Cruisin' (and other games) <-- Kinda long
lvlyp...@aol.com
Well, I know that there are several reviews floating around, but
if you still haven't made up your mind, here is my take on
Cruisin' USA for N64 (and views on other games, below)......
Although most reviewers (including those of several prominent
magazines) have voiced less-than-delighted opinions, I believe
that the game is actually rather good. I do admit, though,
that it does have its drawbacks, and many people might find
these to be too much to bear.
The two primary graphical drawbacks that I noticed are:
* Yes, it does run at 20 FPS when the environment is detailed.
(It runs noticably more quickly in tunnels.)
* Anti-aliasing is apparently not used in several areas, and
it shows.
* Scenery is made mostly of flat images (noticable if you run
over something).
* There is pop-up, though they actually made it "fade-in" and
this makes it much less noticable. The only place where I
really noticed it was at the beginning of the Redwood stage,
when the trees first came into view, but it wasn't that bad,
and was only for an instant anyway.
On the bright side, I find the control (with analog joystick)
to be very good (though I find the "feel" of the manual transmission
to be lacking). The tracks are also interesting, though it would
be even moreso if I could choose different paths (can you do this
anywhere?).
The feature that seems most cited in critisisms of the game is
the fact that it runs (usually) at ~20 FPS. I found that this is
not too bad except in certain environment-intensive areas (San
Francisco in particular), and it is noticable when you go from a
heavily-polygoned area into a sparser area (such as a tunnel), at
which time it greatly speeds up.
Overall: On the one hand, they definitely could have done a
better job (they probably had to rush this one out). The drawbacks
are definitely present, and this will discourage a lot of people.
On the other hand, this game is still very enjoyable (at least to
me - see below for other games that I like, to see if you might
agree). It is definitely a good racing game, and it seems like it
will hold my interest for quite a while (and it will take a while
to beat it, especially on the higher difficulties).
Would you agree with me? Maybe. I am a female (for those who
think that this influences game preferences), 22 years old, and
I own all of the "big 3" systems. For comparison of tastes in
games, here are some other N64 games that I own and/or have
played, and what I think of them:
Other N64 games
+ Mario 64
I like this game, and still play it pretty frequently (I am
still nowhere near finishing it, either). Its most glaring
drawback is its messed-up camera angles, which can cause
endless hours of frustration at times.
+ Pilotwings 64
I also enjoy this game, though it can certainly be frustrating
at times. I admit, though, that it is not the type of game
that a lot of people would enjoy.
+ KI Gold
An excellent game! Music, graphics, and gameplay are top-of-
the line. The only problem with this one is that I really
need an arcade stick controller, and no one seems to be making
any (or if they are, I can't find any).
+ MKT (rented)
If you like MK and only own an N64, this is probably a good
game for you. If you own a PSX, get that version instead.
The lack of load times just do not make up for the other
shortcomings of the N64 version, especially considering that
this is one of the most expensive N64 carts so far. The
worst problem is the terrible sound. The control also did not
seem quite right, but this may be because I am used to an
arcade stick on the PSX version.
+ WaveRace 64
I desperately want to rent this, but they are always out of
it. I was considering preordering it quite a while back,
but the preorders sold out before I made up my mind, and I
haven't seen a copy available since.
+ Shadows of the Empire
Haven't a clue. I haven't seen the game in action (I don't
watch TV, so don't tell me to look for commercials of it),
so I will wait until I get a chance to rent it to see what
it is like.
Just for another point of view, here are my girlfriend's opinions
on these games:
+ Mario 64
She loves it, but she too hates the camera troubles. She also
finds that some levels are disproportionately difficult
considering the place encountered (i.e., ice level on first
floor is very difficult compared to other first-floor levels).
+ Pilotwings 64
She liked it for a while, but it did not hold her interest.
She occasionally goes back and plays it, but not often.
+ KI Gold
She likes this one quite a lot. "Better than Street Fighter."
She finds those tiny "C" buttons strange but not too distracting.
+ MKT
She compared the N64 version unfavorably to a particular
biological function (to put it lightly). She loves the
PSX version, though (but hates the fact that it crashes
a lot).
+ WaveRace, Shadows
Hasn't played these yet either.
Well that's it. Sorry about it being so awfully long! If you
cc: a reply to me and post it here as well, mention it in the
email so I don't have to reply twice.
--
"If workers have time to lay tending their flocks and think nothing
about going off to worship some newborn king, clearly management is
not doing its job. At AT&T, if the Angel of the Lord appears to any
employee on company time, we'll call security and get this thing
sorted out fast. All the best to you and your family."
--
Lovely Psyche <LvlyP...@aol.com>
[http://members.aol.com/lvlypsyche/index.html]
helmut karl stoehr jr
> The feature that seems most cited in critisisms of the game is
> the fact that it runs (usually) at ~20 FPS. I found that this is
> not too bad except in certain environment-intensive areas (San
> Francisco in particular), and it is noticable when you go from a
> heavily-polygoned area into a sparser area (such as a tunnel), at
> which time it greatly speeds up.
to me. And you're right about the "fade-in pop-up". It's weird,
but I only notice it at the beginning of the Redwood stage.
At least your post was good(and readable) compared to most of the
garbage these people write.