Road Rash: Jailbreak: Information from Answers.com

Release Date: February 01, 2000
Genre: Racing
Style: Demolition/Combat
Similar Games: Moto Racer (PlayStation), Road Rash (PlayStation), Road Rash 3D (PlayStation)

Game Description

The Road Rash series continues with an all new chapter of intense motorcycle combat and racing action. In Road Rash: Jail Break it's up to you to bust the toughest rasher of all time, Spaz, out of jail! To accomplish this, you'll have to join a motorcycle gang and move up through the ranks by succeeding at a variety of challenges and winning races.

You also have the option of playing on the right side of the law in Five-O mode, where you are a police officer out to bust suspects and fill your rasher quota.

Five all new multi-player modes have been added for intense competition. Try the unique sidecar mode where one player drives and the rider fights off all other challengers; race your friends for bragging rights in Skull-to-Skull; or try Cops and Robbers, where one player assumes the role of the cop, the other his target. Add in a Multi Tap to the SideCar mode and take on a pair of friends!

With 45 outrageous Attack Combos and Super Moves, hi-octane combat plays a large role in winning the game. Eleven weapons are available, including nunchukas, crowbars, mace and even a cattle prod.

Other features of the game include over 80 miles of interconnected roads, over 100 different races, 15 new bikes, six types of sidecars and a new soundtrack featuring top emerging talent from the Road Rash Band Search. Bands from all over the United States include Turd, Vice, The Blacklight Posterboys, The Suburban Vamps and Chevelle.

Road Rash: Jailbreak delivers classic Road Rash action, but with updated graphics and a whole new sound. As well, the Dual Shock Analog Controller is supported for increased realism.

~ Tara Hernandez, All Game Guide

Roots & Influences

Road Rash debuted on the Genesis platform in 1991, and its success helped spawn sequels and establish a franchise that would eventually find its way onto the Game Gear, 3DO, Sega CD and PlayStation (as of 1999). Electronic Arts' motorcycle series combined fast, arcade-style driving with the ability to knock your competition off their bikes. Road Rash 64 is notable for being the first game in the series to appear on a Nintendo platform other than the Game Boy.

~ Tara Hernandez, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

Road Rash: Jailbreak is the third Road Rash title for the PlayStation. Two groups of Road Rash players are likely to be pleased with the latest installment: those hoping for multiplayer action, and those who just couldn't get enough of the same old Rashin'. On the other hand, if you were hoping for something else new from the series, you may find Road Rash: Jailbreak to be a disappointment.

For those who are not familiar with the series, here is a basic summary of how Rashin' works: join a gang, climb on a loud and powerful motorcycle, be one of the first riders to get from point A to point B, don't get caught by the cops, and don't let one of the other Rashers knock you off your bike. For long time fans of the series, this probably sounds very familiar.

There are four main play modes: Jailbreak, Five-O, Time Trial, and Multiplayer. In Jailbreak mode, you join one of two gangs trying to break a biker out of jail. By winning a series of races you advance in rank in your gang and ultimately lead a jailbreak. Lots of straight up racing and fighting in this mode. The gangs are differentiated by the types of bikes they ride. The DeSades perfer classic cruisers while the Kaffe Boys use sport bikes.

In Five-O mode you play a motorcycle cop out to apprehend a gang member. You win each mission by either capturing a certain number of bikers (your "quota") or by capturing a named warrant suspect. Unlike the Jailbreak mode, there is no emphasis on racing here, but you do have a limited amount of time to accomplish your mission.

Multiplayer mode offers four ways to play: Skull-to-Skull, Cops & Robbers, Side Car Co-Op, and Side Car Vs. The basic theme: jump on the bike of your choice and go Rashin' with your friends. Skull-to-Skull is a classic two-player deathmatch style race, the object being to reach the finish line first. Cops & Robbers, also for two-players, is the multiplayer version of Five-O with one of the players controlling the fugitive and the other controlling the office. Side Car Co-Op allows you and a friend to team up in a single vehicle. The driver controls the bike and can fight on one side while the side car's passenger fights with other bikes. Finally, in Side Car Vs., four players can duke it out (paired into two teams.)

Yes, the game play is as fun as it sounds. If you haven't had your fill of Rashin' from prior games in the series, no doubt you'll enjoy this one. But those gamers expecting something other than the "same old Rash" may find Road Rash: Jailbreak a little bit too much like its predecessors. From the graphics to the sound to the majority of the gameplay, it all boils down to another set of missions for Road Rash 3D.