Most first-time drivers opt for a Ford. They're affordable, reliable and come in a nice choice of colours - blue or red. Focus or Fiesta does seem to be a great choice for those who have just had the most nerve-racking thirty minutes of their life. Of course, there are other alternatives. Honda, if you want everything to 'just work', Vauxhall if you want a 'clever family car' or Skoda if you something that will 'get you from A to B' - but then, a bus will do that and you won't even have to pay for repairs!

There's no doubt about one thing - Ford Mustang: The Legend Lives is an arcade game. I love arcade games and, I must say, powering up this baby gave me that warm arcade glow. A strident cheesy voice shouting all of my selections out loud, which, if I was in an arcade, would do a very good job of embarrassing me. "Select transmission." Followed by my choice, "AUTOMATIC" - then people would look around and laugh, thinking that I'm some kind of pushover selecting an automatic gear box. Still, I don't want to overcomplicate what is supposed to be a nice simple arcade racing game, do I?

A large array of exciting modes contributes to this game's arcadeablity. Quick race isn't anything worth elaborating on, because I think you already know what this is all about. Time attack is the classic arcade machine scam - enter another coin to continue. You are given three credits and you have to make each checkpoint with plenty of time to spare. Each checkpoint gives you a little bit more time and this mode makes for a tense, tight, thrilling experience. Ironically, tou can lose track of time with this one! Eliminator has the idea right, but isn't as fast-paced as I would have liked. The racer at the back of the pack (out of four) is eliminated at the end of the round, then the remainder of you carry onto the next track, until you reach the final round, which is of course a one-on-one race. This is all well and good but it would have been better to simply eliminate somebody after each lap.

The gameplay itself is nothing short of amazing, for the price. The cars offer a real sense of speed, while taking corners tightly and earning bonus points for power sliding in real time is something everybody will enjoy. Overtaking opponents quickly, ramming your foes off course and listening to the heavy metal shouting while doing all of this, well, it's awesome. Taking these satisfactory moments and experiencing them in career mode, earning points and unlocking tracks as you go, is worth the trifling price tag alone.

Yes, the career mode. As short as it may be, it is a lot of fun and very challenging too. There's nothing much for finishing second - finishing first earns you the points you need to buy your way into the next track, whereas finishing second might give you enough points to unlock a better car and reattempt that track to finish first. The beauty with career mode is that it's so accessible and keeps in with the arcade feeling. It's just a case of selecting a car, a colour, a transmission and choosing your track. Then it's pure speed all the way. Win points, progress, turn it off when you've had enough, power it up when you feel like a blast. There is no unnecessary managing of vehicles or buying upgrades here. Us reviewers always give credit for things like upgrading cars and such, but today I'm breaking the rules. It's nice to be able to jump into the water without checking to see if your swim shorts are tied up tight!

The tracks are really well thought out and look lovely. Some tracks, I have to say, are a little on the long side - almost like they have been designed for an arcade machine and that you'll have to pay three times over to complete a single race! Not that a race can get absolutely boring, but if you're leading for the majority and you have to complete three to five long laps against only four racers, well - I'll let you do the math. For the most part though, the game is very testing, almost bordering on frustrating at times. There is traffic scattered around the map, not much, but enough to really boil your blood as they always seem to be around the tight corner getting in your way. So you crash into them, which sends you spinning. Trying to recover from the spin is almost impossible and when you do finally manage to recover, you might go spinning again, as the first few seconds after your recovery always seem to be unstable. Something like that can lose the whole match for you and because matches are long, there'll be times that you just want to scream. On the other hand, if you have a few laps to recover, then the recovery can be eventful as you drive insanely fast to catch up.

Other modes are here to offer you even more value for money. Things like time trials and gate trials are here, amongst some cracking multiplayer for you and a friend to enjoy on a rainy day. One interesting multiplayer mode is the catch up race;you have to gain a 100 meter lead on your friend and then keep that lead for 10 seconds. Sounds simple, but if your mate is a cat's whisker behind you, it can be hard to drop him. You could always play dirty and ram him into the side before overtaking and maintaining that the lead for a short while though!

The sound in the game is done especially well when it comes to sound effects. The engine noises sound really loud, much like a Mustang in fact, which is just as you'd expect. Appropriate sounds for power sliding, crashing and revving up before a race are all here and each is as meaty as the men who drive these type of vehicles! The rock music is suitable, but easily forgotten; what a shame that custom soundtracks aren't supported. The game excels in certain areas where the graphics are concerned too. The Mustangs themselves look touchable - metallic shined, with reflections apparent at every moment, whether racing through the town at night or across Miami's sunny bridges. Track design is done well - some tracks will be remembered more than others and while graphics aren't on a par with Project Gotham, they are fantastic for a budget title.

I have hardly mentioned the fact that you are driving with Mustangs, because I don't feel it matters. Of course, Mustang fans are going to love Ford Mustang: The Legend Lives even more than the average Joe, but even Joe will have a difficult time not liking the sheer speed and the thrill of overtaking. If you want a racing game that's cheap and cheerful, easy to play and accessible, then The Legend Lives is the one for you!

Reviewed by Dexter Pearson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).