San Francisco Rush 2049

Overview

San Francisco Rush 2049 is an over-the-top sci-fi street racing game developed and released by Atari Games (later as Midway Games West) for arcades in June 1999. Along with a major update (San Francisco Rush the Rock: Alcatraz Edition), the game was ported to both the Dreamcast and Nintendo 64, and received a handheld Game Boy Color adaptation.

An arcade sequel to the 1996 game San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing, 2049 features a new futuristic sci-fi theme and updated graphics hardware (powered by the 3dfx Voodoo 3 chipset). It also features a new player tracking system, where players join "Team Rush" by inputting their name and PIN on a 12-button keypad (using a traditional payphone keypad) to track their stats on that machine and receive access to unlockable tracks and cars. It is the last game released under the Atari Games label.

The game received a limited-release upgrade in 2000 as San Francisco Rush 2049: Tournament Edition, which allowed players to play online tournaments with the Midway Tournament Network while adding new content (including two tracks, four cars, and new shortcuts for existing tracks). It was later re-tooled by Betson in 2003 as San Francisco Rush 2049: Special Edition, removing online functionality.

The original version of the game was ported to both the Dreamcast and Nintendo 64, by Midway in North America (on September 5, 2000) and Europe (on November 17, 2000). These versions were unique for their customizable vehicles, four-player split-screen multiplayer, and two new game modes (Stunt and Battle). Some of the content in the Nintendo 64 required use of the Expansion Pak add-on. While the Dreamcast version did not include online multiplayer, it supported online functionality as players can upload and download ghost racers. The Dreamcast version was later ported in the compilations Midway Arcade Treasures 3 (for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube) and Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition.

The game also received a handheld adaptation for the Game Boy Color, developed by Handheld Games and published by Midway in North America on September 5, 2000 and in Europe on December 1, 2000. It is played in a slower isometric top-down perspective (similar to the R.C. Pro-Am series).

Tracks

The original arcade version includes five tracks, only one of which (The Rock) returned from the original San Francisco Rush. In the Dreamcast and Nintendo 64 versions, the original North American release used generic track names while the European release (and Midway Arcade Treasures ports) used updated names.

• Morning (Novice) - Known as either "Track 1" or "Marina" in the Console versions.
• Noon (Advanced) - Known as either "Track 2" or "Haight" in the Console versions.
• Sunset (Advanced) - Known as either "Track 3" or "Civic" in the Console versions.
• The Rock (Advanced) - Not included in the console versions. Hidden in the original arcade version.
• Night (Extreme) - Known as either "Track 4" or "Metro" in the Console versions. Hidden in the original arcade version.

The Tournament Edition of the arcade version added two new tracks:

• Dawn (Advanced)
• Dusk (Advanced)

The Console versions of the game include four of the original tracks plus two new unlockable tracks, as well as four Stunt tracks, eight Battle tracks, and an Obstacle track.

• Track 5 / Mission - Unlocked by completing the Beginner Circuit in the top three.
• Track 6 / Presidio - Unlocked by completing the Intermediate Circuit in the top three. Requires the Expansion Pak in the N64 version.

• Stunt 1 / The Rim
• Stunt 2 / Disco - Unlockable.
• Stunt 3 / Oasis - Unlockable.
• Stunt 4 / Warehouse - Unlockable.

• Battle 1 / Stadium
• Battle 2 / Melee
• Battle 3 / Tundra
• Battle 4 / Atomic
• Battle 5 / Downtown - Unlockable.
• Battle 6 / Plaza - Unlockable.
• Battle 7 / Road Kill - Unlockable.
• Battle 8 / Factory - Unlockable.

• Obstacle / Gauntlet - Unlockable.

The GBC adaptation of the game includes nine original tracks.