While most games crystalize around a single, core mechanic – like Hardspace: Shipbreaker's chop-shopppery, winding back time in Life is Strange or even good old Gwent, which underpins all of Queen Meve's daring escapades in Thronebreaker – every now and again, a game comes along that is such an Interesting Intersection of Intriguing Ideas as to render the experience unique...

Of course, the downside of such singularly intersecting fun is that it is usually nigh-impossible to replicate in other titles (without them becoming That Particular Game); which can undermine future enjoyment of perfectly respectable games simply because they are missing That Certain Thing. Still, anyone who has been playing for any length of time has their paragons – games that, to them, define a genre and constitute the standard all future games in that vein are compared to.

And, strange as it may sound, Street Rod 2 is such a paragon for me, where racing games are concerned.

"Strange," because – of the myriad things I love the game for – actual racing is, at most, a peripheral attraction. A victim of the times, the engine that renders the awkward, blocky vectors once you finally get behind the wheel is archaic, clunky and fairly limited.

"Now, hold on" I hear you contend "If the racing is done poorly, then how can this be your favorite racing game of all time?"

So glad you asked, Figment I Injected Into the Narrative to Move Things Along... That's because (to me, anyway) racing is not an event — it's an experience. And though plenty of other games have handled the event of driving a car at excessive speeds much, much better, not a single one of 'em has handled the experience surrounding said event in a better way than Street Rod 2.

Where does a race begin? To me, it all starts with the car. And the race car is not something simply handed to you: you can't just go to the Race Car Shop and say "I'll be doing rally driving on a twisty, icy track and need one with these particular specs." A race car is something you build – something you invest time and effort into, with the hope that your design decisions will result in the edge you need to win the race.

Now, to be fair, Street Rod 2's brand of racing is endearingly low-key and amateurish – just a bunch of kids racing souped-up cars down the streets (or acqueducts) of 1969 Los Angeles... But the process of making said cars live up to their potential is engaging in a way I haven't seen since.

It all starts in the classifieds: once you enter your moniker on your California license, you are given a paltry sum (750 USD, in the Amiga 500 version); and dumped on the pages of used car ads. After you decide which of the Slowest Crates Imaginable you'd prefer, your selection rolls into your garage and then the real fun begins.

While there are "only" nine ways each vehicle can be modified to be faster (roof, bumpers, tires, intake manifold, engine, transmission, differential and fuel); each part of the process comes with its own sort-of mini-game that makes the experience come alive.

When you want to replace a manifold and give your lonesome carburetor two more pals to hang out with, you don't just pick an item from a menu (Gran Turismo): you manually loosen the bolts until the part comes out and can be replaced.

Same with the transmission, engine or tires — even tuning the engine has its own little adorable mini-game tacked on. And getting gas? It involves driving to the gas station and lets you admire your car's unique interior and even take charge of the nozzle (unless you miss grabbing it enough times, in which case the gas station owner'll berate you with his "full service" spiel and do it for you).

The effectiveness of each "upgrade" can be guessed-at on a parts spreadsheet (mainly by seeing if the top speed has increased); which also lets you keep tabs on wear and tear. Parts that have been used excessively can result in poor performance in turns, engine blow-outs or even, embarassingly, having the transmission clunk out onto the pavement, mid-race.

Once you are done perfecting your Mean Machine (or, more likely, when your funds run dry), it's time to go to the races, of which Street Rod 2 has three on offer.

The Drag Race is the most straightforward: a quarter mile down a straight stretch of blacktop that mostly rewards horsepower and shifting, but can involve blocking – from yourself or your opponent (a risky move, since crashing can lose you the race or even – as is proper for street racing – Adversely Affect Your Health).

Mullholland Drive throws twisties into the mix, with numerous turns along a mountain ridgeline, while the dreaded Acqueduct Race takes place within Death Star trench-like confines littered with obstacles (think Grease) that have to be avoided by getting two wheels up an incline at a moment's notice (which can often lead to all four leaving the ground, if you time things poorly).

Every track can be raced for a small amount (say 10 bucks), a large amount (about 150), pink slips (i.e. the opponent's car) or "just for kicks" (which may seem pointless, but – outside of translating what you see under your opponent's hood into odds – is the best way to gauge if your current setup can beat a certain car). An event called the "Grudge Night" is also available every Wednesday, wherein you set a time on the drag strip and then have to beat all comers without exceeding it.

Once you make enough cash to cobble together something truly awe-inspiring (like a Charger with fuel injection or a Corvette with a supercharger); you can try and challenge The King – Street Rod 2's tattooed antagonist resplendent in his unobtainable, supercharged GT500. Beating him to the finish line is the official point of the game.

In the 34 years since it was made, Street Rod 2 has been surpassed on the technical and gameplay fronts by many games. Some, like Gran Turismo, have zeroed-in on and revolutionized the driving experience; while others, like, say, Car Mechanic Simulator 2021, have made repairing and customizing cars infinitely more engaging and complex... But in all that time, no other game has had the gumption to bring the two elements together in such a comprehensively fun package, making Street Rod 2 something of an imperfect unicorn: unpolished in places, but – at the same time – captivating and unique.

Pig Recommends:

• -if you feel like a peel down memory lane, do keep two things in mind: first, play the Amiga 500 version and not the atrocious DOS PC port (compared to the Amiga's "all the colors of the rainbow" graphics and symphonic four whole sound channels it looks drab and sounds really clunky); second, should you find the space-age racing technology of 1969 too advanced, keep in mind that Street Rod 1 exists, is set in 1963 and is – mostly – the same game but with different cars (and stickers!);