Death Rally (PC, 1994)

In Death Rally you start off as a poor racer with a crappy car, like in every other racing game. There are different races that you are able to enter, but entering a race costs you money. The more money you pay for a race the tougher your opponents will be but also the greater the reward. Before the race you can purchase new cars, or upgrade the car that you already own. The customization options are minimal, but all have a practical use. You can buy a bigger engine for your ride; giving your ride more speed. You can also buy thicker armor, mines, bumper spikes for your ride or sabotage of another racer. In Death Rally you get a large bonus if you manage to destroy every other car in the race. If that happens not only will you win the money for the 1st place in the race, but you also get a special bonus from the Grim Ripper. The gameplay is fun and addictive, but the handling of the cars takes some getting used to. Both the sound effects and the graphics of the game are poor, even at the time of Death Rally's release its presentation was far from being 'cutting edge'.

Death Rally is a top-down perspective racing video game developed by Remedy, published by Apogee and distributed by GT Interactive. It was released on September 6, 1996. In the game, widely praised as one of the best games of the year, the player starts with $495 in their pocket and a lowly car named Vagabond (based on the VW Beetle), and must compete in deadly races where all cars are armed, and win money by finishing top, collecting money bonus or fulfilling missions. The final goal is defeating the Adversary, the undisputed king of Death Rally.