Editor's note: The WWE is returning for another wrestling showcase tonight at the Blaisdell Arena. Here's a look at a related video game.

Game: "WWE Crush Hour."

Console: PlayStation 2 (also for XBox and GameCube).

Developer/publisher: Pacific P&L/THQ.

Genre: Action.

Number of players: One to two.

Rated: Teen.

Premise: Vince McMahon has become the single most powerful man in television. In one fell swoop, he purchased every station in the country and placed his own brand of entertainment on the air around the clock. His latest product has his WWE wrestlers facing off in a demolition derby with vehicles armed with grenades, rockets, lasers and trash talk.

Game play: "WWE Crush Hour" plays a lot like a basic version of "Twisted Metal: Black." The foundation is nearly the same, but the bells and whistles that heighten the gaming experience just aren't there.

What "Crush Hour" has going for it is character. Wrestling fans will be amused not only by the sheer number of superstars in the game, but the connections between car combat and the WWE products the game has made. Modes are named after various gimmick matches such as Hell in the Cell, Royal Rumble, hardcore and gauntlet. Every car has a special attack much like wrestlers have finishers, and there's some portion of its driver's personality involved. And the vehicles enter to theme music and pyrotechnics, much like wrestlers do when they approach the ring.

There are two basic modes of play: exhibition, where you can hone your combat skills, and season. The latter is where you're going to spend the bulk of your time, partly for the impressive number of unlockables, partly because the tasks you need to complete are so difficult as to be downright infuriating. Aside from that, season mode is quite good and keeps gamers well-occupied.

The good/bad: The worst thing about "Crush Hour" is its sound and graphics. Commentary by "Good Ol' J.R." Jim Ross is perhaps the worst yet in a video game — it's repetitive and poorly mixed. It literally sounds like it was recorded over the telephone. The visual aspect isn't much better.

Tips: Unlock Kevin Nash by pushing L2, Square, R2, Circle in any menu. If season mode is giving you trouble, skip the level by pausing, holding the L3 button and pushing Square, Circle, R1, L1, L2, Square, Square, Square.

My take: I'm a wrestling fan, and "WWE Crush Hour" piqued my interest, as it took the WWE product in a different direction from a sports game. There's also the fun of seeing wrestlers who are no longer with the WWE such as Brock Lesnar, The Dudley Boyz and Stacy Keibler. But as a game, it left me wanting more and comparing it to the far superior "Twisted Metal" series. For what it's worth, "Crush Hour" can probably be found cheap and for wrestling fans it might be worth the purchase. Others can skip this lackluster game.

Jeremy Castillo, who recently received his associate of arts degree from Windward Community College, is attending the University of Idaho.