Games Revisited: Cruis'n USA

[Sk8teland85]

One genre of games I do enjoy is racing games. From the earliest days with titles like Rad Racer and Outrun to now with games like Mario Kart Wii and Excite Truck, there is just something very fun about a racing game. Since I was in the mood for a racing game I figured I would revisit the first one I got to play on the N64 and see how well it held up after all these years and here are my thoughts.

The first time I actually got to play Cruis'n USA was back in 1995 when I went down to Ocean City and played it at one of the arcades on the Boardwalk. Now when I got my N64 this was one of the first 3rd party games I got for it and I did like it at the time. These memories did come back to me as I got out the cartridge for the game.

When I first started racing one of the first things that just stood out was how poor the graphics were. I mean I know this game was a early N64 title but still it just looks ugly for one. Back then I may not have noticed or really cared much but looking at it now it really does look more like a game from one of those earlier 3D consoles like the Panasonic 3DO or Atari Jaguar. Everything in the background just look flat and dull with little to no depth.

This is about as good as this games graphics get

Well putting the graphics beside since it is really how the game play that matters most. So how well does Cruis'n USA play? Well to be honest the gameplay has not aged well at all. Now this is a point to point racing game meaning that you have to get from point to point before time runs out. This kind of gamplay formula is not bad but when compared to other racing game at the time like Mario Kart 64 it just feels too limiting.

As for controls well in the arcade you had a steering wheel to control the car and that worked great. But the N64 does not have one so you have o use the analog joystick or the D-Pad and both do work very well and are very responsive but neither can compare to a actual steering wheel.

Now I know it may seem like I think this game is bad but in truth I did have a lot of fun with it during my revisit. While the gameplay may be a bit dated it is still just a lot of fun to play. This game may not have aged well at all but it still has it's charm, this game is ment to be fun and for it's credit it does a very good job at being fun. So here is what I say for this game. If you can find the N64 cartridge for cheap at a store it is worth picking up since you will get a lot of fun for your dollar. However I cannot recommend this title for download off of Wii Virtual Console since 10 dollars is IMO too much for a game this dated in gameplay and overall design.

[Tupin]

THIS is the arcade game I grew up with.

I prefer Crusin' World, but USA is fun too.

[Nayrman]

THIS is the arcade game I grew up with.

I prefer Crusin' World, but USA is fun too.

I still have Crusin' World on the N64....
I love the moon level and the ATV. Going back the graphics are laughably bad.