Is it time for a ‘Rash decision’ regarding the EA classic?

Without meaning to patronise all of my wonderful readers, I want to start by assuming that not many of you will know of or even remember EA’s violent racing game that stormed onto Sega Mega Drives in 1991. This soon-to-be classic featured a fancy combination of motorbikes and a variety of handheld weaponry that imbued the racing with a rich and amazing sub-plot which focused on beating the living daylights out of any nearby opponents, regardless of whether you were first or last. Whilst I remember this game fondly, it would not have sprung to mind at this moment in time had I not received a bit of outside intervention…

I was in the unusually sunny city of Edinburgh recently, whilst volunteering for a corporation that I won’t name out of respect, and I was working on a masterclass with one of my current TV heroes Charlie Brooker in front of roughly 300 people. During the talk the Dead Set and Black Mirror creator somehow meandered the conversation to the point where he exclaimed that our beloved Road Rash should be remade. Instantly I thought that this could be some sort of moral crusade for me and any interested GameNTrain chaps (readers, staff or otherwise) to embark upon! Granted, some of you will not have the foggiest idea what Road Rash is but this is where I come in. Like the Pied Piper of GameNTrain, I will lead my team of rats (pretty bad analogy, I know) right up to the doors of the EA HQ and demand that they remake Road Rash! Or, more likely, send them an email or two and politely ask them if they’ve considered bringing it out for the next generation of gaming consoles…

If you’ve played the game then you’ll probably remember it fondly with the same warm, fuzzy glow that I get whenever I cast my mind back. If not then you’ll probably need some convincing. Road Rash offered a beautiful combination of competitive racing and violent melee combat with the added vintage spice of amazingly pixellated graphics. The gameplay was fun, brutal and addictive and, disregarding the subsequent Road Rash sequels, is the only of its kind that I can think of. Should EA grant Road Rash the luxury of a new lick of paint, we could quite possibly be treated to this delightful motorbike mayhem once again. Throw in one or two new game modes to compliment the classic racing mode from the original game, maybe even a dash of character/bike customisation here and there, and we could see a very welcome addition to the Xbox Live Marketplace or PlayStation Network.

Let me know what you think folks: Should Road Rash be remade and just who shall we start pestering?

Toodle pip!