Cruis'n USA

Last updated
Cruis'n USA
Cruis'n USA for N64, Front Cover.jpg
North American Nintendo 64 cover art
Developer(s)
  • TV Games Inc. (arcade)
  • Williams (Nintendo 64)
Publisher(s)
Director(s) Eugene Jarvis
Programmer(s)
  • Eric Pribyl
  • Carl Mey
Artist(s)
  • Xion Cooper
  • Ted Barber
Composer(s) Vince Pontarelli [1]
Series Cruis'n
Platform(s)
Release
  • Arcade
    • WW: October 1994 [2]
  • Nintendo 64
    • NA: December 3, 1996
    • EU: January 30, 1998
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system Midway V Unit

Cruis'n USA is an arcade racing game originally released in 1994. It was developed by Eugene Jarvis' company TV Games Inc., and manufactured by Midway Games. It is the first game in the Cruis'n series and features races set in locations across the continental United States.

Contents

Cruis'n USA is branded as the first release of the "Ultra 64" platform collaboration between Midway and Nintendo, although it was based on the Midway V-unit arcade hardware, predating the Killer Instinct arcade hardware which would become the Nintendo 64. The home port was published by Nintendo as part of the deal.

The arcade version was critically and commercially successful, drawing favorable comparisons to Sega's Daytona USA . The Nintendo 64 version received poor reviews, but was also commercially successful. It was released on Wii's Virtual Console in Europe on March 28, 2008, making it the first third party developed Nintendo 64 game to be released on the service. It became available on the Virtual Console in North America on March 31, 2008.

Gameplay

Arcade version screenshot ARC Cruis'n USA.png
Arcade version screenshot

Like in most racing games, players race down one-way courses consisting of streets vaguely based on real-life locations. While racing, they do their best to avoid various road hazards such as oncoming traffic and construction. Players chose between seven different cars, with either an automatic or manual transmission. The environments include Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco, to Washington DC.

In each race, players must reach first place to advance to the next track, and there is a time limit to reach the goal, which can be extended by driving through checkpoints. If the player does not finish before the timer reaches zero, the game ends, unless there is a continue available. Unlike most racing games, there is the option to change the music by pressing the music button.

Vehicles

The four vehicles featured in the game are generic vehicles based on their real life counter parts which consists of a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette labeled as a 1963 Muscle Car, a 1991 Ferrari 512 TR labeled as the Italia P69, a 1940 Ford V-8 De Luxe labeled as "La Bomba", and a Hyundai HCD-II Epoch labeled as "Devastator IV". Bonus cars consist of a 1991 Chevrolet Caprice police car, a school bus, and a Jeep Wrangler labeled as an All Terrain Vehicle.

Development

Arcade version Musee Mecanique 177.JPG
Arcade version

In early 1994, Nintendo signed a licensing agreement with WMS Industries, Midway's parent company, which allowed Midway to release two arcade games advertised as the first version of Ultra 64 hardware and formed a joint venture named "Williams/Nintendo" to port those two games to its consoles. Nintendo wanted an arcade racing game to compete against Sega's racing game Daytona USA and Namco's Ridge Racer , both of which were successful at the time. Eugene Jarvis, who had developed Defender (1981) and Robotron: 2084 (1982) for Williams Electronics, served as lead developer. Jarvis pitched a racing game concept to Williams and Nintendo. Along with Killer Instinct , created by Rare, the arcade original was showcased at the June 1994 Consumer Electronics Show as running on Ultra 64 branded arcade hardware, sharing the branding of Nintendo's upcoming home console, codenamed Ultra 64. A few months later, Nintendo of America chairman Howard Lincoln admitted that Cruisin' USA was actually programmed before the MIPS CPU based console version of Ultra 64 development tools were available from Silicon Graphics, and that even at this point Rare was the only development company to have access to these development tools. [3] The Cruis'n USA cabinet shown at the Consumer Electronics Show was actually running on a modified JAMMA board. [4] Cruis'n USA runs on a Midway V-Unit, which is very different from what would become the Silicon Graphics based Nintendo 64. The Midway V-unit consists of a 50 MHz TMS32031 CPU, a 10 MHz ADSP-2115 DSP for sound, and a custom 3D chip that can render perspective-correct but unfiltered quads at a high resolution (512 × 400 pixels).[ citation needed ]

