zacefron171
01-10-2010, 08:58 PM
[UG] Road Rash (PC)
http://shinlist.com/data/images/games/84/184_0.jpg
Platform: PC
Category: Racing
Publisher: EA Games
Release: 1996/09/30
Size: 26.8 MB
Road Rash has long been a favorite among those gamers with a penchant for
blood and speed. Originally released for the Sega Genesis earlier, the first
version sported unprecedented graphics and action that was fast enough to give
the player a real adrenaline rush. No other motorcycle game before Road Rash had
been this realistic, and certainly none had incorporated combat. Each of RR's
many incarnations since has offered graphic improvements upon the original and
has taken advantage of the varied platforms' power, but all have failed to be as
inspiring as they could have been. Until recently, the game lacked a critical
competitive element; after all, it's really not much fun to wail on a fellow
"rasher" with a chain if you know they're just part of the game. If that
"rasher" is being controlled by your roommate or your girlfriend, however, the
action takes on a whole new dimension. With the new Windows 95 version of Road
Rash and its eight-player capability, the old standard now has the power to
addict.
Over a modem or on a network, players can attempt to blast their real live
opponents off the road or bash their heads in with clubs. Up to eight
human-controlled bikes can be on screen at the same time. This is all handled
pretty efficiently, especially when you consider the speed at which you're
traveling. Latency does pose a problem, though. Imagine you're flying down the
101, with not an obstacle in sight, when suddenly, your modem hiccups. After 10
seconds of frozen screen, you find that you're picking yourself up from a nasty
collision with a large building. Now how did that happen? Not only does this
ruin your race standing, it also slams you back to reality right quick. Flaws
aside, though, multi-player racing does add a lot to the game.
Aside from the multi-player mode, you've seen this "new" version of Road Rash
before. You'll recognize the now-somewhat-outdated soundtrack featuring all your
favorite "who-the-hell-is-that" recording artists like Paw and Hammerbox. (All
right, Soundgarden's in there too - I'll be fair.) Unfortunately, just like all
the other versions of RR, right when you enter the race and want to hear some
head-banging rock, it's replaced by the world's cheesiest General MIDI music. A
little less annoying, but a problem nevertheless, is the fact that EA decided to
use separate .WAV files for the sound effects. The result is what we'll call the
"Out-Of-Sync-Super-8-Projector" effect. Picture yourself smacking into the
grille of an oncoming pickup only to hear yourself grunt in pain a full second
later. Pretty annoying, especially if you've played the more efficient
PlayStation version of RR.
Frankly, there are some changes that could and should have been made between
the 3DO version (released over two years ago) and this "all-new" one. Sure,
they've souped up the graphics for super-nifty Direct Draw 2 and there's
virtually no load time from main menu to race time, but what about the gameplay?
The relatively recent Road Rash 3 for Genesis had new weapons and tracks. Not so
here - the characters, bikes, weapons, and tracks in this version appear to be
identical to the 3DO version, and that's the biggest problem with the game. Why
not incorporate at least a few of the changes made in Road Rash 3 into the
Windows title and give gamers the most up-to-date release available?
The only other flaws aren't really problems of the game, but of the Windows
95 OS itself. For some reason, it's kind of hard to control a speeding crotch
rocket using just two keys on a keyboard. This holds especially true when
Windows spontaneously decides its key buffer is full, beeps loudly, and locks,
thereby leaving you out of control for a few seconds. It's not quite as annoying
as the screen lag problem, but can still ruin your game.
Quirks aside, Road Rash's ride-and-bludgeon formula still works, and it's
still quite a game. If you have the ability to play it over a network, it's one
of the coolest experiences available, especially if you're familiar with the
original title. Words just cannot describe the warm feeling you get when you
realize that those aren't just computer drones you're thrashing, but people who
up until recently were your friends. If you don't have a network, or you're
short on friends, you'll probably be disappointed with this one. When it comes
to one-player Road Rashing, even the jerky 3DO version is better.
By Mark East
http://ugotfile.com/file/65674/Road Rash (2008) (PC).rar?rid=50545
http://shinlist.com/data/images/games/84/184_0.jpg
Platform: PC
Category: Racing
Publisher: EA Games
Release: 1996/09/30
Size: 26.8 MB
Road Rash has long been a favorite among those gamers with a penchant for
blood and speed. Originally released for the Sega Genesis earlier, the first
version sported unprecedented graphics and action that was fast enough to give
the player a real adrenaline rush. No other motorcycle game before Road Rash had
been this realistic, and certainly none had incorporated combat. Each of RR's
many incarnations since has offered graphic improvements upon the original and
has taken advantage of the varied platforms' power, but all have failed to be as
inspiring as they could have been. Until recently, the game lacked a critical
competitive element; after all, it's really not much fun to wail on a fellow
"rasher" with a chain if you know they're just part of the game. If that
"rasher" is being controlled by your roommate or your girlfriend, however, the
action takes on a whole new dimension. With the new Windows 95 version of Road
Rash and its eight-player capability, the old standard now has the power to
addict.
Over a modem or on a network, players can attempt to blast their real live
opponents off the road or bash their heads in with clubs. Up to eight
human-controlled bikes can be on screen at the same time. This is all handled
pretty efficiently, especially when you consider the speed at which you're
traveling. Latency does pose a problem, though. Imagine you're flying down the
101, with not an obstacle in sight, when suddenly, your modem hiccups. After 10
seconds of frozen screen, you find that you're picking yourself up from a nasty
collision with a large building. Now how did that happen? Not only does this
ruin your race standing, it also slams you back to reality right quick. Flaws
aside, though, multi-player racing does add a lot to the game.
Aside from the multi-player mode, you've seen this "new" version of Road Rash
before. You'll recognize the now-somewhat-outdated soundtrack featuring all your
favorite "who-the-hell-is-that" recording artists like Paw and Hammerbox. (All
right, Soundgarden's in there too - I'll be fair.) Unfortunately, just like all
the other versions of RR, right when you enter the race and want to hear some
head-banging rock, it's replaced by the world's cheesiest General MIDI music. A
little less annoying, but a problem nevertheless, is the fact that EA decided to
use separate .WAV files for the sound effects. The result is what we'll call the
"Out-Of-Sync-Super-8-Projector" effect. Picture yourself smacking into the
grille of an oncoming pickup only to hear yourself grunt in pain a full second
later. Pretty annoying, especially if you've played the more efficient
PlayStation version of RR.
Frankly, there are some changes that could and should have been made between
the 3DO version (released over two years ago) and this "all-new" one. Sure,
they've souped up the graphics for super-nifty Direct Draw 2 and there's
virtually no load time from main menu to race time, but what about the gameplay?
The relatively recent Road Rash 3 for Genesis had new weapons and tracks. Not so
here - the characters, bikes, weapons, and tracks in this version appear to be
identical to the 3DO version, and that's the biggest problem with the game. Why
not incorporate at least a few of the changes made in Road Rash 3 into the
Windows title and give gamers the most up-to-date release available?
The only other flaws aren't really problems of the game, but of the Windows
95 OS itself. For some reason, it's kind of hard to control a speeding crotch
rocket using just two keys on a keyboard. This holds especially true when
Windows spontaneously decides its key buffer is full, beeps loudly, and locks,
thereby leaving you out of control for a few seconds. It's not quite as annoying
as the screen lag problem, but can still ruin your game.
Quirks aside, Road Rash's ride-and-bludgeon formula still works, and it's
still quite a game. If you have the ability to play it over a network, it's one
of the coolest experiences available, especially if you're familiar with the
original title. Words just cannot describe the warm feeling you get when you
realize that those aren't just computer drones you're thrashing, but people who
up until recently were your friends. If you don't have a network, or you're
short on friends, you'll probably be disappointed with this one. When it comes
to one-player Road Rashing, even the jerky 3DO version is better.
By Mark East
http://ugotfile.com/file/65674/Road Rash (2008) (PC).rar?rid=50545