April 21^st, 2004 (12:00am) - Atari today announced Test Drive: Eve of Destruction for the PlayStation 2. Developed by Monster Games, Test Drive: Eve of Destruction captures the raw, unfettered thrill of no-rules competition and is based on real-life extreme racing events.

"Test Drive: Eve of Destruction captures the heart and soul of what gamers want in an action-racing game - speed, thrills and hair-raising crashes," said Nancy MacIntyre, Vice President of Marketing for Atari’s Beverly Studios. "Monster Games, the developer of NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona, has done a great job translating their realistic racing physics to this brand new evolution of the popular Test Drive brand."

Originally released in 1987, Test Drive introduced PC gamers to the intense genre of driving-sims. The original hit title was followed with more than thirty releases across all video game platforms with the most recent being 2002’s Test Drive for Xbox and PlayStation 2, both achieving Platinum Hits and Greatest Hits status on their respective consoles. Featuring unparalleled racing action and brand durability unlike any other title in the category, the Test Drive series has sold through more than $137 million worth of product on console and PC. Test Drive: Eve of Destruction pushes the boundaries of the hit series even further, now offering for the first time ever: bone-rattling vehicle damage, dirt track racing, crazy Eve of Destruction style events and the most unorthodox stable of drivable vehicles to ever appear in a Test Drive game.

Test Drive: Eve of Destruction blends the best elements of racing and demolition and is packed with 25 different events, including Demo Derby, where the last car standing wins; Gauntlet, where the player climbs behind the wheel of a hearse and tries to finish a set number of laps while the rest of the field attempts to stop them; Trailer Race, a new brand of racing event, where players compete while towing various types of trailers and must finish the race with something resembling a trailer still attached.

Additionally, Test Drive: Eve of Destruction offers players a selection of more than 30 custom vehicles, a dynamic soundtrack and a split-screen multiplayer mode for up to four players. Test Drive: Eve of Destruction is scheduled to be released this fall.