Williams, the developers of the Nintendo 64 version, had to downgrade most of the arcade graphics to accommodate home console hardware. Originally announced as a Nintendo 64 launch game along with Killer Instinct, [5] less than a month before launch day it was pulled from the lineup and returned to Williams for retooling because it did not meet Nintendo's quality standards. [6] Several elements of the game, such as the ability to run over animals, and depictions of Bill and Hillary Clinton, were censored from the Nintendo 64 version. [7] During the last couple of months of development, people sent letters or emails about the censorship. [8] Jarvis also publicly objected to it: "It seems like they don't have a sense of humor. I don't know what's wrong with these people." [9]

Reception

The arcade version of Cruis'n USA was critically and commercially successful. [23] In the United States, RePlay reported Cruis'n USA to be the second most-popular deluxe arcade game in November 1994, [26] and Play Meter listed the title to be the second most-popular arcade game in December 1994. [27] It was one of America's top five best-selling arcade video games of 1994, receiving a Diamond Award from the American Amusement Machine Association (AMAA). [28] [29] It went on to be America's highest-grossing dedicated arcade cabinet of 1995. [30]

Next Generation reviewed the arcade version of the game; while viewing the game as graphically less impressive than its rivals, they praised other aspects that could rival games like Out Run from Sega. [22]

The Nintendo 64 version met with mostly negative reviews, and earned a GameRankings score of 50.63% based on 16 reviews. [10] Reviews widely criticized the jerky frame rate, [14] [18] [19] [23] [31] poor collision detection, [19] [23] [31] and music, which they said to be both stylistically inappropriate and poorly composed. [14] [18] [19] [23] [31] Next Generation concluded that "this half-hearted, rough-shod conversion is exactly what Nintendo 64 doesn't need". [23] GameSpot 's Jeff Gerstmann and GamePro 's Air Hendrix had more mixed reactions than most. Gerstmann praised the controls when using the Nintendo 64 controller's analog stick, but concluded the game to be a major disappointment. [18] Air Hendrix, while heavily criticizing elements like the pop-up in the two-player mode and lack of variety in general, said it is essentially a faithful conversion of the arcade game and worth trying out as a rental, though not an outright purchase. [31] Peer Schneider of IGN and Kraig Kujawa of Electronic Gaming Monthly both said the two-player split-screen mode is the highlight of the game, while noting that the frame rate problems are even worse in this mode. [14] [19] Kujawa's co-reviewer Dean Hager said the game "certainly fails to show off the processing power of the N64", [14] and Shneider said it lacked excitement and was "probably doomed to be the nadir of N64 racing games for many years to come." [19]

Despite the negative reviews, the Nintendo 64 version of Cruis'n USA saw strong sales, thanks largely to a combination of the console's popularity and the small library of games available for it at the time. [32] It was the sixth best-selling video game of the 1996 Christmas shopping season according to TRST data, with three of the five higher-selling games also being Nintendo 64 games. [33] By the end of 1997 it had sold over a million copies. [34] In 1995, Flux magazine ranked the arcade version 63rd on its "Top 100 Video Games." [35]

Reviewing the Virtual Console release in Nintendo Life , Damien McFerran echoed many of the original criticisms about jerky frame rate, poor collision detection, and lack of speed and excitement, and said that even the arcade original is a fairly poor game. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo 64</span> Home video game console

The Nintendo 64 (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. It was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan; on September 29, 1996, in North America; and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Australia. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was the last major home console to use cartridges as its primary storage format until the Nintendo Switch in 2017. As a fifth-generation console, the Nintendo 64 primarily competed with the Sony PlayStation and the Sega Saturn.

