Huh? There's a race in this game?
Written: Jul 06 '00 (Updated Jul 06 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: wonderful graphics, darn good sound, supreme gameplay overall, lots of variety, fun and exciting
Cons: some minor game issues, possibly the music
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| tag_1234's Full Review: Road Rash for Nintendo 64 |
I was racing around 150 with my hog one day. A fellow racer pulled up and I noticed something flicker. The bolt of electricity from the cattle prod stunned me, I sat there, quivering and unable to control my bike as in careened into oncoming traffic. Apparently semi-truck drivers aren't as nice as they used to be (this guy didn't even slow down). I did a 720 barrel-roll then hit the ground a tiny bit off. My bike continued onward in another direction making all sorts of sparks with the hard concrete surface. I heard a small voice resembling a flight attendant say "Please assume the fetal position; we are preparing for landing". After what would have killed a real man I returned to my bike, reattached several limbs, readied my sledgehammer and prepared for the next battle. Can't do it in life? Hey that's what games are for. Where else can you become a a violent motorcycle racing thug? Bring on the leather baby!
I was as shocked as anyone to learn that the object is actually to finish the race first. I had previously just tried to inflict as much chaos as possible before having to repair my bike (hey it was a lot more fun than this racing stuff!). This game is perfect fusion of a gruntish duel to the death using blunt weapons and a fine graphical motorcycle racing game. You must dodge traffic, avoid being arrested, try to maintain your bike and perhaps even take a few other racers with you.
Graphics
Everything looks smooth and beautiful enough to walk through as if it was a park. Ground textures look like they were rendered for some other beautiful purpose. Everything fits together perfectly. I've seen perhaps 5 of those nasty white lines that show through all too often in other games. Graphic realism was a major stress in this game. Dirt clouds and clods rise as a bike slides away. Sparks flicker as your new paint job is slightly refinished by the cold hard pavement. You're going to like how this one looks!
Sound
What does a motorcycle going 150+ sound like when it hits a mini-van doing 60 in the opposite direction? I honestly don't know but that sounded close enough.
Hitting somebody, smirks, hard landings and almost every other sound is real enough. The game is ment to be a little comical and the comments that the other players make are just great. Engines and tires scream with a vengeance and crashes sound all too close (as they sometimes are).
Music, on the other hand, left something to be desired. On one hand the heavy metal/punk rock sets the mood, on the other hand it really irks me and is pretty far from my normal tastes. The default, however, was so soft that it was hardly noticeable above the general background noises (engines and what not) and fit right in.
Selection
You want weapons? We've got weapons:(please excuse my spelling of some of them)
fists
foot
mace (the blunt spiky kind)
mace (courtesy of DOW chemicals)
tire iron
monkey wrench
metal chain
taser
a long wooden pole
a metal bat
a police baton (*whistle* where did that come from?)
a strange yellow thing I haven't been able to identify
numchucks
a cattle Prod
sledge hammer
Yup, you can take your pick of ways to completely destroy your opponents after you steal the weapons from them (a slow and often painful process).
There are 40 normal tracks (8 per difficulty level) that you can race on after you've gotten to in the campaign mode and five tracks that are considered even harder. With some of the longer tracks being around 15 miles of simulated racing you're never going to run out of ways to play. 5 distinct multiplayer modes also ensure some long lasting fun (you can even turn computer opponents on if you'd like).
Single player is also loads of fun. The improved graphics of full screen and campaign style "Big Game" mode give you something to work towards as you purchase new bikes and even a gang affiliation. You've got to either play this mode or get the level codes from somewhere if you want all of the tracks to be open. The first levels are very easy and near the end frustration sets in as the Fuzz, and other racers really start to take out some bottled anger on you.
My list of gripes
If I knock somebody off I'd think they'd be fairly inconvienced. They, like you, only wait till the bike settles down and then start back up with a good yardage bonus. Before you know it they're back in the pack! In older versions you had to walk back to your bike (watching for traffic of course) and start up. This is a major downer for the game. Crashing will actually benefit a driver occasionally.
If you're ahead of a person they get a speed bonus! This makes keeping the lead almost impossible and makes the game more of a positioning game near the end. On the plus side this insures a very close pack and that there will almost always be somebody to smash.
The unusually good things
One of the best things about this game is the fairness. Opponents follow the same rules as you do, have the same life amount, can be busted by the cops, have to repair if they crash too often, make errors and fight among themselves.
Wrecks look spectacular (provided you're not the victim). Opponents go flying down the highway, bikes strike/trip other riders and recoveries happen enough to make it worth trying and are rare enough to make it an exciting event.
The maps are all linked together. Instead of 40 maps being stored there are 40 starts and 40 finishes. This means that you'll never run into a blank patch of map or have your movement inhibited by invisible walls.
The naming of opponents is just wonderful. How'd you like to meet up with Loink, Cass, Bartholemew, Dumpy (the sad but misguided 8th dwarf), Squane and what seems like an endless supply of others (this was just the most recent race I was in).
My poor self esteem!
This game really isn't one of those positive uplifting types. If you finish last (or even near it) you'll get a gag gift and an applause (much like a poor child who drops a plate in the cafeteria). Wreck and the mechanic will make a sarcastic remark. Get clubbed off your bike and the opponent might send a nice taunt your way. Welcome to bikerland.
In the End..
This one is tons of fun for almost everybody. Its violent, offers tons of unique strategies, can be scaled as far as difficulty goes, looks great, sounds pretty darn good (save the music but that's just my opinion) and plays like a dream. If you don't mind excessive violence in games and enjoy racing even a bit try this game out. It makes a wonderful rental if a friend is over and offers a week or more of play time.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tag_1234
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Member: Jeremy Vancil
Location: Knoxville, TN
Reviews written: 71
Trusted by: 84 members
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