In an interview with Nintendo Everything, Eugene Jarvis recently revealed some interesting tidbits about the Cruis’n games,
First, with regards to Cruis’n Blast, Jarvis noted that while the game will only have local multiplayer at launch on Switch, online play may come down the line.
In order to hit the tight launch window, we couldn’t fit online play into this version. The Cruis’n vibe has always been head-to-head live play, true to its arcade roots. It’s just the most fun way to play! But we’re hoping the game goes into the stratosphere after launch – so then we can start working on these future goodies!
Jarvis also commented on Nintendo’s ownership of the series
Back in the early ‘90s we were working at “TV Games” – a video game startup – and the tough thing was we ran out of money developing the 3D texture mapping hardware and software for Cruis’n USA. Nintendo was super impressed by the game so they stepped in and bought the IP, providing the funding to complete the project for Midway’s arcade driver (including a full-motion simulator!) and the N64. And a big shout-out to Nintendo of America’s game guru back in the day, Ken Lobb, who really helped us in crafting the final cut.
You can read the full interview here