Rush is right! This pak is a rapid-fire adrenalin-pumper that delivers plenty of pure racing fun. And given that the nonstop thrills take place in one of America's most beautiful cities, San Francisco Rush is pure eye candy, too.

For the N64 version of the arcade hit, Midway added all-new courses and shortcuts. All six courses can be run in reverse, mirrored, or mirrored and reversed. There's even two hidden stunt courses! Graphically, the game sacrifices detail in favor of blindingly fast screen redraws. You won't find the exquisite reflection-mapping and intricate texture maps that abound in slower-paced games. What you will find, though, is a tremendous sense of speed. This reviewer felt the ol' stomach dropping down to his socks when making Rush's very long leaps. You'll also recognize plenty of familiar SF landmarks, including Coit Tower and Chinatown. But at 140 mph, you won't have much of a chance for sightseeing!

You can choose an automatic or manual transmission, but otherwise you can' t customize the mechanics of SF Rush's eight vehicles. You can change your car's color, though, by toggling the Control Stick. You'll win the right to drive two additional vehicles by finding keys hidden throughout the game. Many keys are hidden off the main routes or can only be reached by executing dangerous stunts. By coming in first in Circuit Mode on the default difficulty setting, you'll be handed the keys to a brand-new Formula 1 racer.

The game designers crammed SF Rush with risky but seconds-saving shortcuts that take you over, under and through the spectacular cityscape. Longtime San Franciscans will be intrigued to learn that you can actually leap over Lombard Street, celebrated as the "world's crookedest." But yep, there you are, catching air at the altitude of a cruising 747. There's also a waterlogged tunnel beneath the Financial District and a giant ramp next to the Golden Gate Bridge tollbooths. Hmmm. Do the city's traffic engineers know about all this stuff?

Everyone in San Francisco complains about the fog, but Midway did something about it, putting in a option for selecting light, medium or heavy. The Golden Gate Bridge is always socked in, though. You can also select differing wind conditions, which affect your game play big-time when you're taking a flying leap off the tenth story of a skyscraper. There's even an option for Deaths. Before you roll out the gurney, though, you should realize that all it means is that if a car crashes and burns, it's out of the race. Just like in real life.

Game control is excellent, even on the advanced difficulty settings. There's a nice balance between skill levels, too. Novices will be able to whip around a track faster than Michael Andretti, but pros will have to work hard to master SF Rush's riskier stunts. The track designers like to lull you with long straightaways that end in brick walls, so always keep an eye on the course map in the corner of your screen.

Looking for gritty authenticity? Sorry, look elsewhere. Any game in which you can jump over two city blocks, crash, burn and somehow take first place pushes the limits of your credibility meter. But if you're looking for long-lasting fast fun, you need look no farther than SF Rush.

Source:

www.nintendo.com – Nintendo 64

*## FEEL THE

RUSH!

Put the pedal to the metal, smoke the tires, and pour on the speed with San Francisco Rush™!*

• Hit the Road in one of eight unique race cars ranked in four distinct performance classes.
• Burn rubber through 3D modeled hills and landmarks of San Francisco!
• Realistic sensation of catching air and landing hard - Supports N64 Rumble Pak!
• Spectacular hidden shortcuts on each track!
• Choose from six accurately detailed tracks that can be adjusted with the games "Mirror" or "Backwards" options for a total of 24 incredible tracks!
• Superior 3D graphics and special effects.

Source:

Back of Box - N64 (US)

FEEL THE

RUSH!

Put the pedal to the metal, smoke the tires and pour on the speed with San Francisco Rush™! * Hit the road in one of eight unique race cars ranked in four distinct perfromance classes, then tear up the road in all-new Grand Prix, Time Pickup and Explosive game modes! * Superior 3D graphics and special effects. * Burn rubber through the 3D modeled hills and landmarks of San Francisco! * Realistic sensation of catching air and landing hard! * Choose from four accurately detailed tracks that can be adjusted with the games "Reverse", "Night" or "Snow" options for a total of 16 challenging tracks! * Spectacular hidden shorcuts on each track and watchout for secret (hidden) cars!

Source:

Back of Jewel Case - PlayStation (US)