CrashnBurn(NA)

From 3DO World
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Overview

  • Full Name: Crash 'n Burn
  • Code:
  • Type: Racing
  • Developer: Crystal Dynamics
  • Publisher: Crystal Dynamics
  • Language: English
  • Release Date: October 4, 1993
  • Region: NA
  • Barcode: 756979610109
  • Local Title:
  • Rarity: 1
  • Notes: The game has a Total Eclipse demo in it

Overview

Crash 'n Burn is a futuristic racing/shooter video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and released for the 3DO in 1993. The game was the launch title for the system and was included as a pack-in game with Panasonic's original 3DO console.

Game Play

In Crash 'n Burn, players assume the role of any one of six cyberpunks, each equipped with a unique car and a deadly supply of weapons. Full-motion videos of the racers are accessible in between races, in which each character flaunt their skills and insult their opponents with death threats. The game has rally and tournament modes with a total of 30 tracks designed for one player.

Crash ‘n Burn is a racing game with vehicle-mounted guns and rockets. There is both a Rally mode and a Tournament mode to compete in. In the Rally Mode you race your way through up to 30 tracks with the goal of staying alive and destroying the other contenders while you try and finish in the top three. If you succeed then you advance to the next track.

In Tournament Mode you drive the same tracks in a sudden death race for dominance. Along the way you can win prize money by placing in the top three. You can then use that money to add guns, energy weapons, missiles, hazards, armor and other special enhancements.

You can choose from among six vehicle/driver combinations that are weighted towards fire power, speed or balance. Unlimited pit stops are available to repair damage and reload your weapons.


Development

Crystal Dynamics was formed on 8 July 1992 by Sega veterans Judy Lang, Madeline Canepa, and Dave Morse. Crystal was the first licensed developer for 3DO, a gaming hardware platform simultaneously funded by Kleiner Perkins. Mark Cerny joined the company, but he left to work for Universal Interactive Studios. In 1993, Strauss Zelnick, president of 20th Century Fox's film studio, was hired to run Crystal Dynamics. This made national news and helped to touch off the frenzy of multimedia investments of the mid-1990s. A 1993 editorial in Electronic Gaming Monthly declared that "the hottest new video game company on the upscale scene is definitely Crystal Dynamics."

Crash 'n Burn was conceived and produced by Mark Wallace and developed by Crystal Dynamics, with Bill Mitchell and Bill Willis as lead programmers and Mark Cerny as designer. Its development team required a small number of artists, including Steve Kongsle. The project was directed by David Burke and E. Daniel Arey was responsible for writing the script used for the product. Burke Trieschmann acted as a composer for the game's score.

The launch of the 3DO in October 1993 received a great deal of attention in the press as part of the "multimedia wave" in the computer world at the time. Return Fire, Road Rash, FIFA International Soccer and Jurassic Park Interactive had been slated for launch releases but were pushed to mid-1994 due to the developers' struggles with the sophisticated hardware. The 3DO Company also made continued updates to the console hardware almost up to the system's release, which resulted in a number of third-party titles missing the launch date and in some cases by less than a month, because the developers were not left enough time to fully test them on the finalized hardware. Its only software available at launch was Crash 'n Burn. Panasonic also failed to manufacture an ample supply of the console in time for launch day, and as a result most retail stores only received one or two units. By mid-November, it had sold 30,000 units.

In an interview shortly after The 3DO Company dropped support for the system, Trip Hawkins pointed out that it was essentially a lack of coordination between the company, Panasonic and the console's software developers which had led to it launching with only one game ready.

Reception

Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game a 7 out of 10. They described it as "a complex and exciting game once you get into [it]", but felt that it was not a strong enough game to sell a system as expensive as the 3DO.

GamePro praised the game as having the best racing game graphics ever seen in a home system, and also complimented the striking cast of characters, the variety of tracks, and the shopping feature. However, they criticized the lack of multiplayer and the relative shallowness of the racing gameplay (in particular that cars cannot get into crashes), and concluded it to be "a good, not a great, ride."

Crash 'n Burn received the Best Driving Game award from GameFan's 1993 Megawards.

