California Speed

Once in a while a game comes along that makes people really stand up and take notice of the N64. This isn't one of them. California Speed is the next in the Cruis'n series which started with Cruis'n USA, continued with Cruis'n World and hopefully will end very soon.

In an apparent bid to lose the stigma attached to the previous two games, it's lost the fatal Cruis'n from the title and – presumably to try and improve the game this time around – the game engine from Rush 2 has been used instead. The result is slightly better than the previous two Cruis'n games, but not by much. The problem is that what made Rush 2 – and the previous game, San Francisco Rush – successful was not the graphics but the free-roaming gameplay. And that's exactly what California Speed doesn't have.

Velocity Atrocity

The emphasis in California Speed can probably be guessed from the title; it's all about speed, and to that end each of the tracks is long and relatively straight. Bends are few and far between, thus allowing you to build up speed, but while this might be fun if you were behind the wheel of a real car, just driving fast in a videogame isn't enough.

The choice of cars is fairly wide, with vehicles ranging from a huge pickup truck down to a diddy little golf cart. While the cars all look different though, there's no way to check on their stats and the reason for this is apparently that they're all the same. Each car has the same top speed, the same handling and the same behaviour – you'd think for instance that if a golf cart tried to ram a muscle car it'd come off quite badly, but it's more than easy for the little cart to shove any larger vehicle off the road.

Bird On The Box

In addition to two screenshots on the box, there's also what looks like a screenshot of an attractive woman. Before you get too excited, however, underneath the pic in very, very small type it says "not actual screen shot" and sure enough, she's not in the game! Instead we get, and I quote, "Three gorgeous California Babes... at every finish line!" The babes in question are minuscule blobs of colour who – while they might very well be at every finish line – hardly ever come into view! What a rip!

California Sleeze

In addition to racing opponents, there is also ordinary traffic on the road. But if you're thinking about serious highway destruction, think again. Shunt any vehicle and they fishtail twice then carry on. Ram someone head-on and both cars simply stop, after which you pass through the other vehicle and carry on! The AI isn't up to much either. At the start all the cars jostle for position and occasionally crash as they block each other, but once the pack has thinned out they drive perfectly. If you're in the lead and you so much as scrape a wall, at least one CPU vehicle will appear from nowhere and overtake, and if you're more than halfway down the track you won't be able to win. The only consolation is that, unlike most games, it's not always the same AI vehicle that wins so you can conceivably come second every race and still win overall.

California Speed is a dull, boring and disappointing game which wastes a really good engine. It only has a two-player mode, not four, but to be honest in this case that's a blessing as it means you don't have to inflict the dreary gameplay on more than one friend at once. With the likes of Beetle Adventure Racing and Rush 2 on the market there is absolutely no reason to buy this game. Unless you happen to be mad.

Race Across California

When you successfully complete the California Cup (which is not so much a test of skill as of endurance) you get access to the California track. This either makes the state very small or you very big (depending on your point of view) and lets you race through cities the size of bungalows. While it's fun for about half a lap the novelty quickly wears off, and as it's difficult to work out which way the track is going because there are no markings and it quickly becomes frustrating.

Gulp! California Speed is effectively the third game in the Cruis'n series, following in the malformed tyre tracks of world-class clunkers Cruis'n USA and Cruis'n World. Luckily, Midway has realised that the sheer nastiness of these two games just isn't good enough any more, and instead based California Speed more on their other racing franchise, the successful Rush series.

Set in the sun-smacked, brain-toasted state of California, California Speed features more than a dozen tracks, ranging from San Francisco to Silicon Valley. All the tracks have reversed and mirrored versions for use in the game's Tournament modes. Following the lead of the Rush games, the new tracks are loaded with outrageous features like rollercoasters, and there are as many as 20 different vehicles to race through them with. All the cars can be customised, again like Rush 2. Puke-inducing lime green with puce stripes cars ahoy!

While the look of the tracks may be more like Rush 2, the gameplay is designed to be arcade-simple, like the Cruis'n games, though hopefully with a bit more in the way of involvement. All you have to do is put the pedal to the metal and remember to steer! California Speed does promise more interesting tracks than its predecessors, with hidden short cuts to find and car physics that at least bare a passing resemblance to the real world.

The different vehicles include the usual American muscle, classic racers, Formula 1 cars and even a golf cart (?). Unlike the original Cruis'n games, where you simply took what you were given and made the best of it, California Speed allows players to tweak the performance of their car to suit the different track conditions.

What felled Cruis'n USA and Cruis'n World was the fact that what works in an arcade for 20 pence a play isn't necessarily worth forking out 50 quid or so to play at home. Hopefully, California Speed will have added a little more depth in its translation from coin-op to cartridge. We'll find out next issue when we get the import game in for review...

Take the driving gameplay of Rush 2, the look of Cruis'n World, sprinkle in some Off-Road, add a touch of Cruis'n USA and wham--you have California Speed. It's that easy, kids! Actually, while that sounds a bit sarcastic, it's really close to what California Speed has to offer. And while we often scoff at the simplicity of these games, we realize lots of you like them. So we'll hold our tongues for the rest of this preview.

