Random Game O' the Day: Road Rash

[digitalpress]

OK who am I kidding, this one isn't random. Nor will the next week or so of so-called random selections for the DP Guide Generator of Etc (tm). I'm spending a little time with the Genesis section so I'm sharing the results with you here.

What did you think of the FIRST Road Rash game? Does it hold up over time for you? Go back and play it NOW - even on an emulator - and check it out... then write your mini-review here! Or just share your recollections, strategies and thoughts on the game in general.

DP Guide sez:

Road Rash (Genesis, by Electronic Arts) $3/R2
Designed by Alex Amsel, Mark Fitt, Richard Whittall. Racing/Motocross/Cycle. EASTER EGGS: The coolest and by far fastest bike in the game is the "Wild Thing 2000", but it's hidden. Go to the bike select secreen and while holding Up, A, and C, press Start. When you hear "YEAH", you've now got control of a set of wheels that can get up to 200 MPH (and even faster with turbo). SANTULLI SLANT: If the sensation of speed isn't enough to get you excited, then perhaps the flopping, sliding, and scraping of your biker after a crash will. The game certainly lives up to its title, starting a legacy that continued for many sequels and years thereafter. Come on now, back in 1991 it was pretty uncommon to be allowed to create this kind of chaos in a game. You can force an opponent into an oncoming car, smash him off of his bike, and even brawl with the police! Just like real life, ya little hoodlums. [Gr: 8, So: 9, Ga: 8, Ov: 8] Released 1991. #7020.

[YoshiM]

Ahhhh, Road Rash. Good memories. What kept it from being just another racer was not the fact that you can beat on opponents but that if you biff, you FALL OFF YOUR BIKE. Then you have to hoof it back to your now damaged ride and hope you don't get run over. It would be a side-splitting moment when one careened into the back of a car at full tilt then as you run back you get nailed by motorcyclists AND by the car you just hit. I never got into the whole tournament side of it (where you buy new bikes and such) as the exhibition was good enough for me.

[AB Positive]

I spent so much time with this and the sequel back in the day. Road Rash was by far one of my favorite genesis games, and I was a tournament whore. I'd spend many a summer day trying to get from the first series of tracks to the last.

Just to be cheap, I'd win races until I got the next best bike, then keep racing on early tracks to stockpile money and get the 3rd bike before going to the 2nd set of courses. I'm even a tightwad in the virtual world. :roll:


-AG

[Kid Ice]

This game gets my vote for "Game Most In Need of a Great Update".

[Raccoon Lad]

I never played the original, but I had a BLAST with RR3...untill I realised that all that time I spent trying to finish all the courses and get teh best bike were pointless as there was no ending to the game. But it certainly was fun while it lasted.

[ColecoFan1981]

I never played the original, but I had a BLAST with RR3...untill I realised that all that time I spent trying to finish all the courses and get teh best bike were pointless as there was no ending to the game. But it certainly was fun while it lasted.
I think the soundtrack should contain progressive rock in it. You know, by bands such as Kansas, Styx, Supertramp, Yes, Genesis and others...

[Buapo]

Here's my thoughts on the versions that I have.

Road Rash for Genesis - it's okay. The graphics are a little clunky, but the control is decent. This is the version that I remember playing when I was younger.

Road Rash for Saturn - wow, what a difference! It's almost like a totally different game. I like the digitized riders, and the polygons and whatnot aren't too bad either. Though, the music you get while you race is extremely subdued, especially when compared to the authentic rock tracks during the menus. Sound effects are good, though. On a side note, either the Saturn controller that I used is messed up, or the control on this game really sucks. It's not "snappy" like the Genesis version, it almost felt like I was controlling a boat, not a motorcycle. With all the crap flying toward me at top speed, I would always crash. Like I said, my controller might be goin'.

Road Rash II for Genesis - I realize this is supposed to be about the first game, but I feel this deserves a mention... mainly because, this is my FAVORITE Road Rash! The control is improved from the original, the graphics are a LOT smoother, and the game is just FUN. I wish I had this version growing up, actually. Also, it comes in a really weird larger box. It's wider than the standard Genesis case, for some reason.

[hellraiser]

This game gets my vote for "Game Most In Need of a Great Update".

This!!!!!!
I played this game for hours and hours !!!! And being a kid i never got anywhere in it. lol

This was one of the games that made me a sega kid.
I also had/loved part 2 but never the saturn version.

[mattimeo310]

This game gets my vote for "Game Most In Need of a Great Update".

Ill agree to that. Love this series. I even thought the n64 version of it was great (although the fastest bike was insane).

[Compute]

RR3 used to be my favorite, but after revisiting RR2 I find that I prefer the cartoony gfx and the bloopy music to the digitized, grainy everything on RR3. I've been keeping my eyes open for RRCD for psx or Saturn, but no such luck locally. RR3D for PS1 is meh. They had the right idea but not enough console to pull off what should have been done. I can see a Need For Speed: Most Wanted type racer with this game. The only problem I have is that it would have some Nickeldown or Buckcherry or something lame like that for a soundtrack. Oh well, that's what volume control is for.