Interstate '76

There is a damage model to the vehicles that affects both its appearance and physics. Specific weapons can be destroyed to make them unusable, and tires can be popped to alter the vehicle's handling. There is also collision detection with the rendered world, as colliding with any object (such as buildings, signs, ledges, or other vehicles) can cause damage to the vehicle.

P." (an acronym for "Total Recreational Interactive Production"), which follows the game's protagonists in an episodic story; "Multi Melee", an online deathmatch version of the game; "Auto Melee", a deathmatch with computer-driven cars; and "Scenarios", short free-standing adventures featuring the game's protagonists. P." mode), players can choose a wide array of weapons and accessories based on their preference, and can also alter the vehicle's parts such as engines, brakes, and tires.

The game opens in the Southwestern United States in an alternate history of the year 1976, in which the 1973 oil crisis was never resolved. The corrupt police force is ineffective against rampant riots, and the area devolves into lawless chaos. In an attempt to maintain order, some civilians turn to vigilantism by outfitting their vehicles with armor and weapons. One such vigilante, Jade Champion, is found murdered in a junkyard.

Suspecting foul play and seeking vengeance, fellow vigilante Taurus convinces Jade's brother Groove to join him in his investigation. Although reluctant, Groove proves himself a talented driver and a capable fighter, quickly picking up on the necessary skills to survive in battle.

The game is based on the engine used for Activision's MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat. Lead designer Zack Norman recounted: "The idea came from a desire to use the Mech [Warrior] II technology to the next level and make a real action-simulation hybrid - a vehicle action simulation - but also infuse it with a style and a soul that hadn't been exploited before". The inspiration to set the game in the 1970s came when Norman was contemplating using his bonus from MechWarrior 2 to buy a 1970s muscle car.

The developers eschewed the convention of using more detailed models for cutscenes, preferring that the game remain stylistically consistent across the interactive and non-interactive portions. Considerable modification of the MechWarrior 2 engine was needed, as director Sean Vesce explained: "If you look at the Mech II engine, it had a long and difficult history, developed by a large team of programmers over the course of two or three years under the direction of several producers, with a lot of trials and tribulations before it went out the door. As you can imagine, the technology was held together with super glue and bubble gum. So when we got our hands on it, we really had to gut a lot of the systems".

In the United States, the game sold 74,028 copies during 1997. Interstate '76 received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.

Next Generation stated that "none of the minor annoyances detract much at all from the game's overall impact. Interstate '76 easily lives up to the hype - it really is 'the funkiest PC game ever'". GamePro criticized the bland polygonal graphics, lack of detail in the backgrounds, and difficulty with simultaneously driving and shooting, but praised the funk soundtrack and characters, in particular opining that "every barb from Taurus is a treasure".