Cruis'n Blast - back by popular demand

[Keyboard Koala]

 

 

Cruis'n is Back!!

 

The arcade hit Cruis’n Blast is speeding onto Nintendo Switch!
Blast your way through nearly 30 over-the-top tracks.
Grab the wheel of 23 custom rides from licensed supercars to monster trucks and even unicorns!
Up to four players can race together, so pick your favorite vehicle and hit the road!

 

Cruis'n Blast is a racing video game originally developed and published by Raw Thrills and licensed by Nintendo for the arcades. It was released in the arcades in 2017. It is the fourth main series installment in the Cruis'n series.

 

 

Debut trailer:

 

 

 

Launch trailer:

 

 

 

 

The game is released for the Nintendo Switch on September 14, 2021. The Nintendo Switch version includes additional modes, cars and tracks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[smac]

But is it any good?

[Captain Kelsten]

Looks like a laugh but goddamn, I hope that theme tune isn’t in the game proper. 

[Keyboard Koala]

2 minutes ago, smac said:

But is it any good?

 

Good but not great. But whad'ya expect?

 

Destructoid: 7 out of 10

Nintendo World Report: 7 out of 10

 

 

Great for scratching that nostalgic arcade itch though.

[Paulando]

31 minutes ago, Keyboard Koala said:

Destructoid: 7 out of 10

Nintendo World Report: 7 out of 10

NintendoLife 9 then.

[moosegrinder]

https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/cruisn-blast

 

69 meta, 8.4 user. That's that cleared up then.

[esar]

I love it. Completely over the top ridiculousness. Its really scratching my Excitetruck itch.

 

I can totally appreciate that its not for everyone though.

 

This is a good review:

 

 

[HarMGM]

Ignore the reviews for this. As the review above says: there's too many reviewers out there that simply don't like games like this anymore.

 

Excitetruck is a pretty good comparison for this, but the first 3 Burnout installments as well.

 

57 minutes ago, smac said:

But is it any good?

It's great.

[b00dles]

I really liked cruis'n USA on the dreamcast I think it was, not exactly a great game but had a lot of fun shortcuts and stupid arcade fun. 

 

I think split/ second was a bit of a spiritual successor but with more Michael Bay thrown in. 

[Strafe]

Can you use bonnet cam?

[Oh Danny Boy]

Reviewers just want sims. This is the only type of racing game I can get with. Going to pick this up next payday, it’s been too long since we had a well developed arcade racer. I want blue skies, drifting and general  insanity. 

[Captain Kelsten]

This looks exactly like the kind of game I used to love playing but isn’t made anymore, like Beetle Adventure Racing, Midtown Madness, Sonic Racing Allstars Transformed. The ones where the tracks are as much a character in the game as any actual characters. 

[LaveDisco]

The eurogamer review has completely sold me. 
 

Sorry Deathloop. You’ll have to wait. 

[CheekyLee]

It's basically Excitetruck, simplified a little. It also feels like Burnout, Mario Kart, and even F Zero at times. I don't really think it quite deserves to be called its own thing, but fans of any series I mentioned will be well served. 

 

It's also pleasantly not quite as easy as you might expect, until it clicks a few races in. The harder difficulties make you work for the gold. The collectables look to be well distributed, too, often tantalisingly just outside your chosen line.

 

I would add an online leaderboard for time trial mode, but it's not the end of the world that it's not there. I'm happy at £30 (thanks to points discount), would have been at £35. Anyone on the fence might want to wait for it to be £20, but if it was £25 I'd be telling everyone to buy it today!

 

[Shimmyhill]

I have this thing with the Double Decker chocolate bar, I’m not sure if I like it but I keep buying them to try and decide if I do or not… Cruis’n USA was the same in the arcades, I’m pretty sure it was a bit crap but I kept putting money into it and even bought the N64 game….

 

Im not falling for it this time… 

[deerokus]

2 hours ago, Oh Danny Boy said:

Reviewers just want sims. This is the only type of racing game I can get with. Going to pick this up next payday, it’s been too long since we had a well developed arcade racer. I want blue skies, drifting and general  insanity. 

