Reviewer: Greg Sewart Locomotive ASCII Entertainment Now Cartridge -Zero meets STUN Runner, that's the first impression I got upon powering up Aero Gauge. Picture it, hovercraft racing with incorporating the "tubes" found in STUN Runner. To me that sounds like a recipe for success, and it could have been except for the fact that Aero Gauge suffers from what so many other N64 titles do, extreme lack of length. The year is 2065. The IFA has added a new branch to their F-MAR Racing series known as Sky Step (SS). The reason behind this is to publicize the creation of Aeromachines. Since they're a new invention, this is basically an open class, barring a few safety regulations. The races are held in various sections of Asia, where many nations have merged. As the player you pilot one of four dramatically different machines in a full points championship. Even with the standard fuzzy graphics, AG does a satisfying job of creating a convincing future city course. And therein lies my first problem with Aero Gauge. So many times now we've had to deal with these racing games that force us to finish is x position during each race in order to advance. Now, if this was a ladder competition that would be fine, but in a points championship race this sort of thing just doesn't make any sense. I should be allowed to play the whole season even if I finish last each and every race. I know this is used as a way to unlock secret cars and tracks, but it's very, very annoying. My final gripe has to do with the music, which honestly sounds about as good as the original F-Zero. I'm positive the N64 is capable of more than this. While the tunes do fit the game, this is inexcusable. Besides that the sound effects do a good job overall. Again, the resemblance to F-Zero is uncanny. The graphics are your standard N64 fare. Nice looking, if a little fuzzy. The vehicle designs really stand out, each and every one has a definite look all its own. The designers also did an excellent job with the tracks; each one looks different and has a fair amount of detail and innovative design. My favourite would probably have to be Chinatown. It's a convincing take on a Monaco-esque road course of the future. The tubes require a completely different style to navigate, mainly you just hang on and hope you don't hit the wall in the wrong way. The point to using these hovercrafts is to stay a certain distance from the ground at all times. While you can race close to the surface, doing so won't allow you to reach your top speed. This sounds like it would be easy, but the track design is done in a way that staying high enough to attain top speed can be really dangerous, and not always desirable. I'm sort of torn about Aero Gauge. It has a lot going for it, solid control, good concept and some excellent replay value, but the bad championship mode, limited tracks and vehicles and horrendous music really hurt what could have been an excellent package. Rent before you buy. -- Greg Sewart Gaming Age Online is Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved.