I often remember the N64 being the best console I ever owned, that isn’t to say that this generation is complete shit, but it lacks that certain pizzaz that we had back in the days of the Playstation 1, the N64, and the Sega Dreamcast (rest in peace). I often also find myself remembering back to some of the great games that I really enjoyed when I had owned an N64. This is one of those rememberances.

Racing games nowadays seem to be more about who can be more realistic in terms of car dynamics and have the best graphics. What ever happened to games like Carmaggedon, Twisted Metal, Star Wars Episode 1: Pod Racer, and Extreme G. Shoot, what ever happened to games like Road Rash? Road Rash was probably one of the best experiences I had with a racing game because it wasn’t afriad to push the boundaries what’s acceptable.

For example, say you won a race in Road Rash, well it would cut to a scene to you (the rider), getting the girls, getting the respect, getting money.  Feels pretty good to see it. Let’s say you lost, well then you get a nice little cutscene of everyone booing you, girls rejecting you, and guys… well beating the shit out of you. Which gives you the incentive of “well I don’t want that to happen, so I better try harder”. Even better than those cutscenes, are the scenes when you are captured by the police, which shows them apprehending you by.. any means necessary, and there was one scene where they set a dog on you, and you start getting mauled. These cutscenes are all done in live action, which makes the experience much more enjoyable. There was no load time for cutscenes, there were no graphical glitches, and the best part is that they entertaining.

The design alone in Road Rash was astrouding, but the game played really well and the dynamics were fun. It was your typical motorcycle racing game, only with the police on your tail, and other cyclists with chains swinging them at you. Remember Need for Speed: Most Wanted? Forget that, Road Rash had the idea way before any of them.

Nowadays there is no real isentive for racing games other than “well I want to win”. If you lose a race then nothing happens, you can try again, ladyda, life is all happy sunshine. Recently I was playing Burnout Paradise, and though I regard it as probably the best racing game I’ve played, I have to say that it falls under the same flaws. Racing is a competitive sport, winning races should bring respect, losing races should bring humiliation. It would be nice to add some personality to the racing genre instead of the same old, win race, beat game, flavour that we’ve been having.