PixlBit

Who knew a golf cart could go 170MPH?

California Speed is just one of many arcade racing games produced by now-defunct Midway. This state-focused racer is like a cross between Cruis'n USA and San Francisco Rush, though it contains the flaws from both games without having any of the elements that made them unique and memorable. It has the finicky control of Cruis'n, the bad music of Rush, and the fog and pop-up of... well, they both have that.

The car selection is nothing special, consisting of standard racecars, sporty models, and convertibles, with the exception of the golf cart. There is no functional difference between vehicles, as every car handles exactly the same, has the same rate of acceleration, and tops out at the same speed. A couple of style options are available, which are the rim design and colour.

There are three modes available, which include single-race, series, and the original arcade mode that spans all the tracks. The tracks span a variety of locations, including mountains, forests, highways, golf courses, roller coasters, circuit boards, and more. Unfortunately, the designs don’t come close to the same level of creativity, as very few of them go beyond straights, gentle turns, and multi-level roadways. There is no performance difference between terrain types. Driving on the grass has no less traction or loss of speed compared to the road, neither does sand, gravel, and others. There is also traffic on the courses to watch out for; that is, if one random car on the track counts as traffic. This traffic seems oddly out-of-place when it comes to some of the game’s settings, like on the beach. That’s a pretty dangerous beach!

The graphics are fairly plain, with simple-coloured textures and square buildings abound. There is virtually nothing in the way of animation, and I hadn’t found the right viewpoint to tell if even the tires spin. The people driving the cars never move a muscle, so they must be mannequins. It even has the cardboard cutout babes at the finish, like Cruis’n. The music is generic rock and techno, consists of simple compositions, and loops quickly and endlessly. The effects of car collisions are a bit muffled, and some sound akin to a bucket of scrap metal tipping over. In fact, I’m fairly certain that this particular effect was ripped straight from the Paperboy NES game.

There is nothing wrong with California Speed, but there is nothing special about it either. It borrows elements from Midway’s other racing titles, but none of the right ones. Fans of Midway’s racers might find some enjoyment of the game, but it is a little too basic to remain entertaining for long.