Cruis'n (Wii)

Infobox VG
title =Cruis'n


caption=North American box art
developer =Just Games Interactive
publisher =Midway Games
distributor =Nintendo
designer =
engine = Modfied The Fast and the Furious Engine
series="Cruis'n"
released =vgrelease|NA=November 27, 2007vgrelease|AUS=February 14, 2008 vgrelease|EU=March 27, 2008
genre =Racing
modes =Single player, multiplayer
cabinet =
arcade system =
display =
input =
ratings=ESRB: Everyone (E)
OFLC: G
PEGI: 3+
platforms=Wii
media=Wii Optical Disc
input =Wii Remote
Wii Remote + Wii Wheel
picture format = 480p, 16:9 or 4:3

"Cruis'n" is a racing game for the Wii console developed by Just Games Interactive and published by Midway Games. The game was released in November 27, 2007 in North America. The game was later released in Australasia on February 14, 2008 and in Europe on March 27, 2008. It is the fifth game of the series of the same name. It is a port of the arcade game "The Fast and the Furious", though without the license for the film of the same name.

Gameplay

The game plays very similarly to past titles in the "Cruis'n" series; players race down one-way courses consisting of streets based on real-life locations while avoiding various road hazards such as oncoming traffic and construction. Players can gain a temporary boost in speed by using nitrous oxide, otherwise known as "N₂O" or simply "Nitrous," a feature that was heavily emphasized in the "The Fast and the Furious" film. However, the number of times the player can use the nitrous boost is limited.

"Cruis'n", like its arcade counterparts, allows players to customize and upgrade their cars' numerous features, such as spoilers, decals, neon lights, ground effects, and engines, which players must purchase with money earned from races.

"Cruis'n" contains twelve courses which can be raced on four different difficulty levels.

Development

In 2006, Midway was planning to bring "The Fast and the Furious" to home consoles, but lost the license during the game's production cycle. Midway then changed the name of the game to "Cruis'n" and hired game developers Just Games Interactive and Raw Thrills, who had developed the original arcade version of "The Fast and the Furious". The game was announced in early 2007 and was planned for release on the Wii.

During the summer of 2007, Midway released three screenshots demonstrating somewhat dated graphics. Later, Midway released additional screenshots and announced a two-player mode as well as a car customization feature for the game like its original arcade counterpart "The Fast and the Furious". A few months later, Midway released the game, despite experiencing some manufacturing difficulties.

Arcade and Wii differences

* In the Arcade Version, numerous billboards for The Fast and the Furious appear. In the Wii version, these are replaced by billboards for Midway Games.
* In the Arcade Version in Mulholland Drive, a Universal Studios company makes a cameo appearance. In the Wii version it was replaced by Midway Games studios.
* In the Arcade Version there are more people at the starting line. This was removed in the Wii version for unknown reasons.
* In the Arcade Version there are people behind the finish line. This was removed in the Wii version for unknown reasons.
* In the Arcade Version, the rear license plate on all the cars reads "FNF" and the driver resembles Vin Diesel. In the Wii port the license reads "MWY" (for Midway) and there is no visible driver, even in the convertible-top cars.
* In the Arcade Version the Hollywood Sign appears in the Hollywood stage. In the Wii version it is changed to a Los Angeles sign for unknown reasons, although the original appeared in the pre-release screenshots.

Reception

VG Reviews
GSpot = 2.5/10cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/wii/driving/cruisn/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;review| title = Cruis'n Review — Gamespot| date = 2007-12-12| publisher = GameSpot|author = GameSpot Staff| accessdate = 2007-12-12]
IGN = 3.0/10cite web |url= http://wii.ign.com/articles/840/840362p1.html|title=Totaled |accessdate=2007-11-17 |first = Bozon | last = | publisher = IGN | date = 2007-12-07 ] |
compilation = yes|
MC = 25 [cite web| url = http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/wii/cruisn?q=Cruis'n| title = Cruis'n (Wii: 2007): Reviews| publisher = Metacritic| accessdate = 2007-12-03]
GR = 24% [cite web| url = http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/941689.asp?q=Cruisn| title = Cruis'n — Wii| publisher = Game Rankings| accessdate = 2007-12-03] |

"Cruis'n" fared poorly in reviews by both gamers and critics. Many thought it was a slapped-together version of "The Fast and the Furious" arcade game with few new features. The main areas of criticism were its outdated gameplay, poor sound, lack of extra features (the title is a straight port), and lack of depth; the game can be beaten in less than an hour. Its loading times were considered problematic as it takes up to a minute to load and start a race. The game's graphics were also heavily criticized for resembling a game from the Nintendo 64 era. Though the game was often praised for its responsive controls, the overall experience of the game was hampered by its other flaws. Some reviews expressed the belief that "Cruis'n" was a quick cash-out for Midway.

ales

"Cruis'n" sold 14,260 copies during its first week of release in North America. Sales dropped in the following weeks, in part due to manufacturing difficulties.

External links

* [http://www.midway.com/rxpage/Game_Cruis'n.html/ Official Midway Page]
* [http://cruisngame.com/ Official website]

References