Followup Review: Road Rash (MS) and Road Rash II

Game: Road Rash
Console: Sega Master System
Developer: Electronic Arts
Release Date: 1990

Most of the time, Master System versions of games on the Mega Drive are scaled down graphically, musically and most of all in terms of gameplay. Certain features and effects may be taken away, and overall it tends to leave the game experience feeling lacking. This is not the case for Road Rash however; it seems that this conversion somehow left most, if not all of the fun factor in the game.

Gameplaywise it's pretty much the same as its Mega Drive counterpart; players race against AI opponents in order to win races, and move up in level. Placing 3rd or better effectively 'clears' the race, and once all races are cleared players can move up a level. New bikes can be purchased once enough cash has been earned from placing in races, and these have various handling and speed characteristics.

Compared to games like Hang-On and Outrun, the scrolling effect of the levels is fairly impressive as there are elevation changes as well as changes of direction. In both the Mega Drive and Master System versions the frame rate is noticeably low though this doesn't seem to make it any more difficult to drive.

The only real change I noted between the two versions of the game that I've played is that hitting obstacles on the side of the track in the Master System version doesn't tend to knock the player off their bike very often when compared to the Mega Drive version. This is only a slight change however, as players aren't usually on the sides of the track anyway, and doesn't affect gameplay in any real way.

Graphically the game doesn't seem too different to its Mega Drive counterpart. Of course it's 8-bit instead of 16, but the original version didn't really make too much use of the console's capabilities and thus the Master System does a good job of recreating the scenery. The only area of the game which falls noticeably short of expectations is the music. While there's some interesting scaled down versions of the in-game tracks, it's not really the same.

Overall though Road Rash for the Master System is a brilliant conversion, and one of the most enjoyable racing games for the system. The tracks, scrolling and ability to hit other players places it above titles such as Hang-On and Outrun, and although the game is still limited by the shortcomings of the Mega Drive version, it also has the same fun factor.

Rating: 72/100
Grade: C

Game: Road Rash II
Console: Sega Mega Drive
Developer: Electronic Arts
Release Date: 22nd July 1993

Producing a sequel to a game like Road Rash is not an easy task; there's a certain formula and identity to the games that must be continued, but making something too similar to the original means that there's no real reason for the sequel to exist. Unfortunately Road Rash II is just that; today perhaps it'd be a set of DLC tracks based on locations in America.

The aim and layout of the game remains much the same, with only 5 repeating tracks to race per level; Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Tennessee and Vermont. While the tracks do vary slightly it's not really enough to keep interest in the locations, and there's no defining scenery or track features to be seen either.

The layout of the HUD has changed a little from the first instalment of the series, though it shows basically the exact same information. The stylised rev counter is a nice touch, and it's slightly easier to check on your race position but apart from this there's no real improvements. Graphically the game does look slightly better than Road Rash, but the frame rate remains fairly low and choppy despite not impacting gameplay in any significant way. Musically the game is mixed, featuring a few enjoyable songs, amongst others which stand out as honestly bad.

Overall Road Rash II is more of the same in all but the graphics, which haven't improved enough to warrant a new instalment of the game. If this is your first Road Rash game, or you're a big fan of the series, then you're in for a treat with an enjoyable and fast paced racing game, with violent elements. However if you've played the first game, you may feel as if you've already experienced Road Rash II whilst playing.

Rating: 70/100
Grade: C