| Cruisin The World |
Following the success of 1995's Cruisin' USA, Nintendo released the globetrotting sequel: Cruisin' (the) World. They expanded the music, expanded the car selection to include a diverse list of vehicles ranging from a Reliant Robin-esque pickup truck, all the way to a big Humvee military vehicle. They also added a selection of killer tunes. The game sort of lost it's more late 80's/early 90's feel of the previous release with it's Shredder rock tunes and Bikini finish line babes, and gave more of what I would describe as a Quentin Tarintino version of the Cannonball Run Movies feel....sort of felt like I should have Ace Ventura driving around in my 95' Mustang GT with a ridiculous golden supercharger sticking out of the hood.
Cruisin' World enjoyed a very high level of success as a driving sim on the N64, nothing like Majora's Mask, Goldeneye, or Super Mario 64 of course, but it was a massive Arcade hit at the time, and was also a very popular release for the console, and arguably, one of the best driving sims on the platform. Nintendo continued later with the more subdued Cruisin' Exotica. Today it's still a popular choice in N64 emulation, and something I still play on Virtual Console on my heavily modified Wii units.Sporty Teenage Hijinks in the Land of Make Believe - My Experiences |