AeroGauge
| AeroGauge | |
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North American Nintendo 64 cover art
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| Developer(s) | Locomotive Games |
| Publisher(s) | ASCII Entertainment |
| Platforms | Nintendo 64 |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
AeroGauge is a futuristic hovercraft racing game for the Nintendo 64 released in 1998 (1997 in Japan).
Ascii's AeroGauge runs basically along the same conceptual lines of play as Psygnosis' Wipeout or Acclaim's Extreme G. The main difference is that the vehicles in the game fly instead of staying a few meters over the track, so it's possible to maneuver them in the air (unlike the previously mentioned games).[1]
Contents
Overview
Aerogauge takes place in Asia during the year 2065. The game has four tracks and five vehicles from the start with more additional tracks and vehicles that can be unlocked via the Grandprix and/or Time Attack modes. The game includes vehicle damage which is shown via a meter on the bottom of the player's HUD. As the player gains damage their vehicle will begin to spark and smoke. If a player acquires too much damage their vehicle will stop, slowly land to the ground and the screen will fade black and read 'Retire'. This can be prevented though, as all tracks in the game have shield regenerating areas, which if the player flies over with a low altitude will fix the damage.
Game Modes
The game has four different game modes to choose from the menu.
Grandprix
This game mode is a singleplayer one. It is a basic championship, 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, depending on the player's best time and how it compares to the computer's, will determine what their starting position will be for the actual race. The actual race is three laps around the course, against seven opponents all of which blast off from the starting line rapidly, usually leaving the player behind to catch up. After a race, the player will be rewarded points depending on their finishing position in the last race. The better the winning place of the player, the more points. These points add up over the entire Grandprix and will determine the winner of the said event.
Singlematch
This mode is single player only. It is a single race against computer A.I. on a track chosen by the player. Like the Grandprix, it also requires two qualifying laps to determine the player's starting position.
VS
This mode is a race on a chosen track against another human player. There are no qualifying laps and no computer opponents.
Time Attack
This mode is a singleplayer only one. It is a timetrial, on a track chosen by the player. The player can chose to do either three or an infinite number of laps. If the player selects to do three laps 'ghosts' that are saved on a memory card can be used.
AeroMachines
An AeroMachine is a vehicle with the ability to produce a strong field of localized magnetic flux. The AeroMachines are the vehicles used in the Sky Step. There are 10 AeroMachines total, with 5 being available from the start and 5 being unlockable. Each of the AeroMachines is rated based on six categories displayed in a radar chart. The categories are speed, the maximum speed of the AeroMachine when in the air, steering, the urning capability of the AeroMachine, accele, the acceleration of the AeroMachine, aero Limit, the Speed the AeroMachine needs to travel before it can get airborne, shield, the endurance of the AeroMachine, and stability, the gripping power of the AeroMachine.
Tracks
There are 6 tracks in the game, with 4 available from the start and 2 being unlockables.
Reception
The game received a '4.5 Poor' rating from GameSpot and an '5.2 Mediocre' from IGN; the Gamespot reviewer stating that "AeroGauge is really nothing spectacular as it displays some of the worst pop-up seen in a racer in a long time."[1]
