Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA


System: N64 
Price: $89.99 (Canadian) 
Developer: Midway 
Publisher: Midway 
Release: Jan/99 

The follow up to the very popular and extremely fun, San Francisco Rush, Rush 2 offers up more insane jumps, secrets and generally racing goodness for those fans of the series.

Highs: 
Lots of Cars & Tracks 
Very Large Tracks 
Secrets! 
Tons of Options 
Replay Value Up the Wazoo 
Great Environments 
Real-Time Vehicle Damage 
Lows: 
Bland Intro 
Tough Opponents 
Glitchy 
No Cop Chase Mode 

For those who couldn’t wait and for some reason bought Cruisin’ World, I feel very sorry for you. Rush 2 is by far the winner, although they are inherently different games. Rush 2 is a great party game, that will have you playing for a long time. The insane jumps, death defying drops from skyscrapers and extreme speed on city streets make for edge of your seat gameplay. You won’t have time to watch the scenery go by, although you’ll want to keep an eye peeled for a shortcut!

Rush 2 is more than just a racing game. You’ll be on the lookout for keys and Mountain Dew cans hidden throughout the locations. Find these and unlock some pretty cool cars and secrets! Think of it like Diddy Kong Racing’s adventure mode at break neck speed through New York, Las Vegas, Seattle, Hawaii, Los Angeles and even Midway’s offices(?!) and you’ll get the idea.

All of the environments are large and fly by quickly. Luckily, if you choose a car with good control, it actually controls well. You’ll have to decide whether speed or control is more important to your racing style. You’ll have to get used to drifting if you want to make some of those 90 degree turns. Smash in to a wall and BOOM, your car blows up! Luckily that doesn’t even set you back, because the game fast forwards you to somewhere up ahead on the track, after a crack up. (This option can be modified).

Rush 2 gives you a load of options to customize your vehicle. Paint, stripes, transmission, hub caps, brakes, engine....the list goes on. As well, you have a ton of vehicle styles to choose from: Hatchback, 4x4, Van, Roadster... again the list goes on. Unfortunately there are no licensed vehicles like in Gran Turismo (for PlayStation) for you car enthusiasts, but it doesn’t matter.

This game has a couple of drawbacks, namely the tough AI. These guys can really burn. You have to have a fast mother of a car to keep up. And remember, not every shortcut is a shortcut. I’ve discovered a couple that have actually made me lose time! Choose wisely! As well, in two spots on the Alcatraz track I found myself stuck in a white no mans land, unable to get back to the track that looked about 500 feet above me. I had to exit the game of course.

All in all, this is a great game. Short on reality but long on fun. And you will be playing this game a long time thanks to the mirror tracks, upside down tracks etc. This gets a high recommendation from me and you should rent it as soon as possible to see if it’s everything I’ve said it is.

Just one last note. Many people have been emailing me with questions and comments. Please let me state that I DO NOT answer gaming questions. I’m not the code guy. I’m the review guy! If you can’t find your answer on this site, then either you haven’t looked thoroughly or the code doesn’t exist (yet). As well, please make sure that if you want a reply, that your e-mail address is correct! I do write back to 95%, but I am starting to give up due to so many returns! I almost never bother with AOL addresses anymore as at least 90% are returned. Thank you.


Final Analysis:

Rating Legend 1-10 (10 being the highest mark) 
Overall: 9.0 
Graphics: 8.5 
Control: 9.0 
Fun: 10.0 
Music/Fx: 7.0 
Frustration: 7.0