Hawaii Drive-0

Test Drive® Unlimited puts you on the mean streets of Oahu, and you're a wanted man. It's really not your fault, you don't mean to be bad, you just drive that way. Speed is what you need, and Oahu tempts you beyond what you can endure.

She's home sweet home on four wheels.

The single-player mode in Test Drive Unlimited blends perfectly with the multi-player mode. If you are logged into Xbox Live®, then you are constantly linked to the multiplayer game. Wherever you go, you can drop into a race with other players. It is slick, sweet, and as streamlined as the cars you drive.

Nice Coconuts
Driving around Oahu, you will come across challenges that you can choose to trigger. Some of the challenges are multiplayer, but many are single-player challenges, just for you. Every challenge will push your racing skills. You start one challenge when a sexy woman flags you down and asks you for a ride. The clock starts ticking, and you have to race to get her to her destination. Don't crash, and if you overshoot the target circle, you lose.

Your GPS will guide you to your destination if you pay attention to it. Glance at it periodically so that you are prepared for each coming turn. The GPS will give you audio commands, but they don't always come quick enough. Follow the GPS to reach your destination. Drive calmly so you don't scare her off, and if you manage to get to the destination on time, you get a smile and her number. What, you were expecting more?

They make them curvy in Hawaii.

Prince Among Thieves
Racing makes you happy, that's why you came to Hawaii, and the Oahu doesn't disappoint. You'll face a number of challenges in single player mode based on competing against yourself, against the clock, and against A.I.-driven vehicles. This is where you hone your skills and tune up your moves.

In "Cute Little Race Between Friends," one of the challenges in which you take on a crew of A.I. drivers, you simply have to be the first to cross the finish line. You'll find that most of them can't keep up, but one particular opponent becomes your nemesis, and will often slide ahead of you at the last moment. He does this simply by taking the last curve perfectly. Watch for this, and you can take the race.

You know it looks good on you.

High on Speed
Test your speed by trying to beat the clock or by getting clocked on radar. Both are interesting speed challenges. In "Pure Acceleration," you blast past radar stations, which record your speed. The game averages your speed over the course of the race. Watch for the stations coming ahead of you, and floor it through the straight-aways. If you are going too fast, tap the brake before the radar stations, and then accelerate through them.

Time trial challenges pit you against a timer. Don't expect that you will succeed the first time. Relax and view the first run as a trial. Watch for turns that slow you down and plan ahead for them next time. If you lose control of the car and end up off the track, hit the Back button. This will put you back on the track immediately, facing the right direction, with much less time penalty than if you took the time to do it yourself.

Special Delivery
Although all the challenges involve driving, not all of them are races. Some require you to stay on the road and avoid other cars. A completely different kind of challenge awaits you as you try to maintain your break-neck speeds while dodging through traffic. Face red lights, stop signs, school buses, and slow drivers. Will you put up with the loss of speed or will you drive up on the sidewalk? Each has a different penalty, so the choice is all yours.

At one point Christopher will offer you a job driving his Enzo Ferrari to the other side of the island. The gig pays $80,000, but you don't get a penny if the car is scratched. It will feel almost impossible at times to maintain your self control, but if you do, Christopher gives you a $40,000 bonus for taking care of his baby. $120,000 is worth missing out on a little fun.

To unlock certain desirable cars, you have to complete specific challenges. Press right on the d-pad to open the map and find the available challenges in your area. Highlight a challenge and press A to go to it automatically, or set it as a GPS destination and make your way there at your leisure. The whole island is yours, so you don't have to hurry, but it is always fun to speed.

Article by Angel Leigh McCoy