Extreme-G 2
Encyclopedia
Extreme-G 2 is the second Extreme-G game to be released on the Nintendo 64
, but is the third game in the Extreme-G timeline (XGRA
starts in 2080, while this game starts in the mid-22nd century
). It is a third party game, with Acclaim
's development out to Probe Entertainment department.
: pilots race plasma
-powered Tron
-like bikes in an intergalactic Grand Prix at speeds that are over 999 mph. It is possible to break the sound barrier
in this game, creating a sonic boom
. While travelling at supersonic speeds
, all game sounds are muted except the sound of the vehicle travelling. If the bike slows down to below supersonic speeds, another sonic boom can be heard and all game sounds will resume. The emphasis is on speed and creative racetrack design, with tracks looping through all three dimensions like roller coaster
s.
The game's controls are fairly sensitive, so players may have to practice with a given machine before diving right into the Grand Prix. Visuals as well as the level layouts contribute to the immense speed of the game.
Each of the machines have their own handling
characteristics, with varying top speeds, armor values and traction
values. All of the machines in the game have an energy meter – with two separate energy stores for protective shields and a basic primary weapon. If a machine loses all of its shield energy, it will explode on contact, causing the player to lose a life or the match. It is also possible for players to fall off the tracks when driving through jumps or similar obstacles. In this case, the player is simply teleported back to the track. Players are given three "Nitro
" boosts per race.
Extreme-G has a championship mode ranging from novice to expert, shoot-em-up mode (named "Arcade Mode" in XG2), multiplayer racing, and deathmatch
. In shoot-em-up/arcade mode, computer drones follow a lunar path while the player attempts to destroy them with Extreme-G's arsenal of weapons. The idea came from Tron
and Atari
's Tempest 2000
.
The list below contains every environment, with the six tracks it includes.
Aquanor - An overpolluted aquatic planet where ships come to dock or to head out into the seaside colonies, the few patches of land are used for racing :
- The Harbour
- Submarine Bay
- Clifftops
- ruobraH ehT
- yaB enirambuS
- spotffilC
Sensara - Taking place in a city in the skyline, the famous "Skyline Drop" allows for speeds up to 900 and over :
- Skyline Drop
- Crybridge Pass
- Tubeway
- porD enilykS
- ssaP egdirbyrC
- yawebuT
Farron - A swamp/bayou like planet with same features but having larger version of swamp life on earth, the low visibility will present a problem :
- Fire Hazard
- Mushroom Chicane
- Corkscrew
- drazaH eriF
- enacihC moorhsuM
- wercskroC
Lumania - A lush but mountainous planet, the temples serve as beatuful backdrops to the racers, one of the racers is the prince of this planet :
- Fountains
- Pyramid
- Landing Bay
- sniatnuoF
- dimaryP
- yaB gnidnaL
Mesa Virs - A primal yet verdant planet, the resident of this planet has taken great care to keep their presence on the planet felt and has constructed large wind turnbines to power their society. The circuit is also built "organically" with loops and turns built according their own whims. :
- Wind Farm
- Harvest
- Gleams
- mraF dniW
- tsevraH
- smaelG
Canous - A frigid mountain planet with huge drops. The lesser developments on the planet means weapons are more basic for the racers :
- Mountain Pass
- Lower Village
- Chasm Crossing
- ssaP niatnuoM
- egalliV rewoL
- gnissorC msahC
Tethra - A lava planet with few inhabitants save the miners who harvest the minerals on this planet to ship off to remote worlds, there are 3 famous features on the course, the smelter tube, the shifter (a moving piece of track that threatens to drop an uncautious racer in to the molten lava) and the tunnels which requires lighting to navigate :
- G-Plains
- Fault
- Nocturne
- snialP-G
- tluaF
- enrutcoN
Anville - A bustling metropolis in the evening that serves as the backdrop of the course, the planet's highways serve as an excellent way for racers to complete. :
- Outlet 360
- Hangar
- Breakers
- 063 teltuO
- ragnaH
- srekaerB
Hydra Prime - Unlike Aquanor which takes place in a storm ridden harbor, Hydra Prime is located in Underwater Base's tube network which is use for commuting...and racing :
- Underwater Base
- Volcano
- The Abyss
- esaB retawrednU
- onacloV
- ssybA ehT
Tox City - A horribly industrialized city which is very much the antithesis of Anville and Lumania, Tox City will have the racers experiencing the underground shafts and the polluted city. :
- Ventilator
- Pulsar
- Apex
- rotalitneV
- rasluP
- xepA
Cordilon - A swamp planet that is hostile to both human life and racers, the lack of guiderails makes high speed driving extremely difficult. :
- Sulphur Lakes
- The Mire
- Crystal Forest
- sekaL ruhpluS
- eriM ehT
- tseroF latsyrC
Eschaton - The final planet which like Tethra is a lava planet. The planet is a source of ruins and pillars with extremely treacherous drops into the lava. :
- Glass Highway
- Infernus
- Burnout
- yawhgiH ssalG
- sunrefnI
- tuonruB
gave N64 version 6.9 out of 10 with criticism of gameplay stating it was "nowhere near its competition" despite "improved controls and tracks". The graphics were also criticised for N64 version for "stuttering framerates and over-filtering" but got 10 out of 10 for the presentation.