<i>Mario Kart 64</i> 1996 video game

Mario Kart 64 is a kart racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 (N64). It is the second main entry in the Mario Kart series and is the successor to Super Mario Kart (1992) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan on December 14, 1996; in North America on February 10, 1997; in the United Kingdom on June 13, 1997; and in Europe on June 24, 1997. It was released for the iQue Player in China on December 25, 2003. It was released on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console in 2007 and 2016, and on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on October 25, 2021.

The fifth generation era refers to computer and video games, video game consoles, and handheld gaming consoles dating from approximately October 4, 1993, to March 23, 2006. For home consoles, the best-selling console was the Sony PlayStation, followed by the Nintendo 64, and then the Sega Saturn. The PlayStation also had a redesigned version, the PSone, which was launched on July 7, 2000.

<i>Wayne Gretzkys 3D Hockey</i> 1996 video game

Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey is a video game developed and published by Atari Games for the arcade in 1996. A port for the Nintendo 64 console was released almost simultaneously with the arcade version, on November 15, 1996, making it the first-ever 4-player game for the Nintendo 64, beating Mario Kart's Japanese release by more than a month. The game was followed by a sequel, Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey '98.

<i>Cruisn World</i> 1996 video game

Cruis'n World is the 1996 sequel to the 1994 arcade racer Cruis'n USA. Cruis'n World allows players to race on various tracks around the world. The game also features more cars than Cruis'n USA. This game introduced stunts to the Cruis'n series. They served to dodge obstacles, take close curves, and gain extra seconds of time.

<i>Cruisn Exotica</i> 1999 video game

Cruis'n Exotica is a 1999 racing game developed for arcades by Midway Games. The game is a sequel to Cruis'n World and is the third entry in the Cruis'n series.

<i>Wave Race 64</i> 1996 video game

Wave Race 64 is a 1996 racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Gameplay involves the player racing on a personal watercraft on a variety of courses while successfully manoeuvring the vehicle around various buoys. A multiplayer mode where two players can compete against each other on a chosen course is also included. The game supports the Controller Pak, which allows players to transfer saved data from one game cartridge to another.

<i>San Francisco Rush 2049</i> 1999 video game

San Francisco Rush 2049 is a racing video game developed and manufactured by Atari Games for arcades. It was ported to the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, and Dreamcast by Midway Games West. The arcade machine was released in 1999; home versions followed in 2000 on September 7 for North America and November 17 for Europe. It is the third game in the Rush series and the sequel to San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing and Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA. It is the last game in the Rush series to be set in the city of San Francisco and the last released on a Nintendo console. It also serves as the final game for the Atari Games label, which was retired shortly after the arcade release. The Dreamcast version was later re-released as part of Midway Arcade Treasures 3 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube and later for Windows as part of Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition.

<i>War Gods</i> (video game) 1997 video game

War Gods is a fighting video game originally released to arcades by Midway Games in 1996. Ports for the Nintendo 64, PlayStation and Windows were released in 1997. In the game, players control one of ten fighters who have been given great power by a mysterious ore that crashed-landed on Earth from outer space. The object of the game is to defeat all the other fighters to become the most powerful warrior on the planet.

<i>Doom 64</i> 1997 video game

Doom 64 is a first-person shooter game by Midway. It was first released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997, as the second spin-off game in the Doom series after Final Doom (1996), and the fourth game in the series overall. A remastered port was developed by Nightdive Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in March 2020, and for Stadia in May 2020.

<i>Mace: The Dark Age</i> 1997 fighting arcade game

Mace: The Dark Age is a fighting video game released by Atari Games for arcade machines in 1997 and later ported by Midway Games to the Nintendo 64. Like many fighting games of the time, its style is marked by extreme violence, with characters graphically slaying defeated opponents. Utilizing 3dfx Voodoo chips for the hardware, the game received attention for its cutting-edge graphics and turned Atari a profit in the arcades. Critical response to the gameplay was much less enthusiastic.

