Electronic Arts' returns with another deadly round of motorcycle action. Does the sequel hold up to the original? Read our full review and see!
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Electronic Arts' returns with another deadly round of motorcycle action. Does the sequel hold up to the original? Read our full review and see!
Quite ambitious this game, isn't it?
But despite some technical quibbles like the music slowing down in the menus and the very separate issue of the game itself running at about 5 frames a second, it manages to pull it off.
After your mind has filled in the blanks left by the jerky frame rate, you'll find the actual racing/collision physics are deeper than other 16-bit racers, couple that with the responsive bike-to-bike violence and a strong and interesting AI, this is a compelling game.
The frame rate cap was a trade off, the tracks and racing physics seem more complex than others on the system and I'd argue it's usually a better game for it.
So far, this and Road Blasters have been the racers of choice on MD for me. I'm afraid I can't seem to get into Outrun for whatever reason:|
Thoughts on this series?
its a choppy play but once you get accustomed to it, the game's a blast.
One of the greatest racing games on the Mega Drive in my opinion, topped only in the gameplay stakes by perhaps Codemasters Micro Machines games. EA got everything perfect in this sequel to an already damn good racing game. Great music, great bikes, great biker-to-biker fights, great courses, a brilliant two player mode and the cops fight back!
I like the first Road Rash better than the second, especially for the music and because the tracks are more 'clean' ( tracks on RRII have too much stuff on the side road, which combined with the low frame rate makes the game less enjoyable and playable IMO ).
Road Rash and Mortal Kombat falls in a same category for me today: i had a tons of fun playing them back in the day, but today i have a much more casual approach to them. They're still fun to play every once in a while, but i don't find the motivation to go hardcore on them anymore, like i do with the vast majority of games that i play. This reminds me that i still need to give Road Rash III a decent playtrough.
Regarding the MD racing menu, OutRun, OutRun 2019 and Virtua Racing are currently my favorite picks.
I agree, and the split-screen two-player mode is an OK addition but not as enjoyable as the main game due to the smooshed screen. The game is just too busy and the screen objects too hard to make out to work in the thumbnail display. I just don't see Road Rash 2 and 3 as offering enough to warrant their releases.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bottino
I bought Road Rash II when it was first released and had a blast with it, including the 2p mode. After a while I found myself going back to the original for the exact reasons mentioned above; the music and the less-busy track design. After II I was hyped for the sequels and opted to buy Road Rash for Sega CD rather than the cart version of III, foolishly thinking EA would use all the whiz-bang scaling of the CD hardware. Instead I was greeted by a dull poopy brown and grey mess that was inferior in every aspect to the original cart version. Well, unless you consider AM radio quality streamed early 90's alternative rock as a plus.
One thing I really find interesting about RRII was due to the way the game engine was programmed you can use Game Genie codes for basically an unlimited number of custom tracks. If I knew that 20 years ago no doubt I'd have shit my pants.
I haven't ever played the original Road Rash, I had II as a kid and that's the one I reacquired as an adult. I've never tried III either, or CD.
Interesting that people prefer part I on account of the less busy track design, I wasn't aware of that. Nor was I aware of the Game Genie thing. Agreed that the 2 player mode doesn't match the main game though.
It's funny they went to all the trouble of creating a scaling engine in software for the original games and then presented with the chance to use the hardware of the Mega CD just flat-out ignored it. A wasted opportunity for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Azathoth
And yeah, music with lyrics in a video game is a definite no-no as far as I'm concerned.
Especially if it's Soundgarden or whoever they used.
The music in Road Rash for the 3DO is awesome, i'd take Soundgarden and shit over the music in the Genesis games any day.
What I'm saying is that even if Soundgarden where my favourite band of all time, having to listen to the same song over and over again in a video game that's meant to be compulsively played would end up driving me crazy.
Just the instrumental versions of the songs would work better I reckon.
Road Rash II is absolutely one of my favourite Mega Drive games (which is saying something), I loved both this and the first game. Just so enjoyable and fun. I haven't connected my Mega Drive in a long time but when I do again, this will be one of the first games I play.
