Cruis’n Blast Review

Game: Cruis’n Blast
Genre: Action, Arcade, Racing
System: Nintendo Switch
Developer|Publisher: Raw Thrills
Age Rating: EU 7+ | US Everyone
Price: US $39.99 | UK £34.99 | EU € 39,99
Release Date: September 14th, 2021

Review code provided with many thanks to Play Mechanix

Arcade to Console

The Cruis’n series originally started out with Cruis’n USA in arcade and from there would branch out to the N64, Game Boy Advance and Wii. The N64 games in particular were quite fondly remembered by friends of mine back in the day. Cruis’n Blast takes the series right back round to the arcades originally released in 2017.

But since arcades are sadly a rare commodity to most gamers it’s likely you never encountered it. Fortunately not all is lost, as the game has been ported over to Nintendo Switch and if you love arcade racers, this is a title you will not want to miss.

Blasting Impression

There I was, just thinking I was just going to play a rather entertaining arcade racing game, but then I played my first race and suddenly there was addictive arcade tunes, high octane racing action, ever-changing tracks and explosions and all sorts of over the top action that I was pretty much sold on from Get ready, Set, Go! Race tracks in Cruis’n Blast are one single track. No laps, just you and the open road. The aim of the game of course is to be number one against nine other racers.

There are no power-ups to use against opponents but you can get the edge over the competition by driving over boost plates, drifting, using a nitro boost and even ramming fellow competitors off the road in a glorious explosion. Or you could just try to race well but who wants to do that. Races tend to last no more than around 2 minutes, so this game really takes its arcade feel quite seriously. It may be short but highly replayable. Hidden within each track are money pickups and three keys which can be exchanged for new cars and cosmetics in the menu.

Pick up and Drive

The controls are simple to pick up and play, even for beginners to racing games. Car movement and handling is very comfortable to control and the braking and acceleration are very responsive. Not that you will want to break as this is an arcade game. There are additional moves to master as you progress through the game such as using your turbo boost at the right time and drifting. Drifting again is easy to use round corners but does become quite the skill to develop when going down the straight roads. But if you want to get the gold on the harder difficulties this is a skill you’ll want to get to grips with. 

Loud and Proud

Right out the gate, Cruis’n Blast will literally blast you with its loud and brightly coloured presentation. The game runs great on handheld and TV modes, even when there is all sorts of madness on screen. You can select multiple colours for your chosen car including some very shiny coats of paint, one of my favourites being a nice pretty pink number with bright neon lights on the base. There are also multiple cars to unlock as well as some more unusual but silly additions like a fire truck, helicopter and even triceratops. Sadly I was not skilled enough to win a cup with the dino since it’s pretty slow but sure was a fun addition.

The tracks themselves are loaded with insane amounts of detail. As you drive alone all sorts of wild antics are happening in the background such as a giant doughnut exploding off a building then rolling around the level until you have to jump through its centre at the end. There is also plenty of action on the track with other cars to avoid and diverging paths to take. 

The game includes 24 tracks in its tour mode, each of which has some sort of theme, like police chasing you, UFOs or dinosaurs running about. It’s over the top ridiculousness but it makes every race feel like you are playing a car chase in some action film. Just try to pay attention to the road and not the giant apes fighting. As an added bonus you can also enjoy the original 5 tracks from the arcade version of the game. You can also play the game with up to four players but only locally. This would make for a great game to break out on a game night with some friends.

Conclusion – Cruis’n Fun

Cruis’n Blast is a fantastic explosion of arcade goodness. If you’re looking for an arcade racer that’s just about having fun and enjoying some good music then this is a must buy. It is also a great game to enjoy with up to four players locally, even for players not well versed in racing games. The entire time I was playing the game I had a huge smile on my face from the comfortable controls and the utterly absurd spectacle on display. Plus, this game has dinosaurs, which is always a win in my books. The game may be incredibly short but it’s highly replayable. Cruis’n Blast will not be leaving my Nintendo Switch anytime soon and hopefully, you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. 

Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up