Developer: Williams Entertainment (Port) TV Games Inc. (Arcade Original) Publisher: Nintendo
Released: December 3, 1996 Rated: K-A 5/10
Few titles were as indicative of the perception of the N64 and its status as underwhelming or disappointing amongst its contemporaries as Cruis’n USA, the arcade racer shown off early and often in hype packages and previews for the “Ultra 64” in the months and years leading up to its release. Eugene Jarvis and Midway’s sit-down racer that competed successfully with the likes of Daytona USA and others was presented as running on hardware akin to that of the upcoming console at trade shows as early as 1994. All along the way, it was remarked as being a tremendously impressive port, which is why the eventual N64 release, which didn’t even make its promised launch window alongside the console in the country it features, was panned so harshly upon the holiday ‘96 release: it had actually been running on nearly arcade-level hardware the whole time!
Underwhelming as this may have seemed at the time, however, going from a smooth, polished, borderline arcade-perfect experience to a title that, at times, still seems to struggle running even with its downgrades and cut corners, Cruis’n USA still comes off nowadays as, if nothing else, a good bit of casual fun. Really, I think Cruis’n USA just passes the vibe check. A series of quick races from coast to coast through a variety of US locales, even with a small selection of cars and only a couple decent songs to pick from on the radio, makes for a nice, chill drive, even if other cars might bump you or run you off the road. It’s a lot like Sega’s classic OutRun franchise in this respect: literally cruising down the highway with the radio blaring and your arm around whoever’s in the passenger seat. It’s an experience that’s a little more than the sum of its parts, and while the franchise would get almost exponentially deeper with each subsequent release, there’s plenty of charm to make it worth popping in the original and turning off your brain for a nice drive across the country.
I do wish it was a little bit stronger when you hold it up alongside its sequels, for example. Cruis’n World is a pretty immediate upgrade from what’s on offer here, both in content and technical muscle. Almost everything is still sprite-based, rather than models, but that was still practically the standard of the launch era on the system. I also wish the music that really takes off as a selling point – for me, at least – later in the series had a few more options to flip through, with only four on offer here, as solid as they are. As dated as Cruis’n USA is in these regards though, when you consider the era it released in, with arcade ports neither expected to be perfect (no matter how they previewed it) nor adding in a whole lot, there’s still a fun and enjoyable experience at the core of events here, and a fun, chill bit of racing worth popping in now and again.
Continuing Legacy
The Cruis’n series would be shelved in favor of Midway’s other racing series following the N64 era, most notably the Thunder games, though it would see an attempted reboot on the Wii in 2009 that isn’t considered anything special. Its 2017 arcade revival by Raw Thrills (founded in 2001 by Cruis’n USA’s original director, Eugene Jarvis) and its subsequent release on Nintendo Switch, however, makes for an inspired return to the bombastic world of ‘90s arcade racing, and is seriously worth checking out for fans looking for a modern take on one of the N64’s most prolific genres.
Additional Information
Saves: Cartridge and Controller Pak
Players: 2
Compatible with: No Accessories
Print Guides: No dedicated guide, but featured in many early miscellaneous N64 guides released close to launch
Aggregate Critical Reception (GameRankings): 53.62%, based on 13 reviews
Other releases: EU, January 30, 1998
My Streams
Commercials and Print Ads
Previewed in Nintendo Power Volume 85 and 88 (June 1996, September 1996), featured in Nintendo Power Volume 92 (January 1997)
