Video Game Gazette
Action / driving games have been popular since the days of Roadblasters and Spy Hunter. The genera cooled off during the late 8-bit and early 16-bit eras only to be brought screaming back to life with Electronic Arts Road Rash series for the Sega Genesis. After several sequels the game had reached the limits of the system. Fortunately, at about that time the next generation systems were released and EA ported Road Rash to the much more powerful 3DO. They couldn’t have chosen a better game to upgrade to 32-bit. It really showed off the power of the 3DO.
If you have never heard of Road Rash, it is kind of like a cross between Burnout and Renegade. Basically you race your motorcycle through the streets at blazing speeds all the while causing chaos with chains, pipes, and cattle prods. The bike racing is very well executed, and is a worthy successor to Burnout. The fighting element adds a whole new dimension to the game, so you are not just trying to master the tracks. There are plenty of targets including other bikers, and pedestrians.
The graphics look surprisingly good even by today’s standards. Sure, they are not as detailed as Grand Turismo 4, but they do not have that blocky appearance of early polygon games like Virtua Racing. Most importantly, the animation is flicker free, and presented at blazing speed. The game play is, of course, excellent. The controls are very responsive, and who can get tired of racing through town and whacking other people with pipes. So if you want the ultimate Road Rash experience, dig out the old 3DO and pick up a copy of this classic game.
