San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing

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?