A wicked, ball-busting, brutal, and entertaining motorcycle racing game called “Road Rash” was released in the legendary year for video games, 1991. We recall many wonderful hours spent in front of our gaming devices when we hear the phrase “Road Rash.” The Super Nintendo made its debut in 1991, the same year that some of the best games were also released.
But after the Genesis versions of “Final Fantasy II,” “Super Mario World,” “F-Zero,” and perhaps Sega’s best game of the year, “Sonic – the Hedgehog,” another franchise, “Road Rash,” emerged and captivated players with its game play, bikes, speed, badass attitude, and most importantly, a tonne of illegal violence.
Before “Road Rash,” there were many other racing games, but this one stood out from the crowd. After Road Rash, I have not been able to rediscover the thrill of beating the living daylights out of the fifteen bikers you start with while avoiding their counterattacks and traffic. The weapons you can earn by landing a well-timed punch, such as crowbars, bats, or chains, were the best part of getting knocked down while racing.
Numerous roadside obstacles, including signs, trees, animals, and rocks that have been transformed into delightful jumps, are there to slow you down and add to the challenge. In the traffic, you run the risk of being struck by cars or other bikes, and if you are moving quickly, you risk flying from one zip code to the next without your bike.
Crashing happens throughout the game, and in my opinion, the best part is when you run back to grab your bike and get to tour the area after the accident. That is, of course, if you are not into extreme racing and are only playing the game for enjoyment, but that is just me.
Another fun aspect of this game is the hands of law. Well, you can’t blame them for trying as the violence sometimes gets really rough and traffic violation is also a fun part of the game. O’Leary & Flynn were good but I really liked to piss-off O’Shea. You will definitely have a fight on your hands when you are chased by O’Shea. They want you in jail or dead. So, if you lose a fight to a cop, you’ll either be fined or busted.
The objective of going through all of this is to win the race or be amongst the first three to reach the finishing line and collect purse money. With the purse money you get to buy better bikes. The pros & cons of each bike are explained in the shop. And while obviously it’s important to buy the overall best bike you can, it’s also important to read the description and play to your strengths in the meantime.
Unlocking new levels also treated you with videos of sex and drinking which I believe was one of the prime content of the game. As I mentioned earlier, bike racing is just a part, but the mixture of violence, traffic, cops chasing & fighting you, the rewards for winning a race and leveling up are what made “Road Rash” a standout in the racing genre.
EA released “Road Rash” in 1991 on the Sega Genesis platform and turned the badass factor to 11 mostly because it kicks tons of asses. Directed by Carl Mey and produced by Randy Breen, this game centered on a series of motorcycle races throughout California. The preliminary development began on an NES title named Mario Andretti Racing. The game’s programmers Dan Geisler and Carl Mey were hired by EA with the sole purpose of meeting the desired effect of creating a game with banked road effects.
Mey soon realized that while the NES was capable of road-scaling effects, banking would be beyond the console’s capability. Though the idea of a racing game originated from the minds of Dan Geisler & Carl Mey, my appreciation and admiration lean towards Randy Breen for the introduction of bikes into the game while reminiscing about riding his own bike on Mulholland Drive.
The title of the game suggested by Geisler “Road Rash on Mulholland Drive” was derived from the very thought of Breen riding his bike on Mulholland drive to meet with friends, “Man, if you wiped out here, you’d get some serious Road Rash”. Geisler, Breen, Mey and co-designer Walter Stein used the name to pitch the concept to EA. The title was eventually shortened to “Road Rash” and development moved from NES to the recently introduced Sega Genesis, which was powerful enough to generate the desired road effects. The background score by Rob Hubbard gave the game its essence and is one of his best works till now along with Tony Berkley and Don Veca.
ROAD RASH (1991)
The player advances through five races in the five levels of the game and the difficulty increases with every level. The number of California settings including Grass Valley, The Sierra Nevada, Napa Valley and The Pacific Coast Highway are a graphical feature to witness. The best part of this game was that it never took itself that seriously. It’s evident from the remake of the original with its live-action FMV scenes. The sound effects, visuals, subtle voice lines and general 90’sness gave it a comedy feel with scenes like another rider running over your rider or your bike getting shot at with a shotgun by the police. The release of “Road Rash” in Sega Genesis platform followed numerous launches through various ports like Amiga, Master System, Game Gear and Game Boy during 1992-1994.
ROAD RASH (1994)
In 1995 EA published the third installment of the Road Rash franchise. In 1994 Road Rash released its the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. A version for the Sega CD was also developed and released in 1995 to act as a bridge between the 3DO version and the Sega Genesis which carried the title “Road Rash 3”. The release of “Road Rash 3” was followed by the porting of the game to PlayStation, Sega Saturn & Microsoft Windows in 1996.
EA was influenced by the fifth-generation game consoles. They incorporated the famous soundtrack consisting of grunge music courtesy of A&M Records including Soundgarden, Monster Magnet & Swervedriver with 25 minutes of live-action full-motion video footage directed by Rod Gross and digitized character sprites from real-life actors. Randy Breen himself portrayed the game’s motor officer while the motorcycle riders were portrayed by a combination of the game’s staff and local AFM racers in the area.
The 3DO version of the game was met with critical acclaim and was widely regarded as the pinnacle of the series. The graphics, the grunge soundtrack and the humorous full-motion video sequences earned the game’s the highest-selling 3DO title at Babbage’s for three consecutive months and also topped HMV’s 3DO sales charts for three consecutive months. The game won several awards from Electronic Gaming Monthly including Best Driving Game, Best Music in a CD-Based Game & Best 3DO Game of 1994 despite being criticized for the lack of multiplayer option and the game play eventually becoming repetitive.
