

Mark Fujita of IGN remarked that the game's graphics, sound, gameplay and level design were all worse than previous Twisted Metal titles, criticizing the graphics as "appalling" and the menus as "horrendous". GamePro said that the gameplay was "laboriously slow" and that "there's no real sense of speed". PlayStation Magazine said that the game "isn't a bad game by any means, but it feels like a definite step in the wrong direction". The Badger of GameZone noted that the graphics felt "very unfinished" and the changes included in the game " any real depth". Play Magazine speculated that "this must be where Martha Stewart's evil siblings reside".

Trevor Rivers of GameSpot concluded that "some will immediately be turned away by the graphics and others by the more childish design, but if your PlayStation is still kicking, you might want to check it out".

Twisted Metal: Small Brawl received mixed reviews from critics. The game utilizes a physics engine based on what was used in Twisted Metal 2: World Tour. The official title of Twisted Metal: Small Brawl was revealed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo on May 16. Tentatively titled Twisted Metal Kids during production, the game was announced under the title at a press event for Twisted Metal: Black in Santa Monica, California on March 2, 2001. While in control of a vehicle, the player can accelerate, steer, brake, reverse, activate the turbo, turn tightly, toggle between and activate weapons using the game controller's d-pad, analog sticks and buttons. Twisted Metal: Small Brawl is a vehicular combat game in which the player takes control of one of twelve unique remote control vehicles. Twisted Metal: Small Brawl is the sixth installment in the Twisted Metal series of video games.

It was released in North America on November 27, 2001. Santa Monica Studio assisted on development. Twisted Metal: Small Brawl is a vehicular combat video game developed by Incognito Entertainment and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation.
