Road Rash
Encyclopedia
Road Rash is the name of a motorcycle
-racing video game series by Electronic Arts
, in which the player participates in violent illegal street races. The game was originally released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, but was ported
to several other systems. Six different games were released from 1991 to 1999, and a 2004 licensed port for the Game Boy Advance
was released. Road Rash and two of its sequels later appeared on the EA Replay collection for the PSP
.
The game's title is based on the slang term for the severe friction burns that can occur in a motorcycling fall
where skin comes into contact with the ground at high speed.
, the player competes in illegal road races
and must finish in the top 3 places in every race in order to proceed to the next level. As levels progress, the opponents ride faster, fight harder and the tracks are longer and more dangerous. Placing in each race gives a certain amount of money which increases considerably as levels progress. This money allows the player to buy faster bikes which are needed to stay competitive. The game is over if the player can't pay for the repairs when their motorcycle is wrecked, or can't pay the fine for being arrested.
Road Rash boasted a smoothly-rendered vertical element, which was uncommon on consoles at the time. In most traditional older racing games, the player's vehicle remained on the same horizontal plane, negotiating turns essentially by going right or left (see Pole Position (video game)). In Road Rash, players had to contend with grade changes, and the physics—though rudimentary compared to today's games—reflected the act of going up or down a hill, as well as turning while climbing, etc. This resulted in the ability to launch one's motorcycle great distances, resulting in often amusing crash animations. Road Rash also introduced an interactive race environment, with street signs, trees, poles, and livestock, which could interact with the player's vehicle. This was also one of the earlier games to feature active traffic, which created a more immersive and realistic environment, as the player had to contend with slow moving station wagons and the like while racing against other bikers. Aside from high speed, big-air, and spectacular crashes, what separated Road Rash from other racing games was its combat element. The player could fight other bikers with a variety of hand weapons or kick away other racers. The player would initially start off with just his or her hands and feet, but if the gamer timed a punch right, he or she could grab a weapon from another rider. The weapons themselves ranged from clubs
, crowbars
, nunchaku
, and cattle prod
s. Fights between riders to knock each other off the bike would often go on at high speeds through traffic, pedestrians and roadside obstacles, with the victor gaining place and the loser sustaining bike damage and losing time.
The motorcycle police officers have dual antagonistic roles. They fight the player as another opponent, and they also serve as game play enforcers by policing the back of the pack and culling players who fall too far behind or choose to explore the world rather than race in it. The stakes are higher for losing a fight with a police officer than for losing to another player: Losing a fight with an officer or being caught by an officer while off one's motorcycle would cause the player to be "Busted" and the race would end.
In the earlier games, each race locale consisted of a single road, and as the player progressed through the levels. The finish line would be placed farther down the road. Later games used a single interlocked road network.
soundtrack. Later Road Rash games were among the first video games to include licensed music tracks from major recording artists in gameplay.
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. All races take place in locales in the U.S. state
of California
on progressively longer two-lane roads
. While the game had a two-player mode, it was a take-turns system that only allowed one person to play his or her individual game at a time.
The tracks depict California State Routes on highway shields as the player travels through the level. The levels are, from start and pressing right on the selection screen:
There are 8 bikes to choose from, and two weapons: chains and clubs. Races would be won by placing first, second, third, or fourth in each of the five tracks. After all five tracks were won, the player would advance to the next level, where the track would be longer, the opponents faster, and much more money at stake for a victory or a loss. The game was eventually ported onto the Game Gear
, Sega Master System
, Nintendo Game Boy and Commodore Amiga, making the debut title the only Road Rash game of the Genesis series to have been distributed onto other consoles and computers.
, Hawaii
, Tennessee
, Arizona
, and Vermont
.
Road Rash II made navigation of the menu screens considerably easier, as well as gave the game a password less than half the size of the first game's passwords. Also, several game modes were introduced; alongside the two modes from the first Road Rash were a true two-player game called "Split Screen" where the 14th and 15th players are replaced by human players, and a duel mode called "Mano a Mano" where the two human players can select any bike, weapon, and length of track they wish before racing each other.
, United Kingdom
(though its description pays homage to the Isle of Man
), Germany
, Italy
, Kenya
, Australia
, and Japan
.
Fifteen bikes are available in different classes, and four upgrades are available for each. Eight weapons are available, and the game allows the player to hold on to the weapons between races as long as the game is not reset.