Like its coin-op counterpart, California Speed has a lot of tracks--14 to be exact. Each course is like a minitour of a particular city. In San Diego you hit the harbor and race on the decks of ships. In San Francisco you can ride the suspension of the Golden Gate Bridge, etc. Fantasy portions include a romp through the innards of a computer, a roller coaster, a psychedelic highway, a mall and more. The game, of course, has keys and shortcuts.

California Speed has some peculiar vehicles: a forklift, a front-end loader, a golf cart and a semi. Strangely enough, these vehicles don't take advantage of their equipment. It'd be fun to spear other cars with the forklift.

Overall, the control is decent. Let's be thankful they didn't use the lackluster Cruis'n USA engine. The frame-rate is actually very good, but the trademark Midway two-speed theory applies--full speed or stop (there doesn't seem to be middle speeds in their games). For those who enjoy the simplistic play of an arcade racer, California Speed will no doubt satisfy.

Midway's streak of bringing hot arcade racers home continues with California Speed, its third N64 title to use the Rush engine.

Burnin Rubber

A popular arcade speedfest, California Speed peels out on the N64 with 14 tracks in the Golden State, including courses in Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Yosemite, and the Mojave Desert. Each track spices up the action with a wild fantasy branch, like an awesome ride along the roller coasters of Santa Cruz's Boardwalk or a pedestrian-endangering detour through a mall. Drivers will also be able to race the courses backward or mirrored.

As far as the cars go, the arcade lineup will return, including the golf cart and the F1 racer, plus Midway plans to add new cars to the game. Other N64-only additions include new shortcuts on the tracks, custom paint jobs for the cars, and a Tournament mode. Two players will also be able to trade paint in the splitscreen mode.

California Rush?

In the arcades, California Speed's a fast, slick ride that blasts through all kinds of wild tracks. In bringing Speed to the N64, Midway is using the Rush engine.. .and it shows. Naturally enough, the graphics won't compare to their arcade beauty, but they'll certainly look familiar to Rush fans--California Speed could almost be mistaken for Rush 3.

The home Version of California Speed's gameplay has also changed to reflect the Rush influence, packing in a lot more of the wild jumps and crazy wipeouts that are trademarks of Rush. Fortunately, the Rush games have always ranked among the N64s best racers, and California Speed looks like one of the hot prospects for the first half of the year.

Caufornia Speed is an adrenaline-blitzed arcade-style sonic-boom tour from the makers o' SF Rush that serves up surprises and excitement through every stunning track. Unfortunately, like any scenic tour, it grows wearier with each pass.

California Dreaming'

Speed offers 14 eye-catching tracks through some hair-raising locales such as the urban jungle of LA, the belly of an alien spacecraft, and a winding roller coaster. Aside from some very distant fog and light pop-up, the lightning-paced graphical action comes on strong--fans of the arcade version will be pleased at how smooth and clean Speed's ride is on the N64. However, the crashes could be a lot more spectacular considering the velocity the game's roadsters achieve.

Sounds and Shids

Speed offers a unique song for each track, matching techno-thrash beats with the games furious roadway action in fine style. The sound effects are also dead-on: Your tires shriek perfectly during skids and are nicely complemented by the resisting force of the Rumble Pak.

Speed's control interface is intuitive enough for racing vets, who will be in the hunt for the top spot on their first run-through, but may be too loose initially for sim vets (don't worry, SF Rushers--you'll feel right at home). Inexplicably, all the cars handle the same: When was the last time you saw a golf cart hold its own against a high-performance racer?

And what happened to the horsepower? True to its arcade nature, Speed is a one-trick pony--you're here to see the sights. Despite its mirrored tracks, some hidden shortcuts, and a variety of race circuits, the only real replay value lies in the game's two-player contests. And although Speed's flawless split-screen racing is impressive (considering its heavy environmental detail), its no more so than SF Rush's, which is actually far more exciting thanks to the aerial acrobatics you can perform.

Rental Car?

Fans of California Speed's arcade counterpart will bask in this sharp N64 port, but serious racing fans may be disappointed by the game's lack of replay depth. Consider this a rental title--lease with an option to buy.

Graphics

Speed's got the feed for those in need of a graphics stampede. This game looks slick thanks to its 14 gorgeously designed, uniquely detailed tracks. Racers will also be stoked that there's little popup and that the fog is unobtrusive.

Sound

With a separate, equally electric score for each track and crisp, thrashing wheels, squeals, and peels. Speed sounds like it's a CD-based game.

Control

Speed's tight, responsive controls will keep you on the road and in the thick of each race. Unfortunately, all the cars handle the same--the trucks drive just like the golf carts. Where's the variety?

Fun Factor

California Speeds a gushing graphics feast that plays like you're taking a scenic tour through the Quaking State, but the handling trips on the line between sim and arcade. Furthermore, the replay value tanks once you've seen all the sights.