AeroGauge

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AeroGauge
AeroGauge Coverart.png
North American Nintendo 64 cover art
Developer(s)Locomotive Co. Ltd.
Publisher(s)ASCII Entertainment
Designer(s)Akira Otsuka
Programmer(s)Koji Nakanishi
Artist(s)Yasuyuki Nomura
Composer(s)Kazuhisa Kamifuji
Platform(s)Nintendo 64
Release
  • JP: December 19, 1997
  • PAL: March 1998
  • NA: May 21, 1998[1]
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

AeroGauge (エアロゲイジ, EaroGeiji) is a futuristic, sci-fi[2] hovercraft racing game designed for the Nintendo 64 game console and was released in 1998 (1997 in Japan). The game was originally set for a U.S. release in February 1998,[3] but it was delayed first to April 2,[4] before finally getting the release date of May 21, 1998.[5]

ASCII's AeroGauge is conceptually similar to Psygnosis' Wipeout or Acclaim's Extreme G. The main difference is that the vehicles in the game fly instead of hovering, so it's possible to maneuver them in the air.[6]

Gameplay[]

AeroGauge takes place in Asia during the year 2065. The game has four tracks and five vehicles from the start, with two additional tracks and five additional vehicles that can be unlocked via the Grandprix and Time Attack modes. Each of the vehicles is rated based on speed (maximum air speed), steering (turning capability), accele (acceleration), aero limit (speed needed to get airborne), shield (endurance), and stability (gripping power). All of the vehicles can fly high above the ground, so the tracks have multiple levels.[7]

Vehicle damage is shown with a meter on the bottom of the HUD. If a player acquires too much damage, their vehicle will stop and land. Players can repair damage by flying through the tracks' shield regenerating areas at low altitude.[citation needed]

The game has four different game modes which the player can choose from on the main menu.

Grandprix is a single-player game mode. It has a basic championship league, having the player race against computer-controlled vehicles on every map in the game. Before each race, the player is required to take two qualifying laps which determine starting position for the race based on the player's best time and how it compares to the computer's. The actual race is three laps around the course, against seven opponents. The player is rewarded points depending on their finishing position. Points from each race in the Grandprix are totaled to determine the winner.

Singlematch is also a single player mode. It is one race against computer A.I. on a track chosen by the player. Like the Grandprix, it uses two qualifying laps to determine starting position.

VS mode is a two-player game mode, where two human players choose a track and race on it. There are no qualifying laps and no computer opponents.

Time Attack mode is another single-player game mode. It is a time trial on a track chosen by the player. The player can choose to do either three or an infinite number of laps. If the player selects to do three laps, ghosts can be saved on a memory card and loaded to race.

Reception[]

The game received mixed reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[8] Game Informer and Nintendo Power gave the Japanese version mixed reviews nearly four months before the game was released Stateside.[12][19] Next Generation said in an early review that the game "may not stand up to the speed, multiplayer action, and track diversity of the upcoming F-Zero X (or[,] for that matter, Extreme-G), but considering that it beats Nintendo's cyber-racer to the punch by more than six months, this should help tide over racing fans nicely."[18] (By the game's actual release date, it beat F-Zero X by five months.) In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 24 out of 40.[11]

References[]

  1. ^ GameSpot staff (May 15, 1998). "videogames.com Game Calendar [date mislabeled as "March 14, 2000"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 9, 1999. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  2. ^ Irwin, Jon (February 10, 2017). "Don't Just Drive: 10 Non-Traditional Racing Games". Paste. Paste Media Group. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  3. ^ IGN staff (November 26, 1997). "Aero Gauge [sic] Rockets to America". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  4. ^ IGN staff (March 17, 1998). "Aero Gauge [sic] Slows Down". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  5. ^ IGN staff (March 18, 1998). "Aero Gauge [sic] May Release". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Fielder, Joe (June 10, 1998). "Aero Gauge [sic] Review [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  7. ^ "Nintendo 64 Previews: AeroGauge". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 103. Ziff Davis. February 1998. p. 53.
  8. ^ a b "AeroGauge for Nintendo 64". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  9. ^ Sackenheim, Shawn. "AeroGauge - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  10. ^ EGM staff (1998). "AeroGauge". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Ziff Davis.
  11. ^ a b "エアロゲイジ [NINTENDO64]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  12. ^ a b "AeroGauge". Game Informer. No. 58. FuncoLand. February 1998. Archived from the original on September 8, 1999. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  13. ^ Sanchez, Rick (April 1998). "AeroGauge". Game Players. No. 90. p. 67. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  14. ^ Fish, Eliot (June 1998). "Aero Gauge [sic]". Hyper. No. 56. Next Media Pty Ltd. pp. 60–61. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  15. ^ Casamassina, Matt (May 21, 1998). "Aero Gauge [sic]". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  16. ^ Nash, Jonathan (February 1998). "Aero Gauge [sic] (Import)". N64 Magazine. No. 12. Future Publishing. p. 68. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  17. ^ Kitts, Martin (July 1998). "Aero Gauge [sic]". N64 Magazine. No. 17. Future Publishing. p. 60. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  18. ^ a b "Aero Gauge [sic]". Next Generation. No. 39. Imagine Media. March 1998. p. 108. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  19. ^ a b "AeroGauge". Nintendo Power. Vol. 105. Nintendo of America. February 1998. p. 95. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  20. ^ Pullin, Keith (May 1998). "Future Shock". VSixtyFour. No. 3. pp. 62–65. Retrieved July 27, 2021.

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