Road Rash
From Sega Retro
- For the Sega Mega-CD game, see Road Rash (Mega-CD). For the Sega Saturn game, see Road Rash (Saturn).
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| System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Developer: Electronic Arts
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| Genre: Action[1], Racing[2][3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Road Rash (ロードラッシュ) is the first game in the Road Rash series of motorcycle racing games developed by Electronic Arts. Originally released for the Sega Mega Drive in 1991, it was subsequently ported to other consoles, including the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear.
Contents
Gameplay
Mega Drive version
In Road Rash, the player controls a motorcycle racer and competes in illegal street races in California, where competitors are given free will to deliberately injure competitors to get to first place. The player can choose from five courses and must finish in fourth place or higher among fourteen other racers. The bike steers with 
and 
. It accelerates with 
and brakes with 
. The racer can attack neighboring opponents with 
. Some opponents wield clubs, which can be taken and used by the racer if the opponent is attacked as they are holding the club out to strike. The racer can backhand opponents with 
+ or kick them with 
+.
The racer begins the game with $1,000 and earns cash prizes for each successful race. After a race, the player is shown a results screen from which the player can select another course to play with START or access a shop with . The shop allows the player to use prize winnings to purchase several bikes of differing weights, speeds and steering capabilities. The player receives a password at the end of a successful race for continuing. The player advances to the next level after winning a race (by finishing in fourth place or better) on all five of the game's courses. Higher levels have longer versions of the same courses and faster, more aggressive opponents. The player wins the game by winning a race on each track in all five levels.
Race courses are littered with everything from hills to traffic to roadside obstacles that can hurt a competitor or the player, and since the races run in real time, crashing is costly. The racer is ejected from the bike after a crash or if the racer runs out of stamina (shown in the bottom-left corner of the screen) from fights with opponents. In this event, the racer automatically runs back toward the bike, though the player can alter their course and avoid incoming traffic with and or stand still by holding . Stamina recovers over time. Opponents are likewise ejected from their bikes if their own stamina is depleted (shown in the bottom-right corner of the screen).
The bike has its own "damage meter" between the racer's and opponents' stamina meters, which decreases every time the racer suffers a crash. The bike is wrecked if the meter fully depletes, which ends the player's participation in the current race and deducts the cost of a repair bill from the racer's balance. Motor officers make sporadic appearances throughout the game's tracks, which can also end the player's participation if they apprehend the racer following a crash, also deducting the cost of a fine from their balance. If the racer lacks the funds to cover either a repair bill or a fine, the game ends.
The game has two-player mode where the players take turns but no simultaneous two-player mode.
Bikes
Courses
The game has five levels, each containing longer and more dangerous versions of the same courses.
| Sierra Nevada | |
|---|---|
| Pacific Coast | |
| Redwood Forest | |
| Palm Desert | |
| Grass Valley | |
Master System and Game Gear versions
The 8-bit versions of the game are very similar to the Mega Drive version, with the same rules, bikes, and courses. The bike is steered with and and accelerates with 
. There is no dedicated brake button, but the bike decelerates quickly if the player presses after letting off the accelerator. The racer punches with 
and kicks with +. The player visits the bike shop after every race (rather than having to press a particular button to enter it, as in the Mega Drive version).
The Master System version retains the alternating two-player mode, but the Game Gear version is solely single-player.
Bikes
Courses
The game has five levels, each containing longer and more dangerous versions of the same courses.
| Sierra Nevada | |
|---|---|
| Pacific Coast | |
| Redwood Forest | |
| Palm Desert | |
| Grass Valley | |
History
Legacy
The game inspired a series and was followed by further installments for various platforms, including Road Rash II and Road Rash 3: Tour De Force for the Mega Drive.
All three of the Mega Drive Road Rash games were re-released for the PlayStation Portable as part of the EA Replay compilation in 2006.
Versions
The Master System version of Road Rash retains the vast majority of content over its Mega Drive counterpart, though most of the graphics were re-drawn for the smaller resolution and fewer colours given by the hardware. On the Master System, the top speed is lowered, and much of the road-side scenery has been removed, and there appears to be fewer racers on the track at any given time. While the track layouts are broadly the same, hills are less pronounced on the Master System, and take longer to complete due to the aforementioned speed issues.
All digitised sound has been removed, as has the rev counter in the HUD. The Game Gear port is much the same as the Master System conversion, but has to reduce the size of its HUD further in order to fit all important details onto the screen. This also means less of the road is visible to the player.
Production credits
Mega Drive version
- Programmers: Dan Geisler, Walter Stein
- Art: Arthur Koch, Jeff Fennel, Sheryl Knowles, Cynthia Hamilton, Connie Braat, Paul Vernon, Peggy Brennan
- Sound and Music: Rob Hubbard, Mike Bartlow
- Production: Randy Breen
- Technical Direction: Carl Mey
- Production Assistant: Michael Lubuguin
- Producer: Randy Breen
- Programming: Dan Geisler, Walter Stein, Carl Mey
- Art: Arthur Koch, Jeff Fennel, Cynthia Hamilton, Connie Braat, Paul Vernon, Sheryl Knowles, Peggy Brennen
- Technical Director: Carl Mey
- Sounds and Music: Mike Bartlow, Rob Hubbard
- Assistant Producer: Michael Lubuguin
- Product Management: Lesley Mansford
- Package Design: Arias & Saraille
- Package Photography: Robert Fujioka
- Documentation: Andrea Smith
- Documentation Layout: Jennie Maruyama
- Programming Tools: Dominique Philipine, Sefen Hsu
- Testing: Michael Lubuguin, Mike Wallis, Steve Matulac, Marjorie Martin
- Quality Assurance: Steve Barry
Master System and Game Gear versions
- A Conversion By: Gary Priest
- Programming and Graphic Conversion: Gary Priest
- Music and SFX: Krisalis
- Production: Greg Michael, Tony Porter
- Published under license by: U.S.Gold Ltd.
