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Dirty Drivin' - TV Tropes

  • ️Sat Dec 28 2024

Dirty Drivin' is a 2011 arcade racing game developed by Specular Interactive and published by Raw Thrills. A hybrid between a traditional racing game and Vehicular Combat, where players race in monster trucks whilst simultaneously attacking other trucks with weapons. There are powerups (the weapons) that can be obtained in the track, which can be activated by pulling a skull-shaped slot machine-styled crank featured in the dedicated arcade machine. The more damage inflicted in a race, the higher points that players will get in the "Jerk-O-Meter", which may increase the number of weapons that a player may use in a single race.

This game provides examples of:

  • Car Fu: You can use the wheel to hit opponents by jerking it to the enemy vehicle's direction.
  • Crate Expectations: Aside from regular powerups, there will be crates around the track that can be broken by the player's vehicle to merit some kind of bonus.
    • The "Hit Me!" crate activates Double Dirty, which equips an item with double its power or lasting duration.
    • Some crates merit bonus points that can be added to the "Jerk-O-Meter", which may lead to faster weapon unlocks.
    • If you're lucky, you may also encounter a "Free Race" crate that makes the next race free.
  • Gameplay Grading: After every race, you will be graded with a title based on your score, which is mainly determined from how much damage you inflict on the race. The lowest rank title is "Mr. Nice Guy" and the highest is "Wreckin' Machine".
  • Horny Vikings: The bobblehead for the Battle Axe is a viking with a horned helmet.
  • Password Save: Players can save their progress using a numerical password as well as access achievements and the Bone Wagon.
  • Pimped-Out Car: You can use in-game money to buy upgrades for the vehicles, such as a different paint job, new wheels, a themed speedometer design, mudflaps, a bobble head, and an "orbiter" that goes around the vehicle.
  • Player Elimination: Some CPU opponents, if not assigned as the Rival, will permanently be out of the game if their vehicle is fully damaged.
  • Power-Up: Multiple items scattered throughout the level's environment can be taken to damage opponent vehicles. Gatling Guns and Missiles are available from the start, while the others are unlocked by inflicting certain amounts of damage throughout the race. The weapons, in unlock order, are as follows:
    • Gatling Guns: Fires indefinitely until its time is over. When it sees an opponent vehicle, it aims at that vehicle.
    • Missile: Hits the first enemy vehicle that it seeks.
    • Mega Wheels: Allows your vehicle's wheels to become larger and hit opponents just by running over them.
    • Mines: Puts bombs on the race track that damage enemy cars when hit.
    • Tiny Truck: Allows your vehicle to become smaller and hit opponents just by driving under them.
    • Super Boost: A boost that makes your vehicle go faster than usual.
    • Frostbite: Freezes all opponents at a certain radius.
  • Skeleton Motif: The game overall has a skull motif. There's a skull on the game logo, the crank, and the coins as well as the unlockable car, the Bone Wagon, being partly inspired by skeletons.
  • Shout-Out: The Bone Wagon is heavily based off the Bone Shaker from Hot Wheels, right down to the similar name.
  • Style Points: The game has the Jerk-O-Meter, which unlocks new and often stronger weapons the more damage you inflict on your opponents by hitting them with weapons. Maxing out the meter gives you the Jerk Bonus, which are some extra points added to the final score that is eligible for increasing your post-race rank.
  • Weaponized Car: The vehicles in the game can equip gatling guns, missile launchers, land mine launchers, or big spiky wheels that can be used to attack other vehicles.