If you just downloaded the 1995 classic on your PS4 or PS5, you’re probably looking for that sweet, shiny Platinum trophy. It’s a nostalgia trip. The heavy metal riffs, the grainy FMV sequences, and the physics that make your car feel like a shopping cart on ice. But honestly, getting every achievement in the original twisted metal trophy guide isn't just about blowing stuff up; it’s about wrestling with a game designed in an era when "user-friendly" wasn't a thing.
Most people hop in thinking they can just spam missiles. You can't. Not if you want the "The Ultimate Contestant" trophy. You have to understand the quirks of the engine. Back in '95, SingleTrac wasn't thinking about trophy hunters. They were thinking about chaos.
Why the Twisted Metal Trophy Guide is Actually Easier Than You Think
Don't let the "Hard" difficulty requirement scare you. There’s a secret weapon that makes this whole list a joke. It’s the rewind feature. Since this is part of the PlayStation Plus Classics catalog, you can literally undo a death or a missed shot by pressing the Options button. It’s basically cheating, but the trophies don't care.
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If you’re going for the gold trophy "The One and Only," which requires beating the game on Hard without changing your vehicle, just abuse the save states. It saves you hours of frustration. Calypso is a jerk anyway; you might as well have an edge.
The game features 31 trophies in total. Most are tied to specific endings. To get the Platinum, you basically need to see what happens to every driver. Some endings are weird. Some are depressing. Mr. Grimm’s ending is just... haunting. You've got to finish the game with everyone from Sweet Tooth to Crimson Fury.
The Kill Grinds and Arena Secrets
You’ll see a trophy called "A Little More Firepower." You just need to collect 15 weapons. You’ll get this in the first level, Arena, within about thirty seconds. Don't sweat it. The real annoying ones are the kills. You need to rack up 100 kills total.
Here is the thing about the 100 kills: they are cumulative across all your playthroughs. You don't need to do it in one go. Just keep playing through the stories. By the time you’ve finished the game with half the roster, that trophy will pop.
- Arena: Tiny, fast, brutal.
- Warehouse District: Watch out for the cranes.
- River Park: The narrow bridges are death traps.
- Cyburbia: Massive, easy to get lost in.
- Rooftops: One wrong turn and you're falling forever.
Rooftops is where most runs die. The AI in the original Twisted Metal loves to shove you off the edge. If you’re playing as a lighter car like Pit Viper or Spectre, one hit from Minion or Warthog will send you flying. Again, use that rewind feature. It’s your best friend on the Rooftops.
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Mastering the Secret Characters and Bosses
You can't talk about a twisted metal trophy guide without mentioning Minion. He is the final boss. He’s a tank. He has every weapon in the game and way too much health. To get the trophy for beating him, you need to stay mobile. If you sit still for a second, he will freeze you and then unload a barrage of missiles that will delete your health bar.
The Password System vs Save States
The game uses an old-school password system. You can find these online to jump straight to the final level, but be careful. Some trophies require you to play through the whole "Tournament" mode. If you just jump to the end, you might miss the "A Win is a Win" trophy.
The best way to handle this is to start a fresh game on Hard. Pick a car you’re comfortable with. Thumper is a great choice because his special weapon—the flamethrower—does massive damage if you’re close. Just melt the competition. Literally.
Hidden Trophies and Easter Eggs
There’s a trophy for finding the secret area in the Warehouse District. Most people miss it. You have to blow up a specific set of crates to reveal a hidden path. It’s not just for the trophy, though; there’s usually a massive health pick-up back there. In a game where health is rarer than a polite driver in Los Angeles, you need it.
Then there’s the "Cyburbia" secrets. Did you know you can blow up the gas station? It’s a classic Twisted Metal trope. Doing so usually damages any AI nearby, which helps with the "Boom" trophy.
Handling the Different Vehicles
Each car feels different. It’s not just cosmetic.
Sweet Tooth is slow but has a high armor rating.
Spectre is paper-thin but can shoot through walls with his Ghost Missiles.
To get the Platinum, you have to master these differences.
If you're struggling with the Hard playthrough, pick Darkside. It's a literal semi-truck. You can just ram people. Ramming damage is underrated in the first game. You don't even need missiles if you have enough momentum. Just keep an eye on your own health, because Darkside isn't invincible, despite looking like a mountain of steel.
- Start with the "Hard" run using your favorite car. Use rewind and save states constantly.
- Finish the game with every other character on "Easy" to speed things up.
- Clean up the 100 kills in the Arena level if you haven't hit the number yet.
- Make sure you've found the secret areas in Warehouse and Cyburbia.
The difficulty doesn't stack in a weird way, so just get the Hard run out of the way first. It’ll make the rest of the grind feel like a victory lap.
Why the Physics Are Your Real Enemy
The physics in 1995 were... experimental. If you hit a wall at a certain angle, your car might spin like a top. If you get hit by a homing missile while mid-air, you might launch into the stratosphere. This can be frustrating when you're trying to get the "No Damage" trophies or just trying to stay alive on the Rooftop level.
The trick is to use the handbrake. A lot. Twisted Metal isn't a racing game; it’s a shooter where the floor is slippery. Tight turns are better than high speeds. If you can master the 180-degree turn, you’ll win every fight.
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Final Insights for the Platinum
Most players get stuck on the "Rooftop Combatant" trophy because they keep falling off. Pro tip: stay in the center. The AI will try to lure you to the edges. Don't bite. Use long-range weapons like Fire Missiles or Spectre's special. Let them come to you, then blast them.
Also, don't forget the health recharges. Each level has a specific spot where you can heal. In the later levels, these take a long time to "recharge" after you use them. Plan your route around these stations. If you’re at 10% health and the station isn't ready, hide. Just drive around the outskirts of the map until it glows green again.
Actionable Next Steps
To wrap this up and get your Platinum efficiently, follow this exact path:
- Switch to the NTSC version if you have the choice in the menu; it runs at 60Hz and feels much smoother than the PAL version.
- Map your controls to something that feels modern. The default 1995 layout is a nightmare for modern thumbs.
- Focus on the "Hard" run first with a high-armor vehicle like Warthog or Darkside to get the toughest trophy out of the way.
- Use the Rewind feature (L5 on the digital controller overlay or the Options menu) every time you take a big hit. There is no penalty for using it.
- Watch the endings. Seriously. They are a time capsule of 90s edge-lord culture and part of why this game became a legend.
By following this twisted metal trophy guide, you’ll turn a potentially frustrating weekend into a smooth stroll down memory lane. The Platinum is very attainable, likely taking you only 5 to 8 hours depending on how much you abuse those save states. Once that final trophy pops, you can officially call yourself a champion of Calypso’s tournament.