Twisted Metal 2

Twisted Metal 2 was both a financial and critical success. The PlayStation version sold 1.74 million copies in the United States alone. The PlayStation version has an aggregate score of 86.44% on GameRankings, based on eight reviews. The PC version averages 49.50% on the same website, based on two reviews. Critics generally regarded the game as an improvement over the original Twisted Metal due to its larger, more intricate levels and better cast of characters. However, they were divided about the graphics. The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly said that the original Twisted Metal had mediocre graphics and the sequel made no improvement. GameSpot's Jeff Kitts agreed that there was no improvement but felt the graphics still held up well. GamePro said the graphics are better than the first game but still mediocre in absolute terms, citing bland and featureless buildings, pixelation, and breakup when close to walls, while Next Generation claimed, "TM2 shows significant improvement with sharper textures, a significant reduction in clipping, and even an improved frame rate." Both GameSpot and Next Generation attested that the essential nature of the gameplay was unchanged from the original, and that no change was needed. GamePro opined that "intense gameplay is what saves, and makes, the game - especially in the two-player head-to-head mode." Crispin Boyer wrote in Electronic Gaming Monthly that "I wasn't all that crazy about the first Twisted Metal, but this sequel is worlds better, even though it looks like the same old thing at first glance. Twisted Metal 2 was a runner-up for Electronic Gaming Monthly's Action Game of the Year (behind Die Hard Trilogy). The following year EGM ranked the PlayStation version number 64 on their "100 Best Games of All Time", commenting that "The sheer amount of different vehicles, levels and weapons available at your disposal makes for awesome multiplayer matches." In 2003, Twisted Metal 2 was inducted into GameSpot's list of the greatest games of all time. Frosty Treats, a major ice cream truck company, filed a lawsuit against Sony contending that Twisted Metal 2 infringed on the company's trademarks through the use of the phrase "Frosty Treats", as well as similarities between the video game clown Sweet Tooth and the company's own safety clown. In Frosty Treats, Inc. v. Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled against the trademark claims because they were either too generic or were unlikely to cause confusion among consumers.