<i>Hydro Thunder</i> 1999 video game

Hydro Thunder is an arcade inshore powerboat racing video game originally released by Midway Games in February 1999 and later released for the Sega Dreamcast as a launch title later that year. It was also released for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 in early 2000. This game is part of Midway's Thunder series of racing games, which includes Offroad Thunder, 4 Wheel Thunder, and Arctic Thunder. Hydro Thunder Hurricane, a sequel to Hydro Thunder, was later released for the Xbox 360 on July 27, 2010 on Xbox Live Arcade.

<i>California Speed</i> (video game) 1998 video game

California Speed is a racing video game developed and published by Atari Games. The game was first released in arcades in 1998 and was ported to the Nintendo 64 in 1999 by Midway. The Nintendo 64 version of the game contains support for the Controller Pak and the Rumble Pak.

<i>GT 64: Championship Edition</i> 1998 video game

GT 64: Championship Edition, known as City Tour GrandPrix: Zen Nihon GT Senshuken in Japan, is a racing video game developed by Imagineer and released for the Nintendo 64 console in 1998. It is an official licensed game to All-Japan GT Championship, featuring cars and drivers of the 1997 All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship.

<i>Off Road Challenge</i> 1997 video game

Off Road Challenge is a video game developed and published by Midway. The game was originally released in 1997 for arcades using the Midway V Unit hardware. It is part of the Off Road series which began with Ivan 'Ironman' Stewart's Super Off Road.

<i>Cruisn</i> Video game series

Cruis'n is a series of racing video games originally developed by Eugene Jarvis for Midway Games and published by Midway and Nintendo. The series distinguishes itself from other racing games with its over-the-top presentation and fast-paced gameplay, featuring a wide variety of vehicles and tracks based on a variety of real world locations. The series debuted in North American and European arcades in 1994 with the release of Cruis'n USA, which, along with Killer Instinct, was advertised as running on Nintendo's Ultra 64 hardware. Two sequels followed, Cruis'n World and Cruis'n Exotica, which featured new vehicles and tracks. All three games were released for the Nintendo 64 as well, with Exotica also being released for the handheld Game Boy Color. The next game in the series, Cruis'n Velocity deviated from the traditional arcade gameplay of the series and was released for the Game Boy Advance.

<i>San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing</i> 1996 video game

San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing is a video game developed and published by Atari Games. This game was first released in arcades in 1996 and was ported to Nintendo 64 in 1997 and the PlayStation in 1998. San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing is the first game in the Rush series.

<i>Rev Limit</i> Unreleased sim racing video game

Rev Limit is an unreleased sim racing video game that was in development and planned to be published by Seta Corporation in May 1998 for the Nintendo 64. It was also intended to be the first arcade title to use Seta's own Aleck 64 arcade board, and was planned for the 64DD as well. It was one of the earliest original third-party racing titles to be announced for the system. In the game, players compete against either computer-controlled vehicles or other human opponents across several tracks of varying thematic in order to reach first place and advance to the next course.

<i>NFL Blitz</i> (1997 video game) 1997 video game

NFL Blitz is an American football video game developed and published by Midway for the arcade in 1997, the first game in the NFL Blitz series. The development team was headed by Mark Turmell and Sal Divita, who were known for being behind NBA Jam, and NFL Blitz was a deliberate attempt to translate the exaggerated arcade-style approach of NBA Jam to the football realm. The game was ported to the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Windows, and Game Boy Color in 1998. The cover athlete for the game was then Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart.

