Pros: The customizations add a greater depth to the game...
Cons: Everything is half-baked to give a mediocre racing experience.
The bottom line: Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA, despite its problems, is a neat racer unlike most titles found these days and is one of the better N64 racers you can find.
Midway, a renowned arcade company who is well known for their Mortal Kombat franchise, produced a racing game for the N64 system entitled San Francisco Rush; wowing critics from it’s presentation of cars flying through the streets of San Francisco at high speeds (something in videogames that was uncommon to be seen before the launch of San Francisco Rush). When the excitement ended, the gamers and critics wanted more. Well, Midway delivered its sequel in winter of 1998; the name, Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA (a title that would buyers presume it was a cross-country competition). But was Rush 2 everything people anticipated? Here is my review.


Gameplay: 3.75 (Out of 5)

The best factor of Rush 2 is the fun factor. Although Rush 2 is far from being Gran Turismo in terms of length and depth, Rush 2 has enough features to give the gamer a racing experience unlike any other titles they may have played.

Rush 2 offers a total of 10 racing tracks; with two secret tracks to unlock. I will only list the available courses.

There are seven areas to race are in the most popular of cities and sites across America:

Seattle: Huge hills and bridges populate the dockside city. There are tunnels, alleyways, and buildings to access for shortcuts. This stage isn’t entirely huge.

New York: The isolated (post 28 Days Later) metropolis is divided into Uptown and Downtown. The uptown district covers the northern section of New York (notably Manhattan (streets placarded with the upcoming musical Rats), Grand Central Terminal, and a minute Central Park). The downtown area begins from the Brooklyn Bridge and covers Brooklyn , where you even have the chance of seeing Ellis Island (which has the statue of liberty) as well as other memorable monuments. Yet, don’t expect to race through Staten Island or Coney Island.

Los Angeles: Centered in Hollywood, you are allowed to race on the walk of fame, through the undulating Melrose districts, Sunset strip, passed WB studios, the freeway, Wilshire Blvd., Hollywood Bowl, and Griffith Park. There are many sites to see and no freeway traffic to worry about. Finally!

Hawaii: In Waikiki, you begin on a beach strip, race through a memorial park, and even find yourself in an airport. The track is huge, but serves as an enjoyable tourist vacation.

Las Vegas: Gambling capitol of the world, the Las Vegas track covers the south and north Vegas strip and downtown through the Fremont St. Experience. This level is just plain tantalizing because you can't enter the casinos to gamble. And don't expect to see Wayne Newton performing Live in this game...

Alcatraz: Tourist attraction and setting to one of the best films Clint Eastwood (or even Nicolas Cage) has ever played in, the Alcatraz track is really not brand new course(was found in the arcade San Francisco Rush: The Rock). It covers the entire mountainous island and even goes above, below, and through Alcatraz prison. This is the only stage that has loops to drive through.

As well as odd tracks that are aggravating:

Half Pipe: The entire stage is one monotonously winding track. Boring and aggravating altogether.

Crash: An extremely hilly track that swerves like a snake; you will lose control of your vehicle many times on this track.

Stunt: This isn’t a race track, but a park to accumulate points by making crazy flips and spins of your car. It is two-levels high with many props to help you soar through the air in incredible heights and drop down into an exploding debacle of flaming debris.


The racetracks are huge (some exceed three minutes to just get through one lap) and there are many shortcuts to access; some brisk while others are enormous. There are as well secrets to be found; twelve keys and four mountain dew cans can be attained in each level. What are these items used for? Well, they are designed to unlock further cars in the game. Each track offers you adjustable choices to select from; you can toggle if you want the stage to be played backward or forward or in mirror mode, adjust the fog levels and wind velocity, designate how many laps and opponents you want to race against (the highest option is eight for the laps, and seven for the drones), the difficulty of the drones, if you want checkpoints on or off, if you want deaths (you crash once you lose the race) on or off); adding some replay value to the game.

