Update: It's official, Cruis'n Blast is a Nintendo Switch console exclusive – it was confirmed during today's Nintendo Direct.

Here's some PR:

Cruis’n Blast for Nintendo Switch features a total of 29 thrilling tracks, including all five fan-favorite tracks from the arcade version of the game (Death Valley, London, Madagascar, Rio de Janeiro and Singapore), as well as 23 upgradeable vehicles – from licensed supercars to unicorns. The game supports up to four players on the same console or separate consoles via local play.

Cruis’n Blast will be released on Nintendo Switch in Fall 2021, with a specific date to be announced soon.


Original Story [Thu 20th May, 2021 09:00 BST]: The Cruis'n series was once seen as Nintendo's attempt to break into the lucrative arcade racer market, once dominated by titles such as Ridge Racer, OutRun and Daytona USA.

Released in arcades in 1994, Cruis'n USA – the first entry in the franchise – was intended to be a showcase for the power of the Nintendo 64 and was a commercial success, but the home version ended up being some of a disappointment when it arrived two years later. That didn't stop the game from spawning several sequels, the most recent of which is Cruis'n Blast, which arrived in arcades back in 2017.

It would seem that the game is now headed to consoles, as a rating was filed on May 19th with the Australian Board of Classification. While no format is mentioned, the fact that Nintendo has ownership of the series should mean that Switch will be in on the action.

The original Cruis'n USA was developed by the legendary Eugene Jarvis for Midway Games, with the project being a joint venture between Williams (Midway's owner) and Nintendo. Cruis'n Blast is developed by Raw Thrills, the arcade company Jarvis founded in 2001, under licence from Nintendo.

Thanks to Slowdive for the tip!