Extreme-G

Nintendo exclusive

Extreme-G is a futuristic racing game with an emphasis on speed. It also features many weapons and an F-Zero style energy shield and regeneration.

Released: 30 September 1997
Platforms: Nintendo 64
Genres: Racing Shooter Sports Vehicular combat
Developers: Acclaim Studios London
Publishers: —
Series: Extreme-G
Modes: Multiplayer Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Themes: Action Science fiction
Country: United Kingdom
Age ratings: ESRB E
Languages: English
Entry: #1 in Extreme-G

About

Extreme-G is a futuristic racing video game developed by Probe Entertainment and published by Acclaim Entertainment, featuring an original trance soundtrack. It was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997, with a Japan release on May 29, 1998. Despite the competitive landscape of Nintendo 64 racing games, Extreme-G received moderately positive reviews and achieved commercial success. A sequel, Extreme-G 2, was launched in 1998, followed by two additional titles: Extreme-G 3 (2001) and XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association (2003). In 2024, the game was re-released through the Nintendo Classics service by Throwback Entertainment, which acquired the rights to the game in 2006.

›Story

Extreme-G is set in the distant future where Earth is reduced into a wasteland. From their new-found planet the human colonists watch their remote controlled bikes wreak havoc through their ancient cities and fight their way to determine which racer manages to qualify.

Keywords

motorcycle
future
retroachievements
rumble pak
controller pak
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nintendo gateway system
nintendo 64 exclusive

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The gameplay of Extreme-G primarily revolves around fast-paced racing through a variety of futuristic environments. An assortment of defensive and offensive weapons can be found on the track. These weapons include multi-homing/reverse missiles, magnetic and laser mines, as well as shield-boosting power-ups. Special weapons, such as invisibility, phosphorus flash, and the formidable Wally-Warp, can also be collected; if not avoided, the Wally-Warp can instantly transport a bike to the back of the pack.

As with all Extreme-G games, players control futuristic racing pilots riding plasma-powered bikes in an intergalactic Grand Prix, reaching speeds of over 750 km/h. The focus is on speed and innovative racetrack design, with tracks looping like roller coasters.

Development

Extreme-G was developed under the working title "Ultimate Racer." The game was created by Probe Entertainment, an internal development team of Acclaim Entertainment.

Reception

Extreme-G received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Critics particularly praised the track designs, which feature numerous loops, jumps, and corkscrews, along with the exhilarating sense of speed. Crispin Boyer wrote in Electronic Gaming Monthly that no other title delivers a sense of speed quite like Extreme-G. Next Generation noted that the game features fast, futuristic, heavily armed speedbikes racing on rollercoaster-like tracks set in some hallucinogenic scenarios.

A few critics remarked that the intense speeds create a steep learning curve; however, they concluded that the controls work well overall. Edge criticized the handling of the bikes but highlighted the game's strong emphasis on combat.