Cruis'n
Encyclopedia
Cruis'n is a series of racing
video games developed
by Eugene Jarvis
for American
based company Midway Games
, and published by Nintendo
. The series debuted in North America
, and Europe
in 1994. Initially, the series was exclusive to the fifth generation consoles and was brought back later in the seventh generation video game consoles by 2008. The games consist mainly of racing with various cars on various tracks, and to some extent, including stunts in races.
was released for the Arcade
in 1994, then later for the Nintendo 64
on December 3, 1996. This game was developed by Midway Games
and published by Nintendo
. The race starts in San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and ends at the White House in Washington, D.C. The objective in this game is to outrun nine different cars in fourteen different levels. In the Nintendo 64 version, the first time you play all the levels are locked except for the U.S. Route 101. Along the way you can race in different difficulties to unlock new paint jobs and upgrades. The Nintendo 64 version can save different accounts by using the Game Pak. Both the Arcade and Nintendo 64 versions allow two players to race on each course or cruise the U.S.A.
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. 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 reality engine 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. During the last couple of months of development, people sent letters or emails about the censorship. This game was re-released in 1998 as the part of Nintendo's Player's Choice series. In 2008 the game was re-released on Wii's Virtual Console
.
was released for the Arcade
in 1996, then later for the Nintendo 64
in 1998; the sequel to Cruis'n USA. This game was developed by Midway Games
for the arcade version and Eurocom
for the Nintendo 64 version. This game is published by Nintendo
and Midway Games
. The race starts in Hawaii and ends in Florida. The object in this game is to outrun nine different cars in fourteen different tracks; this time the new stunt system was introduced to gain time to finish the race. In the Nintendo 64 version when you first play the game most of the levels and tracks are unlocked. Along the way you will unlock new cars and stages and allow new paint jobs. New courses and cars are only in the Nintendo 64 version. The Nintendo 64 version can save up to one account. The Nintendo 64 version can allow the Rumble Pak to be used during the game. Both the Arcade and Nintendo 64 can allow up to four players on the track.
The implementation on the game started in 1996 after the development of the Nintendo 64 version of Cruis'n USA. Eugene Jarvis
admitted that the Cruis'n USA port wasn't the greatest quality. So they promised that the game would be arcade perfect. Eurocom
took the Cruis'n license and decided to spend more time on the game than had been with Cruis'n USA. In early 1997, Nintendo had announced that Cruis'n World would be coming to the Nintendo 64 in the fall, but the game was silently delayed until 1998.
in 1999, then later for the Nintendo 64
and Game Boy Color
in 2000. This game is developed by Midway Games
for the arcade version, Gratuitous Games
for the Nintendo 64 version, and Crawlfish Interactive for the Game Boy Color version. This game is published by Midway Games
The race starts in Hong Kong and ends on Mars. The objective in this game is to outrun nine different cars in twelve different courses while listening to various kinds of music, and doing different kinds of stunts to gain time. Unlike the first two games you can make your own account by typing a PIN.
Exclusive to the Arcade version are real cars (ex. Chevy Corvette, Plymouth Prowler), where the console versions used created cars like the previous games in the series. In the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color version when playing the game for the first time most of the tracks are locked. Along the way you unlock new cars and stages by gaining miles. The Nintendo 64 version can save different accounts while the Game Boy Color version uses the password system. The Nintendo 64 version can allow players to use the rumble pak during the gameplay. Both the Arcade and Nintendo 64 version can allow up to four players on the track.
in 2001. This game was developed by Graphic State Games
and published by Midway Games
. The race takes place in exotic places like Las Vegas, Holland, Alaska, and Mars. The objective of this game is to outrun seven other cars in fourteen different courses by the new boost system. The players can unlock new kinds of stages and cars. This game uses the password system to save your progress. This game can allow up to four players by using the Game Boy Advance Link Cable.
in 2007. This game is developed by Just Games Interactive
, and published by Midway Games
. The race starts in New York's Times Square, and ends in Los Angeles's Muholland Drive. The objective of this game is to outrun seven different cars by cruising through twelve different courses, doing different kind of stunts, and using the new nitrous system. This game introduces the money system which you gain money to unlock new cars. When you start the game only four tracks and four cars where unlocked. Along the way you unlock different stages and cars by gaining money or racing in the Circuit Challenge. This game allows up to two players on the track.