Notably, this game changed its aesthetic by using digitized sprites as opposed to the "cartoony" sprites of the first two installments.
, and later for the Sony Playstation, Sega Saturn
, and PC
. A version for the Super Nintendo was planned for release, but was eventually canceled. The game featured full motion video
sequences to advance the plot.
There are five levels altogether, and five courses, all California locales: The City, The Peninsula, Pacific Coast Highway
, Sierra Nevada, and Napa Valley. The roads themselves are multi-lane with brief divided road sections.
The object of the game is the same as in previous installments in the series: When all courses are completed without getting "Game Over" or "Busted", in 1st, 2nd or 3rd out of 14th place, the level will increase. Differences affected on tracks are the length and the amount of traffic on the road, with the additions of heavier fines from the police if the player is caught, and a larger reward for completing the track.
The player could choose a character to play as, which came with a specific cash amount and a personal motorcycle. Some of these characters' names come from combatants from the original Genesis releases, such as "Axle" and "Rhonda". The character also had status among his or her fellow bikers, which was accessible after the race. Depending on what the NPC preferred (some liked being hit, some didn't), the other racers would dynamically react to the player depending on how he or she was treated during the races.
When Road Rash debuted on the 32-bit
home game consoles, they were initially ported from the 3DO version of the game. All of these games were called "Road Rash", despite being 4th in the series. Derivative works were re-engineered up for Microsoft Windows
and Nintendo 64
platforms or reengineered down to Sega Mega-CD
and the handheld consoles.
artists Soundgarden
, Paw
, Hammerbox
, Therapy?
, Monster Magnet
, and Swervedriver
. Months before Road Rash was even released for the 3DO
it received 3DO
's 1994 "Soundtrack
of the Year" award. The last version featured garage and unsigned bands who got a chance to be in the game by sending in their tapes.
magazine. It received a final score of 91% and was praised for its music, graphics and gameplay. The Commodore Amiga release of Road Rash received moderately high ratings, including 84% from Amiga Format
and 81% from CU Amiga. The release received worse reviews from Amiga Power
, who rated the game 70%. It won several awards from Electronic Gaming Monthly
in their 1994 video game awards, including Best Driving Game, Best Music in a CD-Based Game, and Best 3DO Game of 1994 by Electronic Gaming Monthly
.
was released in 1999. It is noteworthy because Electronic Arts did not design or publish it. Instead, the intellectual property rights were licensed to THQ, who in turn had its own studio, Pacific Coast Power & Light
(founded by former EA employee Don Traeger), develop the game.
Road Rash 64 was also designed similarly to F-Zero X
in that the game used very low polygon models, low resolution textures, and few special effects so that the game could instead feature several dozen motorcycles, traffic models, and obstacles while being able to keep a high frame rate. The game was more focused on the combat aspects the earlier 16-bit games featured, and was ahead of its time in terms of customizable settings in a console game.
N64 owners with a Ram Expansion Pak were able to choose from Wide Screen, Letterbox, and High Resolution settings in addition to the default graphics setting. The game also managed to feature five of the tracks (two of them 100% unedited) from Road Rash 3D through audio compression software.
Unlike the games before it, which used a single long road in independent locales, Road Rash 64s races took place on routes laid out through a single interconnected road system. The race routes were pieced together from branching road segments. The four corners of the game world had distinctly different geographic features. Once past the first level the races would be between or through different locales.
in 2003. Its main gameplay elements incorporated an interconnected road system and 2 player cooperative play with a sidecar.
Road Rash: Jail Break for the Game Boy Advance
scored mixed reviews with critics, gaining a score of 67% on Metacritic
.
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
-racing video game series by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
, in which the player participates in violent illegal street races. The game was originally released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, but was ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to several other systems. Six different games were released from 1991 to 1999, and a 2004 licensed port for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
was released. Road Rash and two of its sequels later appeared on the EA Replay collection for the PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
.
The game's title is based on the slang term for the severe friction burns that can occur in a motorcycling fall
Road rash
Road rash is a colloquial term for skin and bone injury caused by abrasion with road surfaces, usually as a consequence of cycling and motorcycling accidents. The term may be applied to both a fresh injury and the scar tissue left by an old one...
where skin comes into contact with the ground at high speed.
