It doesn't seem to be enough to push a car around a track any more - punters demand the extra thrills of rally driving (Sega Rally), digibabes (Highway 2000) and the County Rangers (Need For Speed) to spice up their road rage.

JVC have risen to the challenge with Impact Racing, a driving/shoot-'em-up hybrid that sees you haring around a number of courses, blowing away the traffic with everything from lasers to heat-seeking missiles and mines. The courses range from a familiar urban landscape to a snowy track and, erm, deep space. Full marks for originality at least. There's a wide variety of high-powered cars, an armory of weaponry and plenty of power-ups for both to pick up on the way. Good scores are rewarded with the chance to soup up your car with laser cannons and smart boms, all of which can be activated against your opponents. So just be careful next time you go for those Opal Fruits in the glove compartment...

Clearing each level depends on maintaining energy/armour levels and driving extremely fast. If you destroy each course's target number of cars then you'll get a tunnel-bound bonus stage before you tackle the course.

Destroy a certain number of cars with the bonus level's time limit and you'll be rewarded with a new piece of weaponry.

Marcus and I had to majorly disagree on something before he left, and this is it. Why he holds a light up for Impact Racing is beyond me. If I want a racer I get Sega Rally. If I want a shoot-'em-up, I get, well, anything apart from Impact Racing. The graphics, granted, are pretty silky, but the settings (bar space) look like an A-read through the Pennines. Nevertheless, it appeals to some.

With success dependant on a combination of skilful driving and shooting accuracy, Impact Racing is a genuine multi-genre game that does pretty well on both scores.

Impact Racing's graphics are fast and smooth - at least on a par with Need For Speed - but it usually achieves this with high-walled courses and cliff faces that limit the trackside detail. The short cuts don't register once you're into the game, although the limitations of the courses and the repetition in gameplay are slightly off-putting.

Overall, this isn't in the premier league of racing games, but I've been having a lot of fun playing it.

Graphics 87%
Not as busy as other driving games, but a lot more imaginative.

Animation 85%
Extremely smooth and fast.

Music 84%
Above average drive-time tunes.

Effects 85%
The more exotic weapons are very impressive.

Playability 81%
Great driving game, good shoot-'em-up.

Lastability 73%
There are only three basic courses, and they could be longer.

Overall 80%
A compelling mix of game genres. Impact Racing is a top notch novelty racer.