Magazine Reviews

Name Date Region Rating Notes
Génération 4 Dec 93
96%
Consoles+ Nov 93
95%
Entertainment Weekly Jan 14, 1994
B+ Of course, 3DO wouldn't be viable if it didn't have something for older kids and teens. Included with the basic system is Crash 'N BURN, a postapocalyptic racing game that's great fun if you excuse two basic flaws: You can't crash, and you rarely burn. Still, crisp video clips of your insane opponents (who look like extras from a Mad Max movie), dazzling scenery, and a high degree of challenge make this one a natural for the pre- driver's ed set.
Hyper Feb 94
82%
Edge Magazine Dec 93
8/10 There are some disappointments. Quite a few, in fact. The sound’s not great for one thing. In true American style the tunes are bland and rock-based. And then there’s your car – it isn’t the most responsive thing in the world. You have to start turning early in order to negotiate the corners. But even if you don’t, your car can’t fall off the edge of the track. And remembering this is a CD-only system, the loading times are a bit offputting – they’re especially bad considering the 3DO’s 300K/s drive, and this is something that becomes more and more noticeable. As the first game for the 3DO this is impressive enough, and certainly challenging. But then for $699 (with free 3DO machine) what do you expect?
GamePro Dec 93
16.5/20 This CD game scores as the first of it's kind. It's a radical ride, a tantalizing look at the potential of 3DO gaming and a satisfactory workout. Crash 'n Burn definitely sets your imagination on fire.
Computer and Video Games (CVG) Jan 94
79% The graphics are promising, the full motion video is stunning (but let's hope 3DO doesn't become a home to failed actors) and the sound comprises cliched rock ditties and an engine noise that resembles a wasp with a stomach problem. Gameplay is exciting with the tournament option helping lastability, but you can feel detached while playing and the weapons do not seem as if they are causing any real damage. But overall this is a decent enough game and shows the potential of 3DO.
Video Games Mar 95
75% Obwohl es sich hier um ein Produkt der ersten Generation handelt, beeindruckt es durch brillante Grafik und gute Spielbarkeit. Auch die Scroll-Geschwindigkeit stellt das kritische Testerauge zufrieden.
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) Dec 93
7/10 A system this high priced better be astounding, but Crash 'n' Burn for the 3DO is not enough to 'sell' the system. The actor digitization is very well done, but the access time is too long! A complex and exciting game once you you get into it.
  • - Need review page

Other Versions

Eidos (Crystal Dynamics new owner), rebooted the brand in 2004, this time developer Climax Racing were at the Helm. Even though it bared the name, this was the only thing it had in common with the 3DO version, as it was set in the current time and was a general racer. It was released for PS2 and Xbox to mixed reviews.


Legacy

Due chiefly to the unexpectedly slow growth of the next generation gaming market, Crystal Dynamics's massive expansion in its early years failed to pay off. In 1996 new CEO Ted Ardel announced the company was cutting one third of its workforce and stepping aside as a publisher to focus strictly on games development. For several months the company functioned without a president, with Ardel managing the day-to-day operations until Rob Dyer was promoted to president on April 4, 1997.

After Crash 'n Burn, Crystal Dynamics would later become known for developing the Legacy of Kain and Gex series of video games, as well as later entries in the Tomb Raider franchise, starting with the 2006 title Tomb Raider: Legend.

Credits

  • Crash 'N Burn Progenitor Mark Wallace
  • Chief Technologist Mark Cerny
  • Frenzied Coding Superhumans Bill Mitchell, Bill Willis
  • Iridescent Visionaries Steve Kongsle, Cyrus Lum
  • Marketing Beast of Burden Scott A. Steinberg
  • Script Scribbler E. Daniel Arey
  • Spiritual Overlord Madeline Canepa
  • Electronic Bard Burke Trieschmann
  • Stunt Programmers Troy D. Gillette, David Kirk, Eric Knopp, Gregg Tavares, Sean Vikoren
  • Stunt Artists Gene Bodio, Daniel Colon Jr., Phil LeMarbre (as Phil LaMarbre), Michael Provenza, Mira F. Ross
  • Tire Kickers Jeremy Bredow, Chang F. Fadel, Justin Norr, Andy Trapani, Michael Wu
  • Video Editor Noah Hughes
  • Thespians & Artistes A.C. Griffing (as Druger), John B. Scott (as Fang), Barbara J. Lui (as Klaw), Terry Gault (as Max Amillion), Rick Cittar (as Rocker), Will Southard (as Tasman Twix), Sharon Omi (as Klaw's Voice), Curtis T. Branon (as Black Market's Voice)
  • Casting Jody Mortara (of Titus Productions)
  • Direction David Burke (of Plum Loco)
  • Scribe Carol Ann Hanshaw
  • Special Thanks Charlie Graham, Lyle J. Hall, Jon Horsley, Chris Morse

Linked Titles

Passwords

$2,000 Trick

To begin a game with $2,000, start a Tournament Race and finish with a time bonus to get $2,000. At the Auto Shop, select Race. When the match starts, hit Start again, select Quit, and begin the game again with $2,000.

Never waste a continue

If you lose a race and are forced to continue, just restart your game. You will begin again at the beginning of the race but you won't lose a continue.

Media