Road Rash 64 - Nintendo 64

The game lacks much visual detail, but that lack allows a frame rate that never slows down, even when 10 or more bikers are on the road, hacking at each other and vying for the pole position. Like its ancestors, Road Rash 64 presents two goals--winning road races and abusing other riders, including cops in pursuit. The crashes are spectacular. Sparks fly as bikes scrape along the pavement, and riders perform aerial acrobatics as they fly off their hogs. Text messages also appear onscreen to notify players of who caused whom to crash--a nice touch that is reminiscent of online multiplayer PC games.

The game has two major classes of motorcycles: cruisers that are durable and fast on straightaways, and sport bikes that are aerodynamic and nimble around turns. As players progress through a one-player game, they will be invited to join one of two bike-centric gangs, supplying relative immunity from their brethren during gameplay--unless you hit one of them first!

The multiplayer mode offers a number of different options, including lap races, death match, tag and pedestrian hunting. While the single-player game is pure adrenaline fun, Road Rash 64 with four players is an experience not to be missed.

In addition to thrilling sound effects, Road Rash 64 has some very noisy and very appropriate musical accompaniment from real recording artists such as Sugar Ray and the Mermen. --Jeff Young