A beat-em-up on motorbikes is a simple but effective concept – so effective, in fact, that it’s a mystery why EA aren’t on their fiftieth sequel already. Strangely, Road Rash hasn’t seen the light of day in nearly a decade – the series concluded with the dismal RR: Jailbreak for the Playstation and Gameboy back in 1999 and hasn’t been allowed out of the garage since. All Road Rash needs is a lick of 21st century hi-def paint and it’ll be as good as new; with the right developer’s touch, the high-speed fist fights, blunt instruments and dangerous roadside furniture will all seem as fresh as they did in the nineties. The addition of online play would also be a particularly exciting prospect, as would some of the other features we all enjoy in modern racers – plenty of varied courses and bike customisation, for example. Just how good could a Road Rash remake be? Look no further than EA’s own Burnout franchise. The game’s engine already exists – just add motorcycles and a few melee weapons and you’re halfway there. Interestingly, Criterion (Burnout Paradise‘s development team) has given a few tantalising hints that a Road Rash reboot may actually be on the cards. In an interview with IGN.com in February, Criterion’s Craig Sullivan had this response when asked about the possibility of a new Road Rash: It’s little more than a hint, but it’s certainly an encouraging one – there could be programmers in Guildford secretly working on a new Road Rash even as I type this. Let’s hope so. Bring on the cattle prods.