Back in 2001, another Cruis'n game was planned to be in for works for the Nintendo Gamecube
as a console conversion of Cruis'n Velocity, but the idea was scrapped. But 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
to develop the game for the Nintendo Gamecube
, but then the project was moved to the Wii shortly after the development has started. The game was announced in the summer of 2007 and was planned for release on the Wii exclusive.
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.
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. The game was often praised for its responsive controls, but 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.
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
video games developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
by Eugene Jarvis
Eugene Jarvis
Eugene Peyton Jarvis is a game designer and programmer, known for producing pinball machines for Atari and video games for Williams Electronics. Most notable amongst his works are the seminal arcade video games Defender and Robotron: 2084 in the early 1980s, and the Cruis'n series of driving games...
for American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
based company Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
, and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. The series debuted in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1994. Initially, the series was exclusive to the fifth generation consoles and was brought back later in the seventh generation video game consoles by 2008. The games consist mainly of racing with various cars on various tracks, and to some extent, including stunts in races.
Cruis'n USA
Cruis'n USACruis'n USA
Cruis'n USA is an arcade racing game originally released in 1994. It was developed by Midway Games and published and distributed by Nintendo...
was released for the Arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
in 1994, then later for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
on December 3, 1996. This game was developed by Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. The race starts in San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and ends at the White House in Washington, D.C. The objective in this game is to outrun nine different cars in fourteen different levels. In the Nintendo 64 version, the first time you play all the levels are locked except for the U.S. Route 101. Along the way you can race in different difficulties to unlock new paint jobs and upgrades. The Nintendo 64 version can save different accounts by using the Game Pak. Both the Arcade and Nintendo 64 versions allow two players to race on each course or cruise the U.S.A.
The development for the Nintendo 64 version of Cruis'n USA was announced in 1995. Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
promised the game would look and act the same as the arcade version by using Ultra 64 technology. Williams
Williams
-People:* Williams , a surname English in origin, but popular in Wales, 3rd most common in the United Kingdom* "Williams", the pseudonym of racing driver and SOE agent William Grover-Williams-United States:Communities*Williams, Arizona...
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 reality engine 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. During the last couple of months of development, people sent letters or emails about the censorship. This game was re-released in 1998 as the part of Nintendo's Player's Choice series. In 2008 the game was re-released on Wii's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
.
Cruis'n World
Cruis'n WorldCruis'n World
Cruis'n World is the 1996 sequel to the 1994 arcade racer Cruis'n USA. As the title implies, Cruis'n World allows players to race on various tracks around the world. The game also features more cars than Cruis'n USA. This game introduced stunts to the Cruis'n series. They served to dodge obstacles,...
was released for the Arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
in 1996, then later for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
in 1998; the sequel to Cruis'n USA. This game was developed by Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
for the arcade version and Eurocom
Eurocom
Eurocom is a British video game developer founded specifically to develop games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Since then Eurocom has expanded to several other platforms including handheld game systems and most major video game consoles.The company was once famous for its arcade to console...
for the Nintendo 64 version. This game is published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
. The race starts in Hawaii and ends in Florida. The object in this game is to outrun nine different cars in fourteen different tracks; this time the new stunt system was introduced to gain time to finish the race. In the Nintendo 64 version when you first play the game most of the levels and tracks are unlocked. Along the way you will unlock new cars and stages and allow new paint jobs. New courses and cars are only in the Nintendo 64 version. The Nintendo 64 version can save up to one account. The Nintendo 64 version can allow the Rumble Pak to be used during the game. Both the Arcade and Nintendo 64 can allow up to four players on the track.
The implementation on the game started in 1996 after the development of the Nintendo 64 version of Cruis'n USA. Eugene Jarvis
Eugene Jarvis
Eugene Peyton Jarvis is a game designer and programmer, known for producing pinball machines for Atari and video games for Williams Electronics. Most notable amongst his works are the seminal arcade video games Defender and Robotron: 2084 in the early 1980s, and the Cruis'n series of driving games...
admitted that the Cruis'n USA port wasn't the greatest quality. So they promised that the game would be arcade perfect. Eurocom
Eurocom
Eurocom is a British video game developer founded specifically to develop games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Since then Eurocom has expanded to several other platforms including handheld game systems and most major video game consoles.The company was once famous for its arcade to console...
took the Cruis'n license and decided to spend more time on the game than had been with Cruis'n USA. In early 1997, Nintendo had announced that Cruis'n World would be coming to the Nintendo 64 in the fall, but the game was silently delayed until 1998.
