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Arcade racers will always be classic. Just the lack of realism and the gameplay designed
for just a single goal, and that is fun. There will always be a place in my heart and in
my game system for a great arcade racer. And one of the classic of the genre is San Francisco
Rush: Extreme Racing. A game that started its life in the arcade and fully matured in
the kind and nurturing care of the Nintendo 64.
As stated, San Francisco Rush is an arcade racer. Racing is all about speed and making
it to the next checkpoint before the time runs out. This incorporates elements of both
the arcade version of San Francisco Rush and the sequel The Rock: Alcatraz Edition. The
game starts with six tracks available with more having to be unlocked. But each track
can be run either forward or reverse, which practically doubles the track count. Each
one comes with a difficulty level, either easy, medium or hard. And each one takes advantage
of San Francisco’s unique geography with tight turns and hills that cause your car
to get get some serious air. After you select your course, you have to choose a car, with
those coming with different difficulties, either beginner, advanced, expert, or extreme,
which comes with its own warning.
There are three different ways to race, either practice mode, a single race or a circuit,
where you go through a series of tracks. And all of these can be played with a friend with
local multiplayer. The game also has some creative ways of adding more to the game.
There are secret keys hidden in the tracks, where if you collect them you can unlock new
vehicles. The game is very fast and will have you coming back to try to shave a couple seconds
off your saved best time.
And all of this plays well with some responsive controls. There really isn’t much here to
learn. You can accelerate, brake and gear shift. There is a reset button if you get
stuck too. But the controls go very well with the racing. Your car will respond well, allowing
you to perform some tight turns with relative ease. Which is good, because the tracks can
be quite challenging, with some very tight corners and jumps that need to be lined up
perfectly.
If you are looking for an arcade racer for your N64 that will be sure to give you a thrill,
there are few options better than this. With tight controls and great tracks, it will be
sure to give you the rush you crave.