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Air Boarder 64

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Air Boarder 64
Japanese box art
Developer(s)Human Entertainment[2]
Publisher(s)
  • JP: Human Entertainment
  • EU: Gaga Interactive Media
Composer(s)Masafumi Takada
Platform(s)Nintendo 64
Release
  • JP: March 27, 1998[1]
  • EU: November 1998
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Air Boarder 64[a] is a futuristic hoverboard racing game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Human Entertainment and released in Japan and Europe in 1998. It was to be released under the name AirBoardin' USA in North America by ASCII Entertainment, but was cancelled.[3]

Gameplay

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Air Boarder 64 rewards players for scoring the most points by performing stunt moves in an environment featuring skate park mainstays such as rails and halfpipes. Scoring enough points will earn the player additional levels of competition, and higher scores can be awarded from exploring the game's setting to find high-scoring jumps. Other game modes include Versus Race, Time Attack, Coin Challenge, and Stunt Mode.[4][5]

Development

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On July 11, 2000, the release date for the North American version of Air Boarder 64, titled Air Boardin' USA, was pushed back to February 17, 2001.[6] On November 9, 2000, IGN announced that the North American version of the game had been cancelled.[3]

Reception

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Air Boarder 64 received mixed reviews upon its release. Nintendo Power gave it a 6.9 overall rating, stating that its graphics looked "fairly sharp, but the game lacks some of the special effects that are common in the latest generation of N64 titles" and that its sound "completely fails to rock."[12] In comparing the game to 1080° Snowboarding, Tim Weaver of N64 Magazine said that "its similarity to 1080° begins and ends with the fact that both games feature a board."[5] Weaver, whose review scored the game at 58%, went on to criticize the game's main mode, extra modes, camera controls, course design, and lack of a race mode akin to Mario Kart 64.[5] Nintendo Official Magazine drew similarities to 1080° Snowboarding in its 69% review, stating that "There is no comparison between Airboarder 64 and 1080°. It's slow, play controls are too basic and there's little challenge."[4]

Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: エアボーダー64, Hepburn: Ea Bōdā 64
  2. ^ Electronic Gaming Monthly's review was by four critics, two that gave it a 1.5/5, one a 2/10 and another a 3.5/10.[9]

References

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  1. ^ IGN Staff (March 25, 1998). "Airboarder Ships in Japan". IGN. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  2. ^ "ASCII Entertainment Software Announces the AirBoardin' USA". asciient.com. May 28, 1998. Archived from the original on February 20, 1999. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  3. ^ a b IGN Staff (November 9, 2000). "AirBoardin' USA a Very Ironic Name". IGN. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  4. ^ a b c "Airboarder 64". Nintendo Official Magazine. No. 74. November 1998. p. 46 – via Archive.org.
  5. ^ a b c d Weaver, Tim (June 1998). "Air Boarder 64". N64 Magazine. No. 16. pp. 58–59 – via Archive.org.
  6. ^ IGN Staff (July 11, 2000). "What's Coming When". IGN. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  7. ^ "Airboarder 64". Consoles+ (in French). No. 76. May 1998. pp. 128–129.
  8. ^ "Air Boarder 64". Edge. No. 59. August 1998. p. 97.
  9. ^ "Air Boardin' USA". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 121. August 1999. p. 125 – via Archive.org.
  10. ^ Fish, Eliot (August 1998). "Air Boarders". Hyper. No. 58. p. 56.
  11. ^ "Air Boarder". Joypad (in French). No. 81. December 1998. pp. 126–127.
  12. ^ a b "Airboardin' USA". Nintendo Power. Vol. 120. May 1999. p. 126 – via Archive.org.
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