With racing, comes car models. These are not the greatest prototypes invented by man, but at least the vehicles operate. There are over twenty cars (including five secret cars) to choose from; Volkswagen van, stallion, hatchback, etc. The vehicles aren’t striking, but they are each unique in their own way. What adds interest to the vehicles is that they are customizable: you can adjust the transmission (automatic or manual), there are a selection of twenty-two colors used to paint three sections of your car (the upper and lower members of your car as well as the stripes), choose from eight stripes to spread across the roof of your vehicle, select from twenty-one tire rims, use one of nine types of horns, install one of nine types of engines, adjust your torque and suspension, equip preferable tires, and adjust the durability of your car. All of the options (except for appearance) affect the performance of your overall vehicle. The vehicles themselves also control differently; as the truck may go slower than the other cars, it has great acceleration and drives smoothly while the faster stallion goes out of control easier than its opponents. The vehicular options add a sense of depth to the game.

What makes the game fun are the insane things of which physics forbids us to do in real life. In the game, you can reach speeds of up to 180 m.p.h. and there are spots in the cities where you can make your car fly the distance -- as well as the height -- of a few hundred feet and (if landed properly) your car continues to drive undamaged (yeah right). The shortcuts, as well, are extreme; you can accesses shortcuts from rooftop to rooftop, soar over multiple buildings, or hop from battleship to battleship.

In all, finding keys, taking shortcuts, and soaring great heights will probably be the only characteristics of Rush 2 that may appeal to you.


Graphics: 3.5 (Out of 5)

The race tracks have expansive landscapes, but there are too many faults that ruin the quality of the levels. Not only is there much fog, but there are many glitches and the buildings models look repulsive (the roof and walls of some buildings disappear and reappear). And to make things even more distracting are the hundreds of billboards either promoting Mountain Dew products or Midway lackluster titles (i.e. Gauntlet Legends and California Speed). The game runs at a fluid 60 fps, but the natural environments (as of trees and bushes) are 2-dimensional objects that have horrible pixels. The game has extremely bright and tacky colors that expunge the realistic perspective of the game. That, and the horrible, horrible physics. You can loose control of your car so suddenly just by driving straight through a flat-surfaced road. I know the wind speed is held a bit responsible for the horrid physics, but it is ridiculous that objects (which weigh over a ton) can feel so lightweight. The shadowing is as horrible as the lighting effects. There are recycled props in most frames of the game. The amounts of accidents the vehicles get into are as well unbelievably incessant (crash here, crash there) and the damage effects are droningly identical (each part of the car gets damaged the same way); ending with the finale of an explosion that turns your car into a flaming charcoal of ordure. Although the courses are huge with great sights to see, the graphics are deplorable.


Controls: 3.75 (Out of 5)

To be frank, the controls are mixed bag. Sometimes the vehicles are easy to control, and the analog stick responds smoothly. Then other times, the controls are less responsive; ultimately making your vehicle drift, slide, or sway to a horrible extent. The game does have apexes to master, but the lack of physics really contradicts that attribute and makes the process of mastering curves impossible. The rest of the controls are basic (yet as well customizable): (A) gas, (B) brake, (R-Trigger) shift up, (Z-Trigger) shift down, (L-Trigger) toggle through one of four perspectives (outside or inside your vehicle), (C-down) reverse, (C-up) abort (repositions your car to the center of the lanes), and (C-Right) horn. The controls are simple to familiarize with, but has it’s glitches and seems loosely programmed. In all, they’re responsive, but have their problems.


Sound: 2.75 (Out of 5)

There are some pretty nasty tunes to hearken in Rush 2; and that phrase is not meant to be taken as commendable. There are a total of nine tracks that try to get on the players nerves; some of the tracks are techno, while others are funk beats. The only redeemable -- or should I say tolerable -- soundtrack was low rydin’ just because it was the most mellow track out of the maniacal commotions.