So am I really the only one who prefers the music in Road Rash II to the original (and the third installment for that matter)?
Nope, you're not the only one, I like the music better in II then in the original or III.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mega Drive Bowlsey
I also like II better then the first or third game.
It's pitiful how this thread generated so few responses. Road Rash II is so satisfactory, so edifying, I love returning to it. Framerate issues? Pah, 60 fps is for pansies. I don't know what it is about this game, but I could play all night, just me, it, whatever I'm drinking that night, and an amazing time.
The music in Road Rash I & II is good, dunno what went on with III but the music in that game is awful.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mega Drive Bowlsey
Haha! Yeah the music in Road Rash 3 strays into nails on a blackboard territory I gotta say. Whenever I play the third game, which is extremely playable in it's defense, I mute the music!Quote:
Originally Posted by Gogogadget
ROAD RASH 3 MUSIC ROCKS!!! :rock:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9RzIgNKSDk
The composition is good, the actual instrument choices sound like distorted farts.Quote:
Originally Posted by LinkueiBR
best distorted farts i ever heard :rock:Quote:
Originally Posted by Gogogadget
Road Rash 3 wins in every category for me in comparison to 1 and 2. Graphics, game play, music, sound and extras. Skitchin and Road Rash 3 are just so damn Genesis and should be in every argument for why the system is different/better then Snes.
Road Rash I & II have a nice emphasis on bass and drums, giving depth and heaviness to the music. The guitar really sounds loud and distorted, and rock guitars are usually distorted (though not always sounds like farts as in those games...).Quote:
Originally Posted by Mega Drive Bowlsey
Road Rash II, while using the same engine from RR I, has a bit lower quality compositions, but still sounded great.
Road Rash III has tiny bass & drums and somewhat better guitars sounds, while the song compositions are a mixed bag.
I love most things about Road Rash 3, the only thing I don't like is the music. Road Rash II for me was the pinnacle in terms of the franchise's music. I could listen to the title screen music for hours. What a beat!
Prelimary variations post. This game was released with these differences.
Cases
1. Plastic case with Electronic Arts logo stamping. Cart holder can hold either the large EA or standard Genesis cart.
2. Cardboard box with spot for cart (Majesco)
3. Cardboard slipcover box (Majesco)
Art inserts (plastic case only)
1. Normal art
2. with "Head to Head" label
*** unlike other games, there are different cuts to the artwork that trim off the edges, but there doesn't seem to be more than 1 style of case.
Carts
1. EA large cart Made in Taiwan
2. EA large cart Assembled in USA
3. regular cart, Sega Assembled in Mexico (with some variation to patents stamps)
4. regualr cart, Assembled in Mexico black label
Manuals
1. Color Manual (in plastic case releases)
2. Grayscale Manual (in cardboard box releases)
Despite the plastic case being able to hold either cart, it does not seem that it was released with the smaller cart. I can not find any smaller carts that are not made in Mexico.
Here are the valid configurations at this time.
1. Plastic case with either USA or Taiwan EA cart
2. Plastic case with "Head to Head" label and USA EA cart
3. Cardboard box with Sega/Mexico cart
4. Cardboard slipcover box with Sega/Mexico black label cart
I have 2 of the Mexico carts and they have a stamping variation in the Patents text on the cart, but I do not know if that means one of these carts used to have the black label or not.
I like the original Road Rash the best. It has much better music than II and the tracks are better. I can listen to the original Rash music endlessly. I really wanted to like the 2-player mode but the controls are lousy. In 2-player mode, it seems like the controls were made for full screen size rather than half.
More adrenaline-pumping motorbike action with slight enhancements on all the aspects of the game: various bikes to choose between (once you get enough dough to get 'em, of course), better sprites, tracks with more hazards, several extra scalimg effects and humorous cutscenes. I, for one, prefer the music here: Ron Hubbard got more proficient with what sounds like the GEMS engine, and sound effects are WAY better than its predecessor's. What remains are the smooth animation (now with extra hilarious clashes and accidents) and responsive controls.
I love them all to some extent, but RRII is the pinnacle of the series for me.