Road Rash 64
Reviewed by Graham
The first time I ever played a road rash game was way back when I
had my Genisis. It really was amazing, because it was such a bizarre
combination of generes. The ones I'm talking about are of course,
fighting and racing. I daresay there was a bit more to it than just
winning, you had to avoid cops and beat the living snot out of your rivals.
The game was so much fun I even considered breaking the little seal the
video store puts on it, so I could buy it. (hey, I was nine) Now in this
generation of games which makes the Genisis looks laughable, we have
a heaven sent piece of work: Road Rash 64.
Graphics: 7 out of 10
The graphics here a nothing special, but they do the job. The backgrounds
look pretty, and the bikers are cool. Even better is how the bikes look,
especially in Insanity mode. The weapons, with
the expetion of pepper spray, are well done. One complaint, though, is the
police cars sometimes look like pieces of cardboard.
Music and Sound: 9 out of 10
The music is a perfect blend of biker type music. Ranging from pulsation
heavy metal, to fast paced semi-techno rock, it really adds to the
experience. The sound is well done, from the grunts of the bikers and the
dull thud of a sledgehammer against bone. The chain sounds pretty cool,
and you can hear the police sirens from a mile away.
The game is challenging, but not overly so. The police cars are easy
enough to avoid, and the cops on bikes are just plain fun to knock off. The
rival bikers really hassle you in later levels, but if you want a game
where people don't hit each other, go rent Elmo's Number Adventure.
Game Play-Fun: 10 out of 10
When it boils down to it, game play is the soul of this game. Its just so
fun that everyone would love it. Insanity is the most fun by far. The last
level, called The Wall, has the funniest ending of any racing game I have
ever played. I don't want to spoil it, but a just a little advice, its funnier
when you don't do a wheelie. There are tons of tracks to keep you
entertained, and pummeling a friend is even more fun.
Frustration
The frustration isn't that high, but it does creep up on you in the later
levels. I rode solo the first time I played, and I ended up making every
gang mad, and haven a rap sheet longer than Eemenem. Some tracks are a
bit tedios, but not really, so this game isn't greatly affected by the
dreaded frustration factor.
Replayability: 8 out of 10
A good thing about this game is that each difficulty level has different
tracks, so by the time you finish them all, you'll either be old and gray,
or a master. Once you've beaten the game, the fun factor goes down, but
trust me, it will take a while.
Multi player: 8 out of 10
Multi player is racing a track with one friend, so its not exactly a party
game, still, its fun and it does the job. What could be more fun than shutting
up your cocky little nine year old cousin by whipping him in this game?
I haven't found it.
Overall: 9 out of 10
Overall, this game is a real breath of fresh air. Like Driver for Playstation,
it allows the legions of guys like us who have seen movies like Entrapment
to many times finally to do some serious law breaking. Its all the fun of
speeding down highways in life or death biker situations, without the
speeding tickets or assault charges.