Retro Lookback: Road Rash 64

Developer: Pacific Coast Power and Light
Publisher: THQ
Platforms and Release dates (US): September 22, 1999 (Nintendo 64)
Genre: Combat Racing

Road Rash 64 continues the Road Rash series, but instead of EA designing or publishing it, THQ had their own studio develop it. It still retains all the elements of Road Rash.

Road Rash 64 retains similar gameplay to the Genesis games of earlier, you try to win the race while using various weapons to KO the rival racers. The Cops will also join the fray and try to bust you and the other racers. When the Cops bust you or when your bike breaks, you have to pay a fine or repair fee respectively. The goal in the main mode, Big Game, is to place 3rd or higher on each race and earn enough money to buy a better bike to advance to the next level. If you run out of money, it's game over. You still earn money for Combat Bonuses, and the game will give you a brief recap of your actions at the end of each race. If you place too low to qualify, the game will reward you with joke items instead of cash, like a stick of sugarless gum or a pet rock. Unlike the earlier games where each tracks are individual stretches of road, Road Rash 64 features an interconnected road system across an island, with each race taking different routes through the island. The Thrash mode is the quick pick up and play mode where you can play any track you unlock through Big Game. The Multiplayer mode is where the game gets fun. You can play the Multiplayer mode by yourself with the AI or splitscreen with 2 players and AI. You can play the Trash mode, and also a slew of other modes. There are 5 special multiplayer tracks in this mode to make the races more interesting and combat heavy. There is the standard race mode with 1, 3, 5, or 7 Laps on the tracks, a Tag mode where you have to KO the rider who is IT for points, a Deathmatch mode where you try to earn points by completing laps and KOing other riders, and a Ped Hunt mode that takes place on the Thrash courses where you have to hit as many pedestrians as you can. Playing with a 2 player makes Road Rash 64 more fun. You can also unlock 3 additional levels along with the regular bike levels. The Scooter level tones everything down to 70 mph, the Cop Mode has you playing as a Cop to KO all the AI riders, and the Insanity mode which kicks the bikes up to Maximum by going in excess of 300 mph.

The graphics suffer a bit by using lower polygon counts to fit more action on the screen, but they don't look horrible. The music loops the same 2 songs over and over again, and it can get kind of repetitive.

Bottom Line: Road Rash 64 doesn't quite live up to the Genesis games, bit still feels like Road Rash and deserves a Play, especially with a 2nd Player.