Each engine sounds different, which is promising, but muffled. The most effects you will hear throughout the stages are your typical racing sounds (tires screeching, engine revving, the countdown) as well are odd sounds (children conversing (I guess a school zone), rats screeching (New York subway channels), and the guzzling down of Mountain Dew (when you find the secret cans). In all, the audio is cheesy and unremittingly atrocious. And what’s worse is that there is a frequent glitch in the game that (if you so happen go past the checkpoint just as the countdown reaches zero) the engine stalls; you allowed to race, but without the sound of your engine. Overall, a half-concocted project sent to delivery without improvement; a Rushed job indeed.


Replay Value: 3.5 (Out of 5)

Well, this game has its thirty-something circuits to race in single player mode, keys and mountain dew cans to find, and high scores to accomplish in the Stunt level. However, the game lacks major cities, the laws of physics, and charm. I am safe to say Rush 2 provides a week of enjoyment. After that, the game gets boring, only to be played once in a while as a last resort to cure ennui (from other games you have beaten) or insomnia -- whichever comes first.


Overall: 3.45 (Out of 5)

This game is fun, don’t get me wrong, but it should be played in spurts. It is not the type of game that rewards fans of the Rush series, because there is just too little to obsess over; the extreme sense of physics and the shortcuts are the most appealing aspects of Rush 2. If it was a longer game and if Midway would have spared maybe a few more months to tweak and perfect everything, I would have said this was the best racing game I ever played. While I can’t really call this game Racing USA (because it covers only the west coast and east coast without including Miami, St. Louis, Chicago, Dallas, and all the other central cities), Rush 2 gives an Extreme ride. It is a decent game to play and will not disappoint extremists. I wouldn't say it is urgent to purchase Rush 2, though it would make an interesting novelty that is pretty fun.


FINAL SUMMARY


Gameplay: 3.75 (Out of 5)

There is much to do in Rush 2, even though desolation surrounds this game. There are some awesome jumps to be made and some of the cars are interesting. Yet, the execution of the game renders the gameplay to be nothing more than an average title generates a somber enthusiasm.


Graphics: 3.5 Out of 5)

Huge landscapes act as waist deposits for recycled and bland graphics. The car models look too unnatural to be taken seriously, half the props are 2-dimensional, and fog is existent in this game. Due to the huge scope of the race courses, I will condone the horrible graphics and rate the attempt as above-average.


Controls: 3.5 (Out of 5)

Rush 2 would have had a wonderful utilization over the N64 controller if the programmers didn’t hasten the project. Deficiently executed controls and fallible physic calculations give a turbulent (sometimes smooth, while other moments shaky) experience in the controls department.


Sound: 2.75 (Out of 5)

Vile music and faulty sound effects plague this game. Not the worst audio I’ve heard from video games, but it is still pretty horrid.


Replay Value: 3.5 (Our of 5)

There are secrets abound to unlock. The races are easy to get into. But expect to lose momentum after the first hour through. Rush 2 is more of a pick-up-and-play recreational product than a game of which you would devote weeks toward playing.

Overall: 3.45 (Out of 5)

I found Rush 2 to be much easier in difficulty than San Francisco Rush, but that does not justify the atrocity that Rush 2 is. There are too many defects, as well as exclusions, found in the game and the graphics are not as finely glossed as San Francisco Rush 2049. In all, this is the second best installment in the series. I wouldn’t recommend this game to fans of Forza, Gran Turismo, or even physics majors at that. But, I would say Rush 2 serves as a pleasurable bauble to add to an N64 collection just to fill in time through small doses of excitement. If you can find the cartridge (without the box) for $15 or under, then I'd say buy it. Any higher than that would be a swindle.



Difficulty: Easy Medium

Time to Complete: 5-10 Hours

Player(s): 1-2

Save Feature: Memory Card

Rated E For Everyone