Overview
Presented in a third-person view similar to Hang-OnHang-On
Hang-On is an arcade game released by Sega in 1985. It is the world's first full-body-experience video game. In the game, the player controls a motorcycle against time and other computer-controlled bikes. It was one of the first arcade games to use 16-bit graphics and Sega's "Super Scaler"...
, the player competes in illegal road races
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
and must finish in the top 3 places in every race in order to proceed to the next level. As levels progress, the opponents ride faster, fight harder and the tracks are longer and more dangerous. Placing in each race gives a certain amount of money which increases considerably as levels progress. This money allows the player to buy faster bikes which are needed to stay competitive. The game is over if the player can't pay for the repairs when their motorcycle is wrecked, or can't pay the fine for being arrested.
Gameplay
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
, crowbars
Crowbar (tool)
A crowbar, a wrecking bar, pry bar, or prybar, or sometimes a prise bar or prisebar, and more informally a jimmy, jimmy bar, jemmy or gooseneck is a tool consisting of a metal bar with a single curved end and flattened points, often with a small fissure on one or both ends for removing nails...
, nunchaku
Nunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
, and cattle prod
Cattle prod
A cattle prod, also called a stock prod, is a handheld device commonly used to make cattle or other livestock move by striking or poking them, or in the case of a Hot-Shot-type prod, through a relatively high-voltage, low-current electric shock...
s. Fights between riders to knock each other off the bike would often go on at high speeds through traffic, pedestrians and roadside obstacles, with the victor gaining place and the loser sustaining bike damage and losing time.
The motorcycle police officers have dual antagonistic roles. They fight the player as another opponent, and they also serve as game play enforcers by policing the back of the pack and culling players who fall too far behind or choose to explore the world rather than race in it. The stakes are higher for losing a fight with a police officer than for losing to another player: Losing a fight with an officer or being caught by an officer while off one's motorcycle would cause the player to be "Busted" and the race would end.
In the earlier games, each race locale consisted of a single road, and as the player progressed through the levels. The finish line would be placed farther down the road. Later games used a single interlocked road network.
Sound
The original Mega Drive/Genesis games featured a Rob HubbardRob Hubbard
Rob Hubbard is a music composer best known for his composition of computer game theme music, especially for microcomputers of the 1980s such as the Commodore 64...
soundtrack. Later Road Rash games were among the first video games to include licensed music tracks from major recording artists in gameplay.
Road Rash
Road Rash debuted on the 16-bit16-bit
-16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor. Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816. The Intel 8088 was program-compatible with the Intel 8086, and was 16-bit in that its registers were 16...
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. All races take place in locales in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
on progressively longer two-lane roads
Single carriageway
A single carriageway is a road with 1, 2 or more lanes arranged within a single carriageway with no central reservation to separate opposing flows of traffic. Two-lane road or two-lane highway are single carriageway with one lane for each direction...
. While the game had a two-player mode, it was a take-turns system that only allowed one person to play his or her individual game at a time.
The tracks depict California State Routes on highway shields as the player travels through the level. The levels are, from start and pressing right on the selection screen:
- Sierra Nevada (CA 89California State Route 89State Route 89 is a California State Highway that travels in the north–south direction, and is the major thoroughfare for many mountain communities. It starts from U.S. Route 395 near Topaz Lake, winding its way up to the Monitor Pass, down to the Carson River, and up again over the Luther...
) - Pacific Coast (CA 1California State Route 1State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
) - Redwood Forest (no highway shields)
- Palm Desert (CA 74California State Route 74State Route 74 , a part of the Pines to Palms Scenic Byway, is a mostly scenic highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs from Palm Desert in Riverside County westward to San Juan Capistrano in Orange County.-Route description:...
) - Grass Valley (CA 49California State Route 49State Route 49 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California that passes through many historic mining communities of the 1849 California gold rush. Highway 49 is numbered after the "49ers", the waves of immigrants who swept into the area looking for gold, and a portion of it...
)
There are 8 bikes to choose from, and two weapons: chains and clubs. Races would be won by placing first, second, third, or fourth in each of the five tracks. After all five tracks were won, the player would advance to the next level, where the track would be longer, the opponents faster, and much more money at stake for a victory or a loss. The game was eventually ported onto the Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
, Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
, Nintendo Game Boy and Commodore Amiga, making the debut title the only Road Rash game of the Genesis series to have been distributed onto other consoles and computers.
