Cruis'n Blast

 Switch
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 53 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 53
  3. Negative: 3 out of 53
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  1. TheLinkgirl
    Sep 15, 2021
    7
    A short while back I visited a local arcade with my partner, and we got to play together on a Cruis'n Blast arcade machine. This was after the announcement that the game would be coming to the Switch, and following this arcade session, we knew we would be picking this game up.

    Cruis'n Blast is an arcade racer, it's pretty fast paced, and the game is meant to be silly fun more than    A short while back I visited a local arcade with my partner, and we got to play together on a Cruis'n Blast arcade machine. This was after the announcement that the game would be coming to the Switch, and following this arcade session, we knew we would be picking this game up.

    Cruis'n Blast is an arcade racer, it's pretty fast paced, and the game is meant to be silly fun more than anything else. For the most part, the game succeeds at that, and your vehicles range from standard cars to fire engines to UFOs and hammerhead sharks. The game does a good job at feeling like it doesn't take anything seriously, which works very well.

    This all being said, the game is very much far from perfect. There are some weirdly jarring dips in quality at some points, including some courses being reused at points to fill out a grand prix, just with some of the decorations around the course changed. Another issue occurs if you slow down during any of the courses (which you're gonna be doing if you want to find all the hidden keys), since if you slow down for any reason, the entire world around you just stops. Course events are tied to your speed, so slowing down means that a pair of colliding trains will simply stop moving, while all the passengers remain frozen in a state of unceasing agony, waiting for their untimely demise. Of course, this only occurs if you do something the developers obviously didn't expect or want you doing in the first place, which is why if you try to turn around at all in this game you're sent careening forwards for no apparent reason. The game does at least looks good... when you're not slowing down and inspecting the corners of the game. If you do that, you'll find that a lot of the environments outside of the track are very unfinished.

    As an overall, if you're simply looking for a good and enjoyable arcade racer, Cruis'n Blast will deliver you that. It's not exactly well made, but the game is fun, the music is great, and while the game has its fair share of issues, the whole package ends up pretty good at the end.

    Small edit: If you're interested in the game but you're sitting on the fence, take a trip down to an arcade that has one of the machines and give the game a go!    … Expand
  2. FoxyChalet
    Sep 23, 2021
    7
    It's really important to know what ot expect before buying this, because if it's not your thing, you will HATE it. The first thing to realize is that this game is unlike other games, thought with some similarities. It controls like a kart racer and looks like an old style arcade racer, but you cant fall off and you don't blow up when you hit walls. So the comparrison to old cruisin or rushIt's really important to know what ot expect before buying this, because if it's not your thing, you will HATE it. The first thing to realize is that this game is unlike other games, thought with some similarities. It controls like a kart racer and looks like an old style arcade racer, but you cant fall off and you don't blow up when you hit walls. So the comparrison to old cruisin or rush games, are not quite right, despite this being a racing game from an arcade, this really isn't an "arcade racer".

    The bad: You can't fall off the edge, or hit walls, so there is a lack of skilled play for people used to other driving games. The tracks only go one lap so the races feel quite short. Definitely a lot of budget issues, if you're a big graphics person, this won't be for you, they reuse levels, and a lot of the designs and animations are janky. You will definitely not want to play this for hours straight. The theme song is maybe the most annoying vieo game theme song of all time.

    The good: High speed feel. Over the top level designs. Nice feeling controls. People of different skill levels can all compete. It's fun to try to get all the keys to unlock stuff, and the stuff you unlock is pretty cool. Despite it's issues, it is undeniably fun to play in a way you can't quite put your finger on.

    There's not much else to say. This is a 7/10 game, and that's just fine. Don't buy it with unrealistic expectations, this is not burnout 3 or blur, but if you think you might like it, do buy it, because the better it sells, the more likely the designers will add more stuff.    … Expand
  3. Theday
    Apr 21, 2022
    7
    There's a lack of track variety, but what is here is just sheer fun arcade style racer.
  4. Pete112
    Dec 7, 2021
    7
    Great sense of speed and looks good for a switch game.

    There is no punishment for crashing. If you crash into a bridge you go straight through it and if you go off track, you end up on a parallel track that guides you back on course. With the rubber banding and lack of need to dodge anything, it does feel like there is no skill needed and the player is just along for a roller coaster    Great sense of speed and looks good for a switch game.

    There is no punishment for crashing. If you crash into a bridge you go straight through it and if you go off track, you end up on a parallel track that guides you back on course.

    With the rubber banding and lack of need to dodge anything, it does feel like there is no skill needed and the player is just along for a roller coaster ride. All you need to do is save your boosts for the last bit of the race and you win.

    That said, despite the lack of challenge it is pure arcade fun and I enjoyed my 2 hour play through it.    … Expand
  5. fantamage
    Oct 25, 2021
    5
    Like many others, I first played Cruis'n Blast in the arcade. I had so much fun with it and the group I was in and we played a lot of it. The tracks are so visually appealing and well crafted. I was delighted, after spending roughly 50 bucks at the arcade, to see a Switch port for 40 dollars (US). maybe it was the adrenaline, but I bought it when I got home. I have since regretted thisLike many others, I first played Cruis'n Blast in the arcade. I had so much fun with it and the group I was in and we played a lot of it. The tracks are so visually appealing and well crafted. I was delighted, after spending roughly 50 bucks at the arcade, to see a Switch port for 40 dollars (US). maybe it was the adrenaline, but I bought it when I got home. I have since regretted this purchase.

