Road Rash 3, or Road Rash 3: Tour de Force, is a classic motorcycle racing and vehicular-combat game for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive in 1995. This is the last Road Rash game that was released for the Genesis. It was developed by Monkey Do Productions and published by Electronic Arts.
Taking the formula from the earlier Road Rash titles, the game expands it into a worldwide motorcycle racing experience. Whereas earlier iterations of Road Rash focused on racing on American roads, Road Rash 3 introduces players to tracks inspired by Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Australia, and Japan.
The basic premise is simple: race motorcycles at high speed, avoid traffic and roadside obstacles, beat off rival riders, make money, upgrade your bike and progress through increasingly difficult races.
What sets Road Rash 3 apart from other racing games is its combat system. Riders can punch, kick, steal weapons and use weapons on opponents, all while trying to keep control of their motorcycle. The game features a variety of weapons, and players are allowed to carry more than one weapon from race to race.
Road Rash 3 remains one of the most recognizable 16-bit era motorcycle games. It features arcade-style racing, aggressive opponents, run-ins with the police, traffic, bike upgrades and two-player support.
Key Features
Multiplayer
Single Player
Co-op
Offline
Controller Support
Story Mode
Story
Road Rash 3 has no real story to it with long cutscene sequences or the characters taking the lead in chapters. Instead, the game is based on the advancement of a career in underground motorcycle racing.
The player has entered into a series of illegal motorcycle races around the world after the previous Road Rash games. The goal is to progress through increasingly challenging contests and assert dominance over opposing riders.
Winning races earns you money which you can spend on upgrades to your motorcycle. The more competitive it gets, the more important it is to have a better bike and better equipment.”
The game’s identity is heavily tied to its global setting. The player races in different environments representing locations around the world, rather than being confined to one regional road network.
This structure gives Road Rash 3 a sense of progression without resorting to a conventional story. Your career, bike, money, opponents and performance during the race become the story pretty much.
Gameplay
Road Rash 3 combines motorcycle combat and arcade racing. You’re always trying to balance a lot of goals: stay on the road, avoid obstacles, keep your speed up, fight off rival riders, and cross the finish line before anyone else.
The game has a single-player and two-player modes, with the latter allowing for local competition.
Fast Bike Racer
The races take place on public roads and not on traditional closed circuits. This means traffic, intersections, curves, roadside objects and other hazards can show up during a race.
“Speed management is a big part because the road can go up and down. If a rider is only thinking about how fast he can accelerate, he can easily lose control or run into something.
Motorbike Combat:
The defining feature of Road Rash 3 is combat.
If another rider gets close, you can hit them with punches or kicks. You can also use weapons to tire an opponent out.
The original manual lists a variety of combat actions: punching, backhand attacks, kicks, stealing weapons, and using weapons on nearby racers.
Knock a rival off their motorbike and you buy yourself valuable time to build a lead.
Arms
Road Rash 3 has a much expanded weapon system.
The game contains weapons like:
Chain Clubs
Nunchucks
Crowbar Mace Cattleprod Oilcan
Some weapons have limited use so timing is key. The game also includes multiple weapons that can be carried and exchanged between during races.
Bike Updates
Win races, get the money to upgrade your bike.
Road Rash 3 features 15 motorcycles and a variety of upgrades for each.
The challenge gets harder and you can upgrade your bike to be more competitive. A bike that feels okay early in races can struggle badly against faster opposition later on in the game.
Nitro
Some motorcycles can be fitted with nitrous.
Nitro provides an additional burst of acceleration for a short time, handy when overtaking or catching up with a rider.
The Genesis manual states that nitrous is activated by tapping the acceleration button twice rapidly and holding it.
Race Sites
One of the biggest additions to Road Rash 3 is the world-wide setting for racing.
There are seven major regional environments in the game,
Brazil United Kingdom Germany Italy Kenya Australia Japan
They provide visual variety and different road environments.
For example, Japanese stages can feature night-time cityscapes, while Australia and Kenya have very different settings.
The variety helps keep the campaign from feeling like one road repeated with different opponents.
Opponents & Traffic
The danger is not just from other racers.
Road Rash 3 has normal vehicles on the roads so you have to bear in mind the traffic and coping with rival bikers at the same time.
Cars will pop up in front of you or change lanes abruptly. That is why positioning is important, especially when traveling at high speeds.
Then you have to deal with other riders trying to attack you. Races can change pretty quickly as well. One minute you're in a nice lead and then you hit a rider or the traffic and go down.