Nintendo 64

Cruis'n Exotica

The one player game is pretty much limited to beating your previous times (saved to cartridge), but the split screen mode accomodates up to four players. Exotica may be a bit shallow compared to most modern racers, but there's still fun to be had. It's clear however, that the series had nowhere to go from here.

Cruis'n Exotica is an amusing diversion, but there are definitely better racing games. If you're in it for the speed and the thrill of narrowly weaving between your opponents' cars, pass it over. Playing Exotica requires very little skill or finesse, but for the casual gamer who doesn't want to commit lots of time to racing a track, that's not really a bad thing.

When it comes to arcade racing, Cruis'n Exotica can be fun. There, I said it. But only fun for a very brief moment really, and once that moment passes you're left with a very bland, very dated racer. It ceases to make you happy just because the pretty colors move by so fast, and instead the simple gameplay and boring control will push you away in no time at all. If you're a diehard Cruis'n fan, then stick with renting this one before you decide if it's worth the dough. And we'll just save you the trouble right now -- it's not. There are much better Midway racers to choose from on the console, and perhaps it's time the Cruis'n series realizes this fact and just goes away.