It's weird really, there's an audience of people who actually seem to be offended by the existence of arcade racers, considering them inherently inferior due to unrealism. Reviews often pander to them even though the arcade racer is an endangered species.

 

You don't see this in any other genre - people don't grumble that ace combat exists because it isn't flight simulator or DCS, or that the truck driving in GTA isn't as fleshed out as American Truck Simulator.

 

Anyway, any Glasgow people, Iirc the Hollywood bowl at the Quay has the arcade cabinet of this, as well as the most recent entry in the Mario Kart Arcade series. 2 player cabs of both I think. I haven't actually played either of them yet but I will.

 

 

[df0]

I watched a video by Matt McMuscles (from Two Best Friends or whatever it was called), looks like a ridiculous barrel of laughs.

 

 

[SweatyTravolta]

Is everyone invoking Excite Truck being legit? That's gotta be one of the most fun arcade Racers ever made so if you're telling me there's a new game that lives up to that spirit, then I'm in. Even if it does use a license I loathe. 

[teddymeow]

3 hours ago, Oh Danny Boy said:

Reviewers just want sims. This is the only type of racing game I can get with. 

 

Yeah, I loves me an arcade racer!!

 

Ridge Racer, Blur, Split/Second, Pure, Daytona, OutRun 2, Burnout 2, 3 or Revenge.

 

Oh my!!

[Gotters]

Eurogamer like it with a 'recommended' rating

 

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-09-17-cruisn-blast-review-an-arcade-legend-comes-home

 

That is enough for me to stick it on my Deck Deals wishlist but I can't bring myself to pay £35 for this sort of thing now - the years have rebaselined the value proposition in racing games (sims or not) and the days of Ridge Racer on PS1 with just the 1 track are long gong. 

 

Looks good, but £20 good for my money not £35.

[SweatyTravolta]

Agree, I rushed to the store but as it's a purely single player affair it'll have to go on the wish list to be grabbed during a sale. 

[scoobysi]

I love the arcade racers this is being compared to but I just don’t see that sort of quality in this. I’ll be interested to hear how people get on with it and I hope I’m wrong.

[JPL]

4 hours ago, Shimmyhill said:

I have this thing with the Double Decker chocolate bar, I’m not sure if I like it but I keep buying them to try and decide if I do or not… Cruis’n USA was the same in the arcades, I’m pretty sure it was a bit crap but I kept putting money into it and even bought the N64 game….

 

Im not falling for it this time… 

Just wait for it to pop up on Gamepass.

[Oh Danny Boy]

I think Crus’n USA just got undeserving bad rep mostly as it was released at a time where Daytona and Ridge existed. Always thought it was a good game. 

[Keyboard Koala]

9 hours ago, Paulando said:

NintendoLife 9 then.

 

Eight actually

[Corranga]

Review videos look fun, I also got ExciteTruck feelings from it and really want a decent new arcade racer, but having just bought (the amazing) WarioWare I think I’ll hold out a couple of months before another full price short title.

 

 Hopefully it’ll be 20, maybe 25 by then

[matt!]

5 hours ago, scoobysi said:

I love the arcade racers this is being compared to but I just don’t see that sort of quality in this. I’ll be interested to hear how people get on with it and I hope I’m wrong.

I found it a crushing disappointment. No feel of driving at all. You're just controlling the speed of an animation timeline.

 

I was hoping for something like Excite Truck, but this is more akin to a rails shmup. My expectations were misguided. 

 

The only good thing about it is 60fps, which is great to see.

[Strafe]

Can you do first person view?

[matt!]

Yes, though at certain points it temporarily reverts to behind car view.  Frequently enough to annoy. 

[Kramer]

We've been playing it every evening since release - it's an absolute blast. I love arcade racers, so it's good to have a proper one released.

 

You can play the whole game in multiplayer, campaigns and all. Tons of unlocks and difficulties to open up.

 

It's not terribly skilful obviously, but it's brilliant fun.