SF Rush the Rock: Alcatraz Edition

Manufactured by Atari Games (c)1997

San Francisco Rush the Rock: Alcatraz Edition is a game I'd not had any experience with prior to owning one.  I'd stopped going to arcades well before Rush the Rock came out.  In 1997,  the year of manufacture,  I was 25 years old and way too wrapped up in other things,  like getting laid,  to bother with arcades or arcade machines.  Having read about how fun SF: RTR was,  when I had the chance at one,  I took it. A KLOVian was selling one and would be at California Extreme 2011.  I was going to be attending the show as well so we struck a deal that he would transport the game to CAX and I would pick it up there.  Everything went smooth at the show.  Unfortunately I can't say the same about when I got the machine home.  Keeping the story to a minimum,  both the seller and myself made mistakes at CAX.  We didn't double check the machine and when I got it home the only way to take the machine off the truck was to tip it down on one end.  It was an original San Francisco Rush cabinet so it was one solid piece and couldn't be split.  While tipping it down the monitor,  which evidentl was only attached at the TOP not the bottom,  shifted and it broke the tubes neck.  One 27" medium resolution monitor down the drain.   After discussing the issue with the seller we took equal blame and basically split the cost of a tri-res 27" monitor 50/50 so alls well that ends well.  The machine didn't end up being a "great buy" but I did end up with a beautiful newer monitor.  The rest of the game is in good shape overall.  I did have to fix a microswitch in the gear shifter,  but other than that (and the monitor issue) the game plays great.  It came with an extra force feedback motor and belt as well.  Eventually I also did end up replacing the marquee a couple months later as the one in it has a crack that annoyed the hell out of me.  I believe I picked up the repro at www.gameongraphix.com after being unable to find one elsewhere.

The second cabinet I picked up is an actual San Francisco Rush the Rock: Alcatraz cabinet.  It splits in to two and has the Rush the Rock artwork.  It's in good shape as well for a routed game.  It too needed the shifter to be worked on a little and actually still is a little "sticky" going in to third gear.  The monitor doesn't look quite as nice as the cabinet with the newer Tri-Res,  but I digress.  It did have a force feedback issue where it had no feedback going one direction but after reading up about the op-amp being the likely culprit,  that issue was rectified.  I picked this game up in a straight trade for Cruis'n Exotica.  Some would say I got the crap end of the stick on that deal (Cruis'n is certainly worth more in dollars),  the fact of the matter is that I just really didn't like the arcade simplistic physics and gameplay of the machine and it was well worth the trade to be able to network these two cabinets together.

Why would I dedicate so much space of my gameroom to just one game?  Because the game is DAMN FUN with a single cabinet and a freakin' RIOT playing against a friend.  Especially when playing against a friend who knows how to drive the game as well as you do (which,  unfortunately isn't very many of my friends).  I am looking forward to the day that my 5 year old is big enough to reach the pedals and play against his ole' man.  During parties,  these two machines are are usually occupied,  many times with onlookers waiting to take over.  It's just a fun game.  It's an arcade game that doesn't have a major focus on strick "arcade" rules… meaning unlike the Cruis'n series (as an example),  you are free to drive your car any way you want.  You can turn around and run the course backwards (you'll run out of time but you can do it if you want).  You can cut corners… heck,  you're ENCOURAGED to explore and find as many "shortcuts" as you can.  Some can be accessed by ground… some require you to access them by air via ramps, etc.  Bottom line,  it's the freedom of gameplay that makes this title work IMHO.  Well,  that an the kickass force feedback routine they use.  You can feel the bumps in the road… you can feel it when your opponents tap you or you them.  You can feel the wheels lose traction around corners.  It's a MUCH MUCH better effect than the crappy effects that Cruis'n Exotica used.  Even newer games like the Need For Speed titles can match the "feel" of Rush the Rock's force feedback.  The one aspect of the game I am a little confused by is the clutch.  The game includes one,  but it doesn't seem to do much aside from helping you get a little more air in jumps (while holding it down) and it's supposed to help with starts… but frankly,  that help is minimal.  I question the decision not to penalize a person for NOT using the clutch ala the Hard/Race Drivin' series of games.  Had they implemented that penalty it would have forced players to use the clutch making the game a little better in my opinion.  Alas,  they didn't so the clutch seems to be almost a tacked on afterthought. I guess it does make the game a little more approachable for newbs.

Ultimately San Francisco Rush the Rock; Alcatraz Edition is my favorite racer in the garagecade.  I even prefer it to Rush 2049,  which has slightly better graphics,  much better sound,  but the futuristic theme isn't really that appealing to me.  If you ever have a chance to pick up a Rush the Rock cabinet,  DO IT.  It takes up about as much space as a pinball machine and it's a blast!

Update 10-09-16:

I have sold one of my Rush the Rock cabinets.  Bottom line is that I needed the room.  I ended up selling the Rush the Rock: Alcatraz Edition original cabinet rather than the original Rush the Rock conversion.  The reason I chose to sell the original Alcatraz edition cabinet rather than the conversion is that the conversion has a new Tri-Res monitor in it… plus it also has a newer reproduction marquee.  As you can see from the image above,  the one I sold is the cabinet on the left… and it went to a good home in Washington (I believe is where the buyer lives now).

More Photos:

Please share...