Road Rash II
Road Rash II, the sequel to the first game, was released the next year in 1992, also on the Sega Genesis. Road Rash II was heavily based on the same engine and sprites as the first Road Rash game. The races took place in the U.S. states of AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
Road Rash II made navigation of the menu screens considerably easier, as well as gave the game a password less than half the size of the first game's passwords. Also, several game modes were introduced; alongside the two modes from the first Road Rash were a true two-player game called "Split Screen" where the 14th and 15th players are replaced by human players, and a duel mode called "Mano a Mano" where the two human players can select any bike, weapon, and length of track they wish before racing each other.
Road Rash 3: Tour de Force
The final installment of Road Rash on the Sega Mega Drive, Road Rash 3: Tour de Force was released in 1995. All races took place in 5 of 7 countries, with the track selection varying per level: BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(though its description pays homage to the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
), Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Fifteen bikes are available in different classes, and four upgrades are available for each. Eight weapons are available, and the game allows the player to hold on to the weapons between races as long as the game is not reset.
Notably, this game changed its aesthetic by using digitized sprites as opposed to the "cartoony" sprites of the first two installments.
Road Rash (3DO)
Road Rash, often called Road Rash 3D or Road Rash 3DO to distinguish it from the Genesis original of the same name, was originally released on the 3DO3DO Interactive Multiplayer
The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer is a video game console originally produced by Panasonic in 1993. Further renditions of the hardware were released in 1994 by Sanyo and Goldstar. The consoles were manufactured according to specifications created by The 3DO Company, and were originally designed by...
, and later for the Sony Playstation, Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. A version for the Super Nintendo was planned for release, but was eventually canceled. The game featured full motion video
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
sequences to advance the plot.
There are five levels altogether, and five courses, all California locales: The City, The Peninsula, Pacific Coast Highway
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
, Sierra Nevada, and Napa Valley. The roads themselves are multi-lane with brief divided road sections.
The object of the game is the same as in previous installments in the series: When all courses are completed without getting "Game Over" or "Busted", in 1st, 2nd or 3rd out of 14th place, the level will increase. Differences affected on tracks are the length and the amount of traffic on the road, with the additions of heavier fines from the police if the player is caught, and a larger reward for completing the track.
The player could choose a character to play as, which came with a specific cash amount and a personal motorcycle. Some of these characters' names come from combatants from the original Genesis releases, such as "Axle" and "Rhonda". The character also had status among his or her fellow bikers, which was accessible after the race. Depending on what the NPC preferred (some liked being hit, some didn't), the other racers would dynamically react to the player depending on how he or she was treated during the races.
When Road Rash debuted on the 32-bit
32-bit
The range of integer values that can be stored in 32 bits is 0 through 4,294,967,295. Hence, a processor with 32-bit memory addresses can directly access 4 GB of byte-addressable memory....
home game consoles, they were initially ported from the 3DO version of the game. All of these games were called "Road Rash", despite being 4th in the series. Derivative works were re-engineered up for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
platforms or reengineered down to Sega Mega-CD
Sega Mega-CD
The is an add-on device for the Mega Drive video game console, designed and produced by Sega and released in Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The device was also released in North America under the name Sega CD, for the Sega Genesis...
and the handheld consoles.
Music
The 3DO game's soundtrack contained 14 music tracks from A&M RecordsA&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
artists Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, Paw
Paw (band)
Paw is a hard rock band from Lawrence, Kansas that formed in 1990. The band, in its original line-up, consisted of Mark Hennessy , Grant Fitch , Charles Bryan , and Peter Fitch . To date, they have released 3 studio albums – Dragline, Death to Traitors, and Home Is a Strange Place...
, Hammerbox
Hammerbox
Hammerbox was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington. The band formed around 1990 and disbanded in 1994 when lead singer Carrie Akre left the band to form Goodness.-History:...
, Therapy?
Therapy?
Therapy? is an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist–vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing from Larne, Northern Ireland. The band initially recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar...
, Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet is an American stoner rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded by Dave Wyndorf , John McBain and Tim Cronin...
, and Swervedriver
Swervedriver
Swervedriver are an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band went on hiatus in 1998 before reforming in 2008 for a world tour, which included a performance at the high-profile Coachella Festival...
