Rush 2049, the series' futuristic peak. Cars with retractable wings, a transfigured San Francisco and wild aerial acrobatics. More creative and better finished than its predecessors, with a particularly successful battle mode. Probably the best Rush: at once mad and surprisingly controllable.
Your verdict
Category
Racing1 player7+
Split screen
Description
Third Rush franchise entry projecting races into the futuristic San Francisco of 2049 with flying cars. Published by Midway, released in 2000 in Europe and North America. Cars with retractable wings, futuristic urban and off-road circuits, stunt and 4-player multiplayer modes.
San Francisco Rush 2049 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Dizzying jumps over the streets of San Francisco, hidden shortcuts and even wings to glide: this race embraces a thoroughly gleeful excess. Unearthing a secret path that upends the standings delivers a sly pleasure. Spectacular, generous and packed with tracks to explore, an arcade racer that bets everything on acrobatics.
Midway European February 2000 pressing of Rush 2049, which inherits the US code and keeps the exclusive Battle mode. The PAL cartridge includes a detailed multilingual manual on flying cars and their aerodynamic behavior in five languages. Scarcer than the US version on the European secondary market because its run was restricted at the end of the European N64 commercial cycle, it is the precise target for PAL Midway enthusiasts completing the Rush trilogy on the platform.
Is San Francisco Rush 2049 still worth playing in 2026?
San Francisco Rush 2049 marks the futuristic peak of the Rush series. Cars with retractable wings, a San Francisco transfigured by imagination and frantic aerial acrobatics build an arcade racer that is as wild as it is controlled. More creative and better finished than its predecessors, with a particularly successful battle mode, it is probably the best Rush and one of the most festive arcade racers on the N64. For fans of extravagant retro racers and multiplayer evenings, still an excellent pick today.