Cruis'n Exotica
Cruis'n Exotica was released for the ArcadeArcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
in 1999, then later for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
and Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
in 2000. This game is developed by Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
for the arcade version, Gratuitous Games
Gratuitous Games
Gratuitous Games is a now defunct video game developer. It developed games for the Nintendo 64, GameCube, Xbox, and PlayStation 2 consoles.-Games Developed:*Cruis'n Exotica *Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko...
for the Nintendo 64 version, and Crawlfish Interactive for the Game Boy Color version. This game is published by Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
The race starts in Hong Kong and ends on Mars. The objective in this game is to outrun nine different cars in twelve different courses while listening to various kinds of music, and doing different kinds of stunts to gain time. Unlike the first two games you can make your own account by typing a PIN.
Exclusive to the Arcade version are real cars (ex. Chevy Corvette, Plymouth Prowler), where the console versions used created cars like the previous games in the series. In the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color version when playing the game for the first time most of the tracks are locked. Along the way you unlock new cars and stages by gaining miles. The Nintendo 64 version can save different accounts while the Game Boy Color version uses the password system. The Nintendo 64 version can allow players to use the rumble pak during the gameplay. Both the Arcade and Nintendo 64 version can allow up to four players on the track.
Cruis'n Velocity
Cruis'n Velocity was released for the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
in 2001. This game was developed by Graphic State Games
Graphic State Games
Graphic state games are a now defunct software house located in Warwickshire, UK.The firm specilised on games for portable devices like the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance but also worked on a number of PlayStation/PlayStation 2, GameCube and PC game projects....
and published by Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
. The race takes place in exotic places like Las Vegas, Holland, Alaska, and Mars. The objective of this game is to outrun seven other cars in fourteen different courses by the new boost system. The players can unlock new kinds of stages and cars. This game uses the password system to save your progress. This game can allow up to four players by using the Game Boy Advance Link Cable.
Cruis'n
Cruis'n was released for the WiiWii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
in 2007. This game is developed by Just Games Interactive
Just Games Interactive
Just Games Interactive is an American video game developer located in Los Angeles, California in the United States. The company was founded in 2006 by the developers at Midway Games. The company is currently owned by Midway Games.-Games:...
, and published by Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
. The race starts in New York's Times Square, and ends in Los Angeles's Muholland Drive. The objective of this game is to outrun seven different cars by cruising through twelve different courses, doing different kind of stunts, and using the new nitrous system. This game introduces the money system which you gain money to unlock new cars. When you start the game only four tracks and four cars where unlocked. Along the way you unlock different stages and cars by gaining money or racing in the Circuit Challenge. This game allows up to two players on the track.
Back in 2001, another Cruis'n game was planned to be in for works for the Nintendo Gamecube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
as a console conversion of Cruis'n Velocity, but the idea was scrapped. But in 2006, Midway was planning to bring The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious (arcade game)
The Fast and the Furious is an arcade game based on the street racing themed 2001 film of the same name. It was developed and published by Raw Thrills...
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
Just Games Interactive
Just Games Interactive is an American video game developer located in Los Angeles, California in the United States. The company was founded in 2006 by the developers at Midway Games. The company is currently owned by Midway Games.-Games:...
to develop the game for the Nintendo Gamecube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, but then the project was moved to the Wii shortly after the development has started. The game was announced in the summer of 2007 and was planned for release on the Wii exclusive.
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
The Fast and the Furious (arcade game)
The Fast and the Furious is an arcade game based on the street racing themed 2001 film of the same name. It was developed and published by Raw Thrills...
. A few months later, Midway released the game, despite experiencing some manufacturing difficulties.
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
The Fast and the Furious (arcade game)
The Fast and the Furious is an arcade game based on the street racing themed 2001 film of the same name. It was developed and published by Raw Thrills...
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
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
era. The game was often praised for its responsive controls, but 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.
External links
- Cruis'n USA at Arcade History
- Cruis'n USA at MobyGames
- Cruis'n USA fan site
- Cruis'n World at EurocomEurocomEurocom is a British video game developer founded specifically to develop games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Since then Eurocom has expanded to several other platforms including handheld game systems and most major video game consoles.The company was once famous for its arcade to console...
- Cruis'n official Midway page
- Cruis'n series at NinDB