![]() Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. The editors wrote that it "set a new standard in PC pinball" and "proved so incredibly addictive it might as well have shipped with a set of cranial meat hooks." The PC version received the "Special Award" for "Quick-Fix Gaming" from Computer Gaming World in 1999. In Japan, where the same console version was ported and published by Syscom as part of the World Greatest Hits Series on 13 June 2002, Famitsu gave it a score of 22 out of 40. If you are even remotely interested in pinball, you would be wise to add this to your collection.The PlayStation version received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. When you get right down to it, it may be the best pinball simulation ever. Nevertheless, any problems with Big Race USA are minor, and relate more to table design or even subjective opinion than to its effectiveness as a simulation. Those round clanging randomizers are conspicuously absent, making table play a little less chaotic. And if you're partial to top-end bumpers, you're out of luck with Big Race USA. Although you grow accustomed to this and learn to anticipate which way the ball will roll, the number of pathways available to the ball makes such predictions unreliable. Although this is preferable to the game artificially adjusting your shots with "creative" physics, the monotony of repeatedly trying to make that one special shot is likely to frustrate less experienced players.Īnother minor problem occurs when you view the table from a low angle, where the top-end trinkets conceal too much of the ball's movement. ![]() The effect is that the shots you make to progress the game are the most difficult, and the difficulty settings merely tone down the number of required shots. Nearly all of the table's goodies are accessed through targeted shots, and these are often at supremely challenging angles. The table is quite difficult, and the required level of proficiency is rather high. This level of detail makes Big Race USA much more than just a pinball game.īecause of its depth as a simulation, maybe it's no surprise that Big Race USA is designed for experienced pinball players. You can even go into the table's operator's menu to adjust every option in gameplay. If you've wondered what it would be like to play the same table after it's been pounded on for years, or want to feel as if you're playing a table fresh off the factory line, Big Race USA lets you set the wear level where you want it. The simulation allows you to adjust the slope of the table (which affects how fast the ball accelerates down),as well as the physical condition of the table itself. The graphics aren't Big Race's only good point. What's more, the 3D ball is more than just a pretty graphic, as its spinning surface helps you determine which direction the ball is rolling. And even if you can't afford a new graphics card, it's good to know that Big Race USA's most impressive graphical feature, its true 3D silver ball (complete with noticeable imperfections), is hardly taxing on your CPU. The graphics settings are so customizable, that even players with meager video options will be able to find a setting that looks good and plays smooth. Even if you're not planning on making it all the way to the end of the Big Race, the number of side objectives is sure to keep you busy.Īside from the dazzling table trinkets and large colorful table features, you will immediately notice the sheer number of graphics modes that the game supports. This is a great design that lends purpose to the game without encumbering you with a lot of unintuitive accolades. The game keeps track of cities visited and gives you a lighted map that shows your progress. All of these actions are accomplished through aimed shots at various table targets. ![]() Along the way, you can pick up passengers and deliver them to destinations, speed away from the cops, and even knock other cars off the road. True to its name, Big Race USA puts you in the role of a taxicab racing from New York to San Francisco and back again. With last year's outstanding Timeshock, Empire's Pro Pinball series earned a reputation for fulfilling both criteria, and Big Race USA maintains, or even exceeds, this level of excellence.īefore any bumpers, ramps, or flippers, your average pinball designer needs to come up with a premise that provides an interesting context for the player. A computer pinball game must not only provide realistic physics, but the table being simulated must also be fun to play. So much engineering goes into designing the real-life tables that crafting computer simulations becomes a twofold task. It isn't easy to make a good pinball simulation.
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