- Licensed by: Sega Enterprises Ltd.
- © 1991, 1993 Electronic Arts Inc.
Magazine articles
- Main article: Road Rash/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
- Main article: Road Rash/Promotional material.
Physical scans
Mega Drive version
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Master System version
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Game Gear version
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| Based on 14 reviews | |
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Technical information
- Main article: Road Rash/Technical information.
References
- ↑ File:RoadRash GG EU Box Back.jpg
- ↑ File:Roadrash md jp cover.jpg
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software_l.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-07-02 23:21)
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "December 1992" (JP; 1992-11-07), page 15
- ↑ GamePro, "September 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 64
- ↑ https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video/c/CPV6hrGp_d4/m/9EpVhNiDfEcJ
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 GamePro, "January 1992" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 58
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Sega Power, "September 1991" (UK; 1991-08-01), page 16
- ↑ Computer Trade Weekly, "" (UK; 1991-09-16), page 17
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Computer & Video Games, "September 1991" (UK; 1991-08-15), page 30
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 24
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Sega Pro, "Easter 1994" (UK; 1994-03-24), page 10
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 GamePro, "March 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 140
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 3 March 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 44
- ↑ Computer & Video Games, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-15), page 116
- ↑ File:Road Rash MD credits.pdf
- ↑ File:Road Rash MD US Manual.pdf, page 14
- ↑ File:Road Rash GG credits.png
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 190
- ↑ ACE, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-10-08), page 91
- ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Dezember 1991" (DE; 1991-11-15), page 140
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "December 1992" (JP; 1992-11-07), page 31
- ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 133
- ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 171
- ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 353
- ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 10, "" (RU; 2003-10-08), page 149
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 84
- ↑ Famitsu, "1992-11-27" (JP; 1992-11-13), page 41
- ↑ Game Power, "Gennaio 1992" (IT; 199x-xx-xx), page 52
- ↑ Games-X, "26th September-2nd October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-26), page 37
- ↑ Game Zone, "November 1991" (UK; 1991-10-08), page 46
- ↑ Hippon Super, "January 1993" (JP; 1992-12-04), page 83
- ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Diciembre 1991" (ES; 1991-1x-xx), page 40
- ↑ Joypad, "Novembre 1991" (FR; 1991-10-1x), page 38
- ↑ Joystick, "Novembre 1991" (FR; 1991-1x-xx), page 146
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 94
- ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "February 1993" (JP; 1993-01-xx), page 59
- ↑ Mega, "June 1994" (UK; 1994-05-19), page 65
- ↑ Mega Force, "Novembre 1991" (FR; 1991-11-19), page 72
- ↑ MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 80
- ↑ Mean Machines, "September 1991" (UK; 1991-08-29), page 84
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 140
- ↑ Player One, "Octobre 1991" (FR; 1991-xx-xx), page 52
- ↑ Play Time, "2/92" (DE; 1992-01-08), page 93
- ↑ Power Play, "12/91" (DE; 1991-11-13), page 171
- ↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 54
- ↑ Sega Pro, "March 1992" (UK; 1992-02-20), page 63
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 67
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
- ↑ Tilt, "Décembre 1991" (FR; 1991-1x-xx), page 63
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 144
- ↑ User, "Máios 1993" (GR; 1993-0x-xx), page 49
- ↑ Video Games, "4/91" (DE; 1991-12-06), page 33
- ↑ 54.0 54.1 Consoles +, "Avril 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 140
- ↑ Gamers, "März/April 1994" (DE; 1994-03-04), page 64
- ↑ Megablast, "2/94" (DE; 1994-03-30), page 38
- ↑ 57.0 57.1 Mega Fun, "05/94" (DE; 1994-04-20), page 116
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "March 1994" (UK; 1994-01-28), page 64
- ↑ Player One, "Mai 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 108
- ↑ 60.0 60.1 Play Time, "6/94" (DE; 1994-05-04), page 134
- ↑ Sega Magazine, "March 1994" (UK; 1994-02-15), page 88
- ↑ Sega Magazine, "June 1994" (UK; 1994-05-15), page 96
- ↑ 63.0 63.1 Sega Power, "April 1994" (UK; 1994-03-03), page 46
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1994" (UK; 1994-02-24), page 62
- ↑ Sonic the Comic, "April 29th 1994" (UK; 1994-04-16), page 10
- ↑ Todo Sega, "Abril 1994" (ES; 1994-0x-xx), page 66
- ↑ 67.0 67.1 Video Games, "6/94" (DE; 1994-05-25), page 111
- ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "August 1994" (DE; 1994-07-04), page 113
- ↑ Gamers, "Mai/Juni 1994" (DE; 1994-05-06), page 46
- ↑ Mega Force, "Février 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 120
- ↑ Player One, "Avril 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 102
- ↑ Sega Zone, "March 1994" (UK; 1994-02-24), page 64
- ↑ Sonic the Comic, "April 29th 1994" (UK; 1994-04-16), page 10
- ↑ VideoGames, "February 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 86
| Road Rash | |
|---|---|
|
Main page | Comparisons | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Video coverage | Reception | Promotional material | Region coding | Technical information | Bootlegs | |
| Road Rash games for Sega systems | |
|---|---|
|
Road Rash (1991) | Road Rash II (1992) | Road Rash 3: Tour De Force (1995) |
|
Road Rash (1994) |
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Road Rash (1994) |
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Road Rash (1995) |
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Road Rash (1996) |
| Related games | |
|
Skitchin' (1994) | Face Plant (unreleased) |
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