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...
, but is the third game in the Extreme-G timeline (XGRA
XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association
XGRA: Extreme G-Racing Association is a futuristic racing game and the follow-up to Extreme-G 3. This game features more tracks as well as a brand new weapon system.-Overview:...
starts in 2080, while this game starts in the mid-22nd century
22nd century
The 22nd century is a century of the Christian Era or Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. It is the upcoming century, beginning on January 1, 2101 and ending on December 31, 2200.-Events:...
). It is a third party game, with Acclaim
Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, Nintendo's NES, SNES, Nintendo...
's development out to Probe Entertainment department.
Gameplay
This iteration, as with all Extreme-G games, is about futuristic racingRacing
A sport race is a competition of speed, against an objective criterion, usually a clock or to a specific point. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time...
: pilots race plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
-powered Tron
Tron
-Film:*Tron , a franchise that began in 1982 with the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron** Tron , a 1982 science fiction film by Disney, starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Dan Shor and David Warner...
-like bikes in an intergalactic Grand Prix at speeds that are over 999 mph. It is possible to break the sound barrier
Sound barrier
The sound barrier, in aerodynamics, is the point at which an aircraft moves from transonic to supersonic speed. The term, which occasionally has other meanings, came into use during World War II, when a number of aircraft started to encounter the effects of compressibility, a collection of several...
in this game, creating a sonic boom
Sonic boom
A sonic boom is the sound associated with the shock waves created by an object traveling through the air faster than the speed of sound. Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding much like an explosion...
. While travelling at supersonic speeds
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
, all game sounds are muted except the sound of the vehicle travelling. If the bike slows down to below supersonic speeds, another sonic boom can be heard and all game sounds will resume. The emphasis is on speed and creative racetrack design, with tracks looping through all three dimensions like roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s.
The game's controls are fairly sensitive, so players may have to practice with a given machine before diving right into the Grand Prix. Visuals as well as the level layouts contribute to the immense speed of the game.
Each of the machines have their own handling
Handling
Handling stolen goods is the name of a statutory offence in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. It takes place after a theft or other dishonest acquisition is completed and may be committed by a fence or other person who helps the thief to realise the value of the stolen goods...
characteristics, with varying top speeds, armor values and traction
Traction
- Engineering :*Forces:** Traction , adhesive friction or force in the context of vehicle** Traction vector, in mechanics, the force per unit area on a surface, including normal and shear components...
values. All of the machines in the game have an energy meter – with two separate energy stores for protective shields and a basic primary weapon. If a machine loses all of its shield energy, it will explode on contact, causing the player to lose a life or the match. It is also possible for players to fall off the tracks when driving through jumps or similar obstacles. In this case, the player is simply teleported back to the track. Players are given three "Nitro
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...
" boosts per race.
Extreme-G has a championship mode ranging from novice to expert, shoot-em-up mode (named "Arcade Mode" in XG2), multiplayer racing, and deathmatch
Deathmatch (gaming)
Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...
