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The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee
Score: 88%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: Ubisoft Entertainment
Developer: Ratbag
Media: DVD/1
Players: 2
Genre: Mission-Based Driving/ Racing/ Themed

Graphics & Sound:
Welcome, to Hazzard County! In Hazzard, you’ll find the entire environment to be peaceful and country... very country. Just don’t get dust in yer eyes. The General Lee’s revvin’ his engine to burn through Hazzard’s beautiful outdoor environments. Sure, city-folk may think Hazzard’s landmarks could use more detail, but Ubisoft’s The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee brings new life to the good ol’ boys of Hazzard County. From Bo & Luke, to Boss and Rosco, the characters of Hazzard haven’t looked better.

Now, if ya’ll have never visited Hazzard County, then ya best prepare for every Yee Haw!, Dixie horn, and police siren that ya’ll are gonna come upon. But for those folks who’ve already been to Hazzard, let me tell you that ya’ll are in for a treat that’s better than Uncle Jesse’s crawdad bisque. For this trip to Hazzard, all of the original cast members have lent their voices to make this the best Dukes of Hazzard trip ever! And for those of ya’ll who aren’t already country, get ready to hear some genuine Dukes-style Blue Grass background music. So tighten your belt buckles... this is gonna be a bumpy ride!


Gameplay:
This is Bo Duke, and Luke Duke. They’re cousins. They fight the system... any system. And the system in Hazzard County is run by none other than County Commissioner and Boss, Jefferson Davis Hogg. To help out the Boss with his dirty work is Hazzard’s finest law enforcement, Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane and Deputy Enos Strate. Now, the law around these parts is persistent, but they ain’t too smart, which is a good thing for the Dukes of Hazzard.

You see, quite a few years back, a couple of good ol’ boys happened upon an old beat up black ‘69 Charger. That’s a Dodge, for you city-folk. That vehicle later became known as the fastest car in the south, the General Lee. But it wasn’t without the magic touch of their good buddy, Crazy Cooter Davenport, who was the best mechanic in Hazzard County. Heck, he’s the only mechanic in Hazzard! So Bo and Luke set out to find parts for their car, and that’s where our story begins.

While drivin’ like a couple of good ol’ boys on the NASCAR circuit, the Duke Boys like to play cat ‘n’ mouse with the local law enforcement. You see, things are different in Hazzard County. Sometimes the police do the chasin’, and sometimes they’re bein’ chased! In the mean time, Bo & Luke are travelin’ the county looking for parts for the General Lee. But just because the boys have the most recognizable car in Georgia, don’t think they won’t tear it up down the back roads with other vehicles like their Uncle Jesse’s pickup, cousin Daisy’s Plymouth, and Cooter’s tow truck, among others.

You see, fixin’ up the General Lee is as important as a rainy day in the middle of a drought. With a supped-up car, the boys can run a race that will win them prize money to save the local orphanage. That’s what down-home country folks do, they help each other. At least most do. Unfortunately, Boss Hogg and Hazzard’s finest have set up roadblocks, speed traps, and other obstacles throughout Hazzard County to stop the Duke Boys. But don’t ya’ll go thinkin’ that the Dukes can get out of anything, because Rosco and Enos are gonna stick to the Dukes like a duck to a June bug.

In Return of the General Lee, the Dukes will have to work their way through more than 18 missions that will take them to many of Hazzard County’s historical landmarks, from the Duke Farm and Cooter’s Garage, to Hazzard Square and the Boar’s Nest. The boys can also unlock some down to earth multiplayer modes, like a Destruction Derby and Rosco’s favorite, Hot Pursuit! Coo, Coo, I love it, I love it!


Difficulty:
Now, drivin’ through Hazzard would make most folks more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. But not Bo & Luke Duke. With the help of their family and friends, the Duke Boys are constantly on a mission to right the wrongs in Hazzard County by any means necessary, even if they have to break their probation. Fortunately, they can save after most missions, because these good ol’ boys don’t always get it right the first time around.

Ya’ll, to become good drivers, the Duke Boys had to learn how to drive different types of cars with different types of handling. It wasn’t easy, but after a while they were leaving the fuzz in the dust with anything they drove. It was all a matter of learnin’ how to steer, and figurin’ out where the shortcuts were throughout the county. ‘Course, it would be hard to know every nook and cranny, so they always took their Hazzard County map with them to help navigate from one goal to another, just in case they got lost. Shoot, after a while they knew the back roads like a mamma cat knows her kittens, and it got even easier to shake Rosco from their tail.


Game Mechanics:
Now, if you’ve never visited Hazzard County, then you need to know that the roads have more curves than a bucket of worms, and that takes some gittin’ used to. The General Lee is a supped-up race car. That’s why the ‘01’ is on the side and the doors are welded shut. That’s also why the steering is a bit loose, and even the Duke Boys had a hard time at first. But after a little practice and some tips from their old moonrunner Uncle Jesse, they got the hang of it. Now they’re running circles around Boss and Rosco with ease.

Good news! Good news! For the folks who have visited Hazzard County on the PSX/PSOne, you’ll be right at home. This time around gits even better though, because Hazzard looks much better and all of the original cast members have lent their voice talents to help drive The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee’s story line.. In fact, they’ve even got cast interviews to watch. If’n you’re a fan of the series, ya better git your copy today. If not, watch yer back. Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane’s got a speed trap waitin’ for ya at Old Mill Road!

Ya’ll come back now, ya hear?

Featuring the voice talent of original cast members:
  • John Schneider ~ Bo Duke
  • Tom Wopat ~ Luke Duke
  • Catherine Bach ~ Daisy Duke
  • James Best ~ Rosco P. Coltrane
  • Sonny Shroyer ~ Enos Strate
  • Ben Jones ~ Cooter Davenport

-Woody, GameVortex Communications
AKA Shane Wodele

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