Cruis'n USA

"California and Arizona are 2/3 of the country. Right..."

Crus’n USA was one of the first racers on the Nintendo 64. Now, there are many of them, but Crus’n USA is still one of the best.

GAMEPLAY--8
There are not many modes to keep your time spent spread out. But the modes there are will keep you playing. First, there is the Cruise the USA mode, which allows you to do just do that. Except for in Crus’n USA, more than half of the tracks are set in California and Arizona. The first time I played it I thought there were going to be a few hundred tracks! (No such luck. There are only fourteen.) The other mode worth mentioning is the Single Race Mode. Here you can race on most of the tracks from the Cruise the USA mode. I say most because three of the tracks (I think Golden Gate Bridge, Indiana, and Washington D.C.) are only accessed by codes. Why they did not just include these tracks, I do not know.

GRAPHICS--6
At a first graphics these graphics are pretty good. Then you put the game into action. Everything pops up in front of you as you go along. This puts you at a huge disadvantage, until you know all of the tracks by heart. Because a sharp turn can suddenly appear out of nowhere, right when you are putting yourself into Cruise Control.

The cars, however, look spectacular. They are all nearly photo realistic. The lights actually flash (with the entrance of a code) on the police car. You can see writing on the back of the school bus.The attention to detail is amazing. Why could they not do that to the backgrounds too?

MUSIC--8
SOUND--1

The music itself is upbeat and arcadey. They are all instrumental songs in the tracks, that are heavy on the electric guitar and drums. One of the songs will surely stay in your head. I do not know which one, because it is different with each person.

Some of the car sound effects are pretty cool. And realistic. Especially the engine sounds. But the backseat driver loses all of the points. She annoys you to death by saying things you already know: “We’re gonna crash!” “Oooooo! Hollywood!” “So this is the Grand Canyon!” Shut up already!

CONTROL--7
Controlling is pretty easy. At times, it gets a little too sensitive, but with a little practice you will be able to breeze past the computer. This is where I will wonder why there is not a turbo button in any Crus’n game. It would be a giant help, especially on the harder difficulties. I also think it is bizarre that the default settings for the game use ‘Z’ for go. I would not change it, since I am so used to it, but you might want to change the settings before you play.

FUN--9
This game is great fun in single player or multiplayer. The two player Cruise the USA is a great addition. It can make the races easier. You and your friend can create strategies that will help you win easily in your journey through the United States of America.

A four player mode would have been a very welcome addition. I am holding out on hope that Williams Entertainment will include one in the port to the Nintendo 64 of Crus’n Exotica. Unfortunately, no extras were really added from the arcade version, to this console version, so arcade goers will not have a lot new to do, so they will be saying “Deja Vu!”

REPLAY VALUE--MEDIUM TO HIGH
Crus’n USA will take you a long time to get all of the possible car upgrades. And plus, racing friends and family members in the multiplayer modes will keep the game near your Nintendo 64, since it is so fun. After you get all of the upgrades, the Cruise the USA mode will probably not warrant your attention anymore, but the Single Races will keep you playing for long after your Nintendo 64 is not cutting edge.

CHALLENGE--VARIES WITH THE DIFFICULTY LEVELS
This is a textbook example of difficulty levels done right. Just because you are a master on the easiest difficulty level, difficulty level one, that does not mean you will even manage to finish fourth on difficulty level two or three. The artificial intelligence (AI) is beefed up along with the levels. Without a lot of practice the AI on difficult level five (the hardest) can be nearly impossible.

CLOSING STATEMENT
Crus’n USA offers high replay value and a lot of fun, even with its shortcomings. It is one of the most underrated (and critically bashed) racing games on the Nintendo 64.

OVERALL--8

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/16/00, Updated 07/18/01