. In shoot-em-up/arcade mode, computer drones follow a lunar path while the player attempts to destroy them with Extreme-G's arsenal of weapons. The idea came from Tron
Tron (arcade game)
Tron is a coin-operated arcade video game manufactured and distributed by Bally Midway in 1982. It is based on the Walt Disney Productions motion picture Tron released in the same year. The game consists of four subgames inspired by the events of the science fiction film. It features some...
and Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
's Tempest 2000
Tempest 2000
Tempest 2000 is a 1994 remake by Jeff Minter of the Dave Theurer 1981 arcade game classic, Tempest. Originally an exclusive to the Atari Jaguar, the game received critical praise for its 3D graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay.-Gameplay:...
.
Tracks
Every race of the game takes place in one of 12 environment, each gathering 6 tracks (3 actual circuits plus a mirror version of each).The list below contains every environment, with the six tracks it includes.
Aquanor - An overpolluted aquatic planet where ships come to dock or to head out into the seaside colonies, the few patches of land are used for racing :
- The Harbour
- Submarine Bay
- Clifftops
- ruobraH ehT
- yaB enirambuS
- spotffilC
Sensara - Taking place in a city in the skyline, the famous "Skyline Drop" allows for speeds up to 900 and over :
- Skyline Drop
- Crybridge Pass
- Tubeway
- porD enilykS
- ssaP egdirbyrC
- yawebuT
Farron - A swamp/bayou like planet with same features but having larger version of swamp life on earth, the low visibility will present a problem :
- Fire Hazard
- Mushroom Chicane
- Corkscrew
- drazaH eriF
- enacihC moorhsuM
- wercskroC
Lumania - A lush but mountainous planet, the temples serve as beatuful backdrops to the racers, one of the racers is the prince of this planet :
- Fountains
- Pyramid
- Landing Bay
- sniatnuoF
- dimaryP
- yaB gnidnaL
Mesa Virs - A primal yet verdant planet, the resident of this planet has taken great care to keep their presence on the planet felt and has constructed large wind turnbines to power their society. The circuit is also built "organically" with loops and turns built according their own whims. :
- Wind Farm
- Harvest
- Gleams
- mraF dniW
- tsevraH
- smaelG
Canous - A frigid mountain planet with huge drops. The lesser developments on the planet means weapons are more basic for the racers :
- Mountain Pass
- Lower Village
- Chasm Crossing
- ssaP niatnuoM
- egalliV rewoL
- gnissorC msahC
Tethra - A lava planet with few inhabitants save the miners who harvest the minerals on this planet to ship off to remote worlds, there are 3 famous features on the course, the smelter tube, the shifter (a moving piece of track that threatens to drop an uncautious racer in to the molten lava) and the tunnels which requires lighting to navigate :
- G-Plains
- Fault
- Nocturne
- snialP-G
- tluaF
- enrutcoN
Anville - A bustling metropolis in the evening that serves as the backdrop of the course, the planet's highways serve as an excellent way for racers to complete. :
- Outlet 360
- Hangar
- Breakers
- 063 teltuO
- ragnaH
- srekaerB
Hydra Prime - Unlike Aquanor which takes place in a storm ridden harbor, Hydra Prime is located in Underwater Base's tube network which is use for commuting...and racing :
- Underwater Base
- Volcano
- The Abyss
- esaB retawrednU
- onacloV
- ssybA ehT
Tox City - A horribly industrialized city which is very much the antithesis of Anville and Lumania, Tox City will have the racers experiencing the underground shafts and the polluted city. :
- Ventilator
- Pulsar
- Apex
- rotalitneV
- rasluP
- xepA
Cordilon - A swamp planet that is hostile to both human life and racers, the lack of guiderails makes high speed driving extremely difficult. :
- Sulphur Lakes
- The Mire
- Crystal Forest
- sekaL ruhpluS
- eriM ehT
- tseroF latsyrC
Eschaton - The final planet which like Tethra is a lava planet. The planet is a source of ruins and pillars with extremely treacherous drops into the lava. :
- Glass Highway
- Infernus
- Burnout
- yawhgiH ssalG
- sunrefnI
- tuonruB
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave N64 version 6.9 out of 10 with criticism of gameplay stating it was "nowhere near its competition" despite "improved controls and tracks". The graphics were also criticised for N64 version for "stuttering framerates and over-filtering" but got 10 out of 10 for the presentation.