One of the most underrated gaming genres is vehicular combat. Pioneered by the Twisted Metal series (and some obscure arcade games), vehicular combat usually sees about two or three major releases a year, as opposed to the many action games released each month. Case in point: Cel Damage is currently the only one vehicular combat game available for the GameCube. Developed by Pseudo Interactive (who recently received a Game Developers Choice Awards nomination for Best Rookie Studio), Cel Damage is an over-the-top vehicular combat game with more crazy cartoon antics than Cartoon Network's Acme Hour.

GameCube is definitely a more suitable platform for this game than the Xbox. The Xbox is a multiplayer powerhouse that can do many things that the 'Cube can't, but right now, every Xbox owner is enamored with Halo and only Halo. However, GameCube is currently without a multiplayer game as strong as Halo. So the more multiplayer games there are to choose from, the better. If you spent a fortune buying three extra GameCube controllers, you should buy Cel Damage as soon as you can. But if you don't have three extra controllers, and you're still searching for a game that makes it worth the extra expense, I recommend that you look elsewhere. Cel Damage is a great game, but it's not worth $155! (3 controllers X $35 + Cel Damage = $155.) On the other hand, if your friends own a GameCube, Cel Damage is worth looking into. Whenever you guys (or gals) meet somewhere to get your game on, have them bring their controllers. It's likely that you and your friends have already done this several times, since most GameCube have Smash Bros. Melee and Super Monkey Ball, the top two multiplayer games on the system.

Once you snag a power-up and begin pummelling the competition, you'll be hooked. The multiplayer mode is where Cel Damage really shines. While I wouldn't recommend that you go out and buy three brand-new controllers specifically for this game, if you already own a few extra controllers, or if your friends have some and are willing to bring them over, then you should definitely look into buying Cel Damage. The best way to describe it would be to think of Cel Damage as the vehicular combat version of Quake III. Your vehicle regenerates itself every time you get whacked. It's inevitable that you are going to be whacked several times a minute, especially if you are playing against a group of skilled gamers. However, it's quite possible that a clueless gamer could kick your butt, since Cel Damage requires very little skill to play. The simple, four-button layout (A and B fires your weapons, while L and R brake and accelerate) is easy enough for a novice to pick up and master in an extremely short amount of time. That's where game veterans sometimes fail. They assume that they can win no matter what, so they kick back and relax. Novice gamers aren't nearly as confident, so they give it their all. Assuming the novice player has some skill, he or she is usually the winner. Then the hardcore gamer spends several hours practicing for the rematch. But that's not what matters. What matters is that your desire to play the game has grown, and the more you want to play the games you own, the better.

Cel Damage's graphic engine is extremely flexible. Every arena is filled with interactive objects and deadly obstacles, including an actual meteor shower (a larger showerhead pours meteors on anyone who passes by)! There are four different themes in all (Space, Jungle, Desert and Transylvania) spread out over 12 arenas. The space-themed arenas are low on gravity, but big on fun. Drive off the edge of a planet and watch as your vehicle floats into space. If you run into the planet's core while traveling through space, your vehicle will be bounced back onto the ring! Portals allow you to transport to different parts of the arena in a matter of seconds.

Everything you see in this game is three-dimensional, but it looks like a cartoon. The best way to describe it is to think of the old Road Runner cartoons (especially the desert arenas) and replace all of the 2D landscapes with gorgeous 3D effects. Then cover them with a layer of hand drawn-style animation (hence the name, "Cel Damage"). On paper, it sounds like an interesting idea, but once you see it in action you'll realize that it really is something special. Nintendo liked cel-shading so much that they changed the entire look of the new Zelda game. The explosions, the puffs of smoke, the stretchy cars (that shrink and expand depending on the situation) and the colorful power-ups create a spectacle not found in any other game.

There aren't a whole lot of games being released for the GameCube these days, but even if there were, Cel Damage would stand out from the crowd. It's a bit shallow at times, but whoever said a game had to be deep to be fun? Is it a law or something? Deep games like Madden 2002 are generally more appreciated, especially now that there is a huge emphasis on depth from the gaming public. But every now and then, I need a senseless, whack-your-friend-a-thousand-times kind of game, and Cel Damage is just that.

Gameplay: 7.9
Cel Damage is like an arcade game in that your addiction for it goes up and down. You'll addictively play it for an hour or two, then all of a sudden you'll get bored and want to quit. But the next day, you invite your friends over for another round.

Graphics: 8.5 
Will the real Cel Shady please stand up? Your car is double parked, and if you don't move it immediately, Violet will cut you in half! And when she does, your vehicle will split in half and then disappear, cartoon-style. Cel Damage is filled with several cartoon effects that are guaranteed to please your eyes.

Sound: 6.9
Cel Damage's sound isn't too bad. The music sounds how you'd expect, as do the sound effects.

Difficulty: 7
Some of the levels are so crazy that I ended up killing myself before my opponents had the chance to attack!

Concept: 6 
While fun to play, Cel Damage isn't a very original concept. Aside from a few of the weapons, there aren't any unique play mechanics that stand out in this game.

Multiplayer: 8
There aren't nearly enough multiplayer games available for the GameCube. Does Cel Damage fill the void? Temporarily, yes. But in time, the fun of whacking your friends to death may begin to fade. There are enough levels to keep you and your buds busy for a while, but don't count on it lasting forever.

Overall: 7.9
Cel Damage is one of the best multiplayer games available for the 'Cube. Madden is deeper, but at the moment, I'm enjoying Cel Damage more. The multiplayer mode is very attractive to both casual and hardcore gamers. Despite the ridiculous Teen rating (for "comic mischief" and "violence"), I definitely recommend Cel Damage to parents looking for a game to get for the whole family. It's something that Mom, Dad and the kids can play, and best of all, it's something that they'd actually want to play! There is no blood in Cel Damage, and very little violence (the violent content is debatable. I mean come 'on, do you consider a vehicle-flattening sledgehammer violent?). If you let your kids watch Bugs Bunny cartoons, then there's no reason why they shouldn't play this game.