Electronic Arts hasn’t done much to the gameplay for the GBC version, since it’s still the same as it ever was: race from point A to point B and avoid being caught by the police in the process. What makes Road Rash different form the rest is that making it into first place doesn’t solely rely upon a fast motorcycle; you need to know how to beat the crap out of people, too. The problem is that we’ve done this a million times before, and as funny and entertaining as it was the first time around, by now it has started to become stale.

What’s worse, however, is not that Road Rash is the same as all its previous incarnations, but somewhere along the line, the developers turned Road Rash from a fun brawler to a frustrating bore fest. You start out with a choice between five tracks (Alaska, Tennessee, Vermont, Hawaii and Arizona), a weak motorcycle and $1000. Racing up against 14 other players, you have to work your way to the top slots in order to earn cash that will allow you to purchase a new bike, giving you an opportunity to hit into the more advanced races. The problems come in when the races kick off and other forces start to hinder your – and the other competitors – chances at finishing the race.

Because of how fast-paced Road Rash is, it’s impossible to react in time to avoid a collision with a rock in the middle of the road, or a car passing through an intersection. And once you’re down for the count, other racers are relentless enough to run you over, usually long enough for a cop to casually roll by and slap a ticket on you, thus making you lose $250, in addition to a chance at winning the race. You won’t lose a race through lack of skill, but because it’s impossible to predict what’s coming up the road.

In recent months, GBC developers have been perfecting a behind the car perspective for racing titles, where the road and sides dynamically change as the vehicle moves forward. Think of Sega’s Outrun, and you have a good idea of what to expect. The advantage to this style of play is that the road can move up and down, giving a much more realistic sense of riding on a rugged outdoor terrain that isn’t restricted in its movement. Compared to the overhead perspective that most other racers churn out, this style is perfect for the Road Rash style of gameplay, though it can become slightly repetitive; the setting doesn’t change much from the start of the race to the finish line.

EA continues to churn out more Road Rash titles, but each time they’re becoming progressively worse, and even though the GBC version looks great, its difficult gameplay makes it hard to find as enjoyable as the originals.