, with additional original compositions for transitional elements; while exact track counts vary in gamerips due to looped segments, core music assets total fewer than 20 distinct pieces. Notable inclusions emphasize high-energy aggression, such as Rob Zombie's "Dragula (Hot Rod Herman Mix)" and Cypress Hill's "Lightning Strikes," aligning with the era's late-1990s alternative rock trends.[16][17] Level-specific music enhances atmospheric variety, with tracks assigned to specific arenas to amplify their mood—for instance, the futuristic Neon City pulses with Cirrus's electronic track "Time's Running Out," while the industrial Oil Rig blasts One Minute Silence's rap-metal "And Some Ya Lose." Other assignments include Ghoulspoon's grunge-infused "Alien Magnet" for Sweet Tooth's Bedroom, Skold's aggressive "Chaos" for the prehistoric Amazonia 3000 B.C., and White Zombie's "Grease Paint and Monkey Brains" for The Carnival, creating immersive backdrops for destruction. The character Mr. Zombie is based on the musician Rob Zombie, who contributed music like "Superbeast (Girl on a Motorcycle Mix)" for Minion's Maze; the role is voiced by Jon St. John, adding to the thematic ties between artist and in-game persona. Licensing focused on contemporary nu-metal and rap-rock acts to evoke chaos, sourced from labels like Geffen and Roadrunner Records, though exact deals remain undocumented beyond in-game credits.[16][17] Menu and introductory themes incorporate original compositions, such as the main menu's instrumental loop of One Minute Silence's "A More Violent Approach" and the intro's "South Central" by the same band, providing a brooding setup without licensed vocals. Additional originals, like brief stings by composers Chuck Doud and Joel Rabins, handle logos and transitions, ensuring seamless flow amid the licensed heavy hitters.[16] No official commercial soundtrack was released for Twisted Metal 4, leaving fans to rely on game rips and unofficial compilations shared online since the late 1990s; these preserves have maintained accessibility, with sites archiving high-quality extractions for preservation.[16][17]| Track Title | Artist | Duration | Assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Central | One Minute Silence | 3:38 | Introduction |
| A More Violent Approach (Instrumental Loop) | One Minute Silence | 1:56 | Main Menu |
| Dragula (Hot Rod Herman Mix) | Rob Zombie | 4:39 | Construction Yard |
| Time's Running Out | Cirrus | 4:29 | Neon City |
| Lightning Strikes | Cypress Hill | 3:34 | Road Rage |
| Alien Magnet | Ghoulspoon | 2:17 | Sweet Tooth’s Bedroom |
| Chaos | Skold | 4:17 | Amazonia 3000 B.C. |
| And Some Ya Lose | One Minute Silence | 3:15 | The Oil Rig |
| Superbeast (Girl on a Motorcycle Mix) | Rob Zombie | 4:34 | Minion's Maze |
| Grease Paint and Monkey Brains | White Zombie | 3:51 | The Carnival |