Of all the racing games to come out of the 16-bit era, Road Rash was always one of my favorites. It mixed the chaos of an arcade racer with the violence of a fighting game, and I was there for it. I've been thinking a lot about Road Rash lately, which made me wonder what Electronic Gaming Monthly thought of this combative series. What was their favorite game?
Now, in case you're wondering, EGM reviewed a total of seven Road Rash games between 1993 and 2000. That covers a good chunk of the games and ports, right up to the final entry in the series – Jailbreak. One of the games the magazine didn't review is the 1991 original, so I decided to include the review and score from Mega Play, EGM's sister magazine that shared a lot of the same editorial staff and scoring system. And to make things even more fun, we're also going to toss in the similar, but unconnected one-off, Skitchin'. What we're going to do today is countdown the best and worst Road Rash games using Electronic Gaming Monthly's own words and scores. There's no editorializing here, we're going to focus on what the critics said back when these games first came out. So, grab that chain and join a bike club, because you're going to need all the help you can get when EGM Ranks Road Rash.
Road Rash 64 (Nintendo 64)
#9
“It's not terribly exciting, and it's very grainy and blurry. Nothing that Road Rash 64 possess will excite you – not even the four-player mode can save this game's face. All of the multiplayer modes are boring, because you don't see (and therefore, don't fight) your human opponents that often ... even on tracks designed for maximum confrontation. The plain, default race mode is the most fun, and even that isn't anything to write home about.” (4.25 out of 10)
Skitchin' (Genesis)
#8
“Skitchin' has a theme similar to Road Rash in that you fight and battle at high speeds. The graphics are nice and the game has tons of options (like the nice two-player mode), but play it once and you get the idea.” (5.8 out of 10)
Road Rash (PlayStation)
#7
“After playing Road Rash, I couldn't help but think, ‘been there, done that.' Don't get me wrong: The game's graphics and video are smoother and more refined compared to its 3DO predecessor. Otherwise, the game's the same. This game rocked years ago, but it looks average compared to today's racing games.” (7 out of 10)
Road Rash: Jailbreak (PlayStation)
#6
“This game tries to freshen up the ol' Road Rash formula a bit with special rescue stages and pursuit modes. Trouble is, Jail Break feels like last year's model, and it still emphasizes racing more than hand-to-helmet combat. It's the multiplayer additions that'll make you wanna hop aboard for another ride. The co-op sidecar mode is hilarious – especially when you knock your own teammate off the bike. Test drive this thing before you buy.” (7 out of 10)
Road Rash 3D (PlayStation)
#5
“Road Rash 3D packs nearly everything I loved about the classic series – high speed, cool courses, nasty spills and intense combat (although fighting's not as crucial as before). The graphics, while not up to Gran Turismo's standards, are adequately fast. Some of the series' in-your-face personality is missing. Cinemas are particularly weak, and you're now placed on the bike automatically after a crash (I prefer the old run-to-your-bike routine).” (7.75 out of 10)
Road Rash II (Genesis)
#4
“I loved the original, which means that I have to love the sequel as well, since the game is virtually the same. Rash 2 serves up five new landscapes to motor across while the base game remains almost identical. The two-player mode is a good draw, but execution fall short in the same way Sonic 2 did. Still good, but I had hoped for more.” (7.75 out of 10)
Road Rash (Game Boy Color)
#3
“Like most Game Boy versions of big-name games, I had my doubts about Road Rash. I figured it'd be another watered-down kid's game. I was wrong. While Road Rash on the Game Boy isn't quite as robust as recent installments on home systems, it does a great job at providing the experience in handheld form. In fact, it reminds me of the Genesis version of Road Rash. The scaling effect on tracks is the game's most impressive feature – you have to see it to believe it. Also, the control is surprisingly solid for being digital. The courses aren't terribly different, however, so the races do get boring after a while. Of course, you can always bust out a link cable and go for some two-player fun.” (8 out of 10)
Road Rash (3DO)
#2
“The coolest music in gaming makes this game rule. This game is a step above the first two Road Rash titles on the Genesis, with awesome graphics and fantastic playability. I couldn't put the controller down. If there were more games out for the 3DO that were this much fun, they'd have sold a million units.” (8.4 out of 10)
Road Rash (Genesis)
#1
“Electronic Arts has done a superb job with the first-person graphics and gameplay in Road Rash, which are the best I've seen in a Genesis driver. The technique and play structure is also a hit. Great scrolling and upbeat music in addition to bone-crushing accidents make this an enjoyable cart to play.” (9 out of 10)