    Let me start by saying what I like about this game: The performance is top-notch. 1080p with a very fluid framer ate, and this handles very well in 4 player splitscreen. The vehicle selection is great: lots of licensed car brands but also silly vehicles for variety, though the stats of these cars don't seem to matter very much (more on that later). Customization, too, is really well done. you have all kinds of colors to pick from, and you can add neon and some decals as you progress. Also no microtransactions or lootboxes for any progression! I love that. I mentioned it before, but the track design is simply superb. I didn't like the one-lap model at first but I think it fits well.


    So now, the negative side of things. This design of this game is so frustrating. I never thought rubberbanding could be so harmful until I played this game. During a race, you are in a roster of 10. You will not see first place until the last 20 seconds of the race, every single time, every single track. It is intentionally designed this way and gets worse when playing with a friend. there is NOTHING you can do to get away from each other. My gf and I tested this. If you're neck and neck with someone, and use your nitro boost (equivalent to a mushroom in MarioKart), you will add no distance between you and the player that's just holding down A. The reason for this is that each track has proximity-triggered events that only happen when all players are near them. That means that if you are going faster than your friend, the game will speed your friend up to make sure they don't fall too far behind. Same goes for the AI: any car below 3rd place is just worthless, any above that is virtually untouchable until the game gives you an opening, which is always the last 20 seconds of the game. So the only viable strategy is to save all your boost for the end. There is no other way to win, regardless of your car's speed or shortcuts you took. obviously, there is a bit more to it than that. you want to make sure you can be as close to first place as possible to have that chance of winning, so shortcuts, jumps/stunts, earning extra boosts can definitely help. but your car's stats? I've found them completely irrelevant.

    This also makes 2-player splitscreen nearly pointless. You will always be at odds with each other, and never have a chance to outdo the other until you're at the finish line. it is a gameplay loop that is frustratingly and transparently repetitive. My partner and I don't even find it fun to try to beat the cups together, because you have to consistently finish in the highest position to unlock the next cup and your biggest threat to that is the person who wants the exact same thing, so it encourages you to let the other person win. Where is the fun in that after every race plays out the same?

    Instead of capturing what made the arcade version so good, it reveals just how shallow of an experience it is. The fact there's no online is just absurd. Sure, you couldn't do a full roster, but couldn't they have at least included the 4P mode that already exists?? At the end of the day, this is an arcade racer that wasnt refined for console release. It's perfect to play with your friends if you are all drunk, or if one of your friends really sucks at Mario Kart. Not worth 40 dollars. Maybe worth 20, but that even seems high. It will be a long time before I have the itch to play this one again. Also, I agree with everyone here: the theme music SUCKS.    … Expand
  6. Fdhr
    Jul 5, 2022
    7
    it is an okay arcade racer and I think it's good to have fun in a few quick drives in this game
  7. MarkusZ
    Aug 5, 2023
    7
    I was so happy that there is another Cruisn game after so many years. It looks great and the first races are awesome, until I realized that are always only the last 2 second of the race decides who will be first. After a while it's very shallow. Great to play with your kids
  8. lufia22
    Sep 5, 2023
    5
    A shallow arcade racer with a vibrant coat of paint. The zaniness of seeing dinosaurs and UFOs attack you while racing certainly invokes some nostalgia, but Cruis'n Blast's shiny coat of paint wears off fast. The game is so devoid of mechanics and skill it almost feels like it plays itself. In fact, it's probably optimal to enable auto-acceleration because there is no need to brake or slowA shallow arcade racer with a vibrant coat of paint. The zaniness of seeing dinosaurs and UFOs attack you while racing certainly invokes some nostalgia, but Cruis'n Blast's shiny coat of paint wears off fast. The game is so devoid of mechanics and skill it almost feels like it plays itself. In fact, it's probably optimal to enable auto-acceleration because there is no need to brake or slow down. Hitting a wall or taking a turn poorly has little affect on you. Some "obstacles" you straight up clip through. Other than drifting and boost, the game offers no in-depth mechanics. You can do stunts like flips and barrel rolls, but they do nothing for you other than rewarding a small amount of cash at the end of the race. With no online play, the limited amount of tracks, some of which just get reused by replacing helicopters with dinosaurs, and the feeling that each race is more of a time trial than an actual race against opponents, this is not a $40 worthy game.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

33
#33 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 34
  3. Negative: 1 out of 34
  1. Universo Nintendo
    Feb 15, 2022
    75
    In a way, Cruis’n Blast is a rollercoaster. It’s fast, fun and it also ends way too quickly.Its spirit is firmly planted in a bygone era for games, which still does its best to entertain people - regardless of their age.
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  2. SECTOR.sk
    Jan 24, 2022
    65
    If you miss old-school arcade racing games, this one is a real blast from the past that will keep those memories alive.
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  3. IGN Adria
    Jan 20, 2022
    80
    When the legendary authors of the classic arcade games completely ignore reality for the sake of crazy, over the top entertainment, we get something really extraordinary.
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