. Months before Road Rash was even released for the 3DO
3DO Interactive Multiplayer
The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer is a video game console originally produced by Panasonic in 1993. Further renditions of the hardware were released in 1994 by Sanyo and Goldstar. The consoles were manufactured according to specifications created by The 3DO Company, and were originally designed by...
it received 3DO
The 3DO Company
The 3DO Company , also known as 3DO , was a video game company...
's 1994 "Soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of the Year" award. The last version featured garage and unsigned bands who got a chance to be in the game by sending in their tapes.
Bikes
Players could choose between three categories of motorcycles in each price level: Sport/GT bikes, Race replicas and Cruisers. The Sport/GT bikes were designed after European Grand Touring bikes—they handled well, were of moderate weight and had moderate power. Race Replicas were the Japanese style super bikes—very quick, very light. The cruisers are American style—a little heavy, do not turn too well, but lots of straight line power. The 32-bit versions introduced a fourth type called a Rat bike which was a stripped down Frankenstein-style bike which was nimble and had a lot of durability. Select bikes at the higher levels had N2O boosts.Reception
Road Rash received a very favourable review in Mean MachinesMean Machines
Mean Machines was a market-leading multi-format gaming magazine released between 1990 and 1992 in the United Kingdom. Its style was popular with gamers of the time for its irreverent humor, anarchic editorial tone and style, and its sometimes outrageously outspoken reviews.- Origins :In the late...
magazine. It received a final score of 91% and was praised for its music, graphics and gameplay. The Commodore Amiga release of Road Rash received moderately high ratings, including 84% from Amiga Format
Amiga Format
Amiga Format was a British computer magazine for Amiga computers, published by Future Publishing. The magazine lasted 136 issues from 1989 to 2000. The magazine was formed when, in the wake of selling ACE to EMAP, Future split the dual-format title ST/Amiga Format into two separate publications...
and 81% from CU Amiga. The release received worse reviews from Amiga Power
Amiga Power
Amiga Power was a monthly magazine about Amiga computer games. It was published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and ran for 65 issues, from May 1991 to September 1996....
, who rated the game 70%. It won several awards from Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
in their 1994 video game awards, including Best Driving Game, Best Music in a CD-Based Game, and Best 3DO Game of 1994 by Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
.
Road Rash 64
Road Rash 64 for the Nintendo 64Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
was released in 1999. It is noteworthy because Electronic Arts did not design or publish it. Instead, the intellectual property rights were licensed to THQ, who in turn had its own studio, Pacific Coast Power & Light
Pacific Coast Power & Light
Pacific Coast Power & Light was an old game developer of DT Productions and Locomotive Games and develops games for a variety of game machines and consoles...
(founded by former EA employee Don Traeger), develop the game.
Road Rash 64 was also designed similarly to F-Zero X
F-Zero X
, is a futuristic racing video game for the Nintendo 64 console. Developed by Nintendo's EAD division, it was released in Japan, Europe and North America, in 1998. In 2000, an expansion of the game was exclusively released in Japan providing numerous extra features not in the original game. F-Zero...
in that the game used very low polygon models, low resolution textures, and few special effects so that the game could instead feature several dozen motorcycles, traffic models, and obstacles while being able to keep a high frame rate. The game was more focused on the combat aspects the earlier 16-bit games featured, and was ahead of its time in terms of customizable settings in a console game.
N64 owners with a Ram Expansion Pak were able to choose from Wide Screen, Letterbox, and High Resolution settings in addition to the default graphics setting. The game also managed to feature five of the tracks (two of them 100% unedited) from Road Rash 3D through audio compression software.
Unlike the games before it, which used a single long road in independent locales, Road Rash 64s races took place on routes laid out through a single interconnected road system. The race routes were pieced together from branching road segments. The four corners of the game world had distinctly different geographic features. Once past the first level the races would be between or through different locales.
Road Rash 3-D
Road Rash 3-D was released in 1998 for the PlayStation.Road Rash: Jail Break
Road Rash: Jail Break was released 1999 in EU (2000 U.S.) for the PlayStation, and eventually adapted for the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
in 2003. Its main gameplay elements incorporated an interconnected road system and 2 player cooperative play with a sidecar.
Road Rash: Jail Break for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
scored mixed reviews with critics, gaining a score of 67% on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.