Cruis'n USA

Cruis'n USA
Developer(s)	Midway Games (Arcade) Williams (Nintendo 64)
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Eugene Jarvis (director)
Programmer(s)	Eric Pribyl (lead software) Carl Mey
Artist(s)	Xion Cooper Ted Barber
Series	Cruis'n
Platform(s)	Arcade Nintendo 64 Virtual Console
Release date(s)	Arcade NA 1994 Nintendo 64 NA December 3, 1996 EU March 1, 1997 Virtual Console EU March 28, 2008 NA March 31, 2008
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: K-A (Kids to Adults) (N64) ESRB: E (Everyone) (VC)
Arcade system	Midway V Unit
Display	Raster 512 x 400 resolution Horizontal orientation

Cruis'n USA is an arcade racing game originally released in 1994. It was developed by Midway Games and published and distributed by Nintendo. It is the first game in the Cruis'n series and features locations around the United States.

Although Cruis'n USA was advertised as running on Ultra 64 hardware (based on the Nintendo 64's hardware), it was actually implemented on the Midway V-unit hardware. The hardware consisted of a TMS32031 CPU clocked at 50 MHz, an ADSP-2115 DSP clocked at 10 MHz for sound and a custom 3D chip that could render perspective-correct but unfiltered quads at a high resolution (512 x 400 pixels).

Along with Killer Instinct Gold, it was planned as a launch title for the Nintendo 64. Neither game made it out for Nintendo 64's launch, however, primarily because the arcade versions of both games were done on hardware that was very different and somewhat more powerful than the console. Cruis'n USA, although impressive in arcades in 1994, got panned in 1996 when it was finally released on the Nintendo 64 because the port was less polished than the arcade version and its technology had already been surpassed by other games.

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

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 to race with. As in most racing games, the car can simulate either an automatic or manual transmission. Automatic increases the speed of gear shifts, while players using the manual transmission must switch during races. Players who reach first place move on to the next track, like in most racing games. Unlike most racing games, there is the option to change the music by pressing the music button. Crusi'n USA's car handling is also very twitchy when compared to other N64 racing games. Whenever you finish the game, you unlock either a new vehicle or a new color.

Cars

In the game, the cars are given fake names since the developers could not get licenses for the actual names. The following are the names of cars in the game, and their real-life names:

• Playable Cars
• '63 Muscle Car: Chevrolet Corvette (C2)
• La Bomba: De Luxe Ford
• Devastator IV: indefinite model; it resembles a Lamborghini Calà
• Italia P69: Ferrari Testarossa
• Secret Cars
• ATV: Jeep Wrangler
• School Bus: Thomas Built Buses
• Police Car: Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
• Traffic
• Pick-Up Truck: Toyota Hilux
• Big Truck: indefinite model; it resembles a Volvo truck
• Minivan: Dodge Caravan
• Car: Ford Mustang (first generation)
• Cruis'n USA Big Bus: indefinite model; it resembles a real American bus
• Fire Truck: indefinite model; it resembles a real American fire truck

Development

The development for the Nintendo 64 version of Cruis'n USA was announced in 1995. Nintendo promised the game would look and act the same as the arcade version by using Ultra 64 technology. The company called Williams got the Cruis'n USA license to port the game over to the Nintendo 64. But the game was too advanced for the Nintendo 64 hardware due to the unrelated, more powerful hardware that Midway Games used. Therefore, due to hardware they had to downgrade most of the graphics in order to get the game over to the Nintendo 64. In 1996, Cruis'n USA was announced to be a launched title for the Nintendo 64. However, the game got delayed before the Nintendo 64 was released due to the censorship problems that game had.^[1] During the last couple of months of development, people sent letters or emails about the censorship.^[2]

References

1. ^ "Nintendo to censor Cruis'n". IGN. http://ign64.ign.com/articles/060/060333p1.html. 
2. ^ "Results of Cruis'n USA Poll". IGN. http://ign64.ign.com/articles/060/060354p1.html. 

External links

• Cruis'n USA at the Killer List of Videogames
• Arcade History Database entry
• Cruis'n USA at MobyGames
• An old fan site from the nineties