The Sega CD version, as well as the PlayStation, Saturn, and Windows ports, were less well-received than the 3DO version and the critics were largely disappointed by the downgraded visuals. The game was mainly criticized due to the fact that it offered nothing new to the gameplay and very few enhancements were made to the graphics and sound. Though the 3DO version will hurt your pocket but will give you the best of the Road Rash experience. Nonetheless, it’s following versions on PlayStation, Saturn and Windows were nothing but a big disappointment from all aspects of the game for the franchise as well as for the fans.
ROAD RASH 3D
EA released Road Rash 3D with the help of producer Hunter Smith and programmers Phillippe Tarboureich & Tim Wilson in 1998. The game received average reviews and was heavily criticized for graphical glitches, reduced amount of combat that made the game what it was and the lack of multiplayer mode. Though “Road Rash 3D” features some of the best track designs ever seen in a video game due to its network of interconnecting roads and impressive 3D engine, it failed to live up to the expectation of its previous version.
ROAD RASH 64
In the following year, “Road Rash 64” was released and to be honest it was much more satisfying than Road Rash 3D. Though the principle activity remains the same: ride and smash your way to victory, in this version you’ll need a lot more racing skill and knowledge of the vehicle you are riding. The difference between riding a cruiser and a sports bike and their pros and cons are very subtle and needs to be handled very carefully.
The weapon variety is one of the most notable features. You have sledgehammers, pool cues, Billy club, nunchakus, chains, tire irons, and spiked clubs to beat the crap out of your fellow riders. Stunning your opponent or blinding them is a fun part of the game. You get the opportunity to stun your opponent with the use of electric zapper weapon or blinding them by using mace spray before having a go at them.
The problem with this version was the graphics, it was not as vivid as the 3D version and the game just looks very dated because of the boring textures and bland colors. I would recommend renting the game, as a few hours of multiplayer mode to bash your friends might feel fun. Playing solo; this game will eventually bore you.
ROAD RASH: JAILBREAK
In 2000 EA Redwood Shores released “Road Rash: Jailbreak” for the PlayStation platform which was also released on Game Boy Advance platform in 2003. Honestly, “Road Rash: Jailbreak” was a heartbreak for fans like me who loved the game and was eagerly waiting for a developed & enhanced version of the beloved kick-ass bike racing game. Produced by Hunter Smith, “Road Rash: Jailbreak” felt like it was ripped directly from the cart and plopped onto a CD.
The positive thing about the game that one may find is the balance between racing and combat. Jailbreak focused more on racing while keeping the violent beat down to its limit which makes the game deliver at least something to look at. The goal behind Jailbreak is to rise in rank through one of the 2 gangs you pick until you can finally lead the charge to break the king of all bikers, spaz out of jail, hence the title “Jailbreak”.
The best part about this game is that it satisfies every guilty craving you’ve ever had during rush hour, burns off road rage and takes motorcycle combat to a new level. It doesn’t do this by looking slick, or even sounding slick. To be honest, it’s not even super slick to play, but it’s fun in its own way. If I compare Jailbreak with the following version after 3DO, its far better due to its fair graphics, nice game play, some interesting (but occasionally flawed) multiplayer games, and the same unadulterated sadistic fun of the series.
ROAD REDEMPTION
“Road Redemption” was developed by EQ-Games and Pixel Dash Studios as a spiritual successor to the Road Rash series. The game features visibly better graphics and new circuits. The game might feel like playing “Mad Max” but in a “Road Rash” style. Though I won’t say that the game is as joyous to play as Road Rash but it has its own spark to it. While wrenches, pool cues to flip over the rival bike and shovels are fun, the real fun is when you get a hammer and have a go at the opponent who is trailing you or when you use a blunt melee weapon to knock off an opponent’s helmet before attempting a decapitation with a sword (extreme violence has its own charm).
You can also acquire various explosives & firearms, although shooting and steering is difficult at times. One of the major drawbacks of the game is the speed adjustments in solo and multiplayer mode. In solo mode the speed adjustment while riding up to an opponent is smooth and automatically matches speed with them. In multiplayer mode, that has to be adjusted by you and you might often find yourself zooming past any racers or additional enemies, leaving little or nothing to do for whoever was at the back of the pack.
Meanwhile, the players in the middle of the crew were swamped by an almost comical number of enemies. A few other drawbacks are the lack of content, long-term replayability and maps (some of them are the reverse of other maps). It’s a good game but short-term manic fun. The development team has a lot of balancing and polishing to do if “Road Redemption” is to become a genuinely satisfying and well-rounded successor to its inspiration.
FUTURE OF THE FRANCHISE
The future of the franchise is not yet decided and we know very little about what to expect. A lot of possibilities were present when Criterion Developers hinted at a return. Multiple attempts were made for a potential “Burnout Versus Road Rash” but nothing has come of this.
Dan Geisler, the main programmer & co-designer of the Sega Genesis trilogy, was working with a number of the original Road Rash staff members on a new title named “Hard Rider: Back in the Saddle”. He frequently updated the progress on his Twitter account also, but eventually he was unable to find funding for it and dropped the idea.
“Road Redemption” is probably the closest of giving a Road Rash feel in a non-Road Rash game. Though it didn’t really fill the hole Road Rash left, but it’s the best we’ve got for now.