References

  1. ↑ Vince Pontarelli. "Vince Pontarelli Sound Designer & Composer". Vince Pontarelli. Archived from the original on 2014-04-26. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  2. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (2005). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971–2005) [Arcade TV Game List Domestic/Overseas Edition (1971–2005)] (in Japanese) – via Internet Archive.
  3. ↑ "At the Deadline". GamePro . No. 75. IDG. December 1994. p. 288.
  4. ↑ "Which Game System is the Best!?". Next Generation . No. 12. Imagine Media. December 1995. p. 84.
  5. ↑ "Howard Lincoln: Ultra 64's Man in the US". Next Generation . No. 14. Imagine Media. February 1996. pp. 42–43.
  6. ↑ "Launch Surprises: Nintendo Cuts Price of N64, Drops Cruis'n USA as Launch Title". GamePro . No. 98. IDG. November 1996. p. 26.
  7. ↑ "Nintendo to censor Cruis'n". IGN . October 16, 1996. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Results of Cruis'n USA Poll". IGN. October 28, 1996. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  9. ↑ "In the Studio". Next Generation . No. 25. Imagine Media. January 1997. p. 21.
  10. 1 2 "Cruis'n USA for Nintendo 64". GameRankings . Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  11. ↑ Baize, Anthony. "Cruis'n USA (ARC) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  12. ↑ Ziegler, Adam. "Cruis'n USA (N64) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  13. ↑ Edge staff (January 1997). "Cruis'n USA (N64)". Edge . No. 41.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 EGM staff (February 1997). "Cruis'n USA (N64)". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 91. p. 150.
  15. ↑ Whitehead, Dan (March 28, 2008). "Virtual Console Roundup (Page 2)". Eurogamer . Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  16. ↑ Reiner, Andrew; McNamara, Andy; Anderson, Paul (January 1997). "Cruis'n USA (N64)". Game Informer . No. 45. Archived from the original on October 21, 1997. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  17. ↑ Dr. Moo (February 1997). "Cruis'n USA Review (N64)". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on June 6, 1997. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Gerstmann, Jeff (December 4, 1996). "Cruis'n USA Review (N64)". GameSpot . Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Schneider, Peer (November 14, 1996). "Cruis'n USA (N64)". IGN. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  20. ↑ Thomas, Lucas M. (April 2, 2008). "Cruis'n USA Review (Wii)". IGN. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  21. ↑ Weaver, Tim (March 1998). "Crus'n USA". N64 Magazine. No. 13. Future Publishing. p. 42.
  22. 1 2 "Finals". Next Generation . No. 1. Imagine Media. January 1995. p. 104.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cruisin'[ sic ] USA". Next Generation . No. 26. Imagine Media. February 1997. p. 118.
  24. 1 2 McFerran, Damien (March 28, 2008). "Cruis'n USA (Wii Virtual Console) Review". NintendoLife. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Cruis'n USA". Nintendo Power . Vol. 92. January 1997.
  26. ↑ "Player's Choice - Top Games Now in Operation, Based on Earnings-Opinion Poll of Operators: Best Deluxe Videos". RePlay. Vol. 20, no. 2. RePlay Publishing, Inc. November 1994. p. 6.
  27. ↑ "Equipment Poll - Video & Pinball Combined". Play Meter . Vol. 20, no. 13. Skybird Publishing. December 1994. p. 11.
  28. ↑ "Coin Machine: ACME Show Honors Six Firms For "Product Excellence"" (PDF). Cash Box . April 29, 1995. p. 30.
  29. ↑ "ACME Awards". RePlay. Vol. 20, no. 7. April 1995. pp. 68–9.
  30. ↑ "Coin Machine: AMOA Jukebox, Games Awards Winners Announced At Expo '95" (PDF). Cash Box . October 7, 1995. p. 26.
  31. 1 2 3 4 "Nintendo 64 ProReview: Cruis'n USA". GamePro . No. 101. IDG. February 1997. p. 64.
  32. ↑ "Who Won the Videogame Wars of 1996?". Next Generation . No. 28. Imagine Media. April 1997. pp. 16–19.
  33. ↑ "Interview with Howard Lincoln". Next Generation . No. 29. Imagine Media. May 1997. p. 47.
  34. ↑ "Cruis'n World". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 105. Ziff Davis. April 1998. p. 35.
  35. ↑ "Top 100 Video Games". Flux (4). Harris Publications: 31. April 1995.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.