N64 Dude, you should totally play Roadsters

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

I'm gonna be honest with y'all: I only ever downloaded this game because I saw it was by Titus - the developers behind that trainwreck known as 'Superman 64' - and I wanted to laugh at yet another dumpster fire...

...But it's actually really good.

As a racing game, it's very competent, and boasts a cool line-up of both licensed and fake cars, really nice environments to race in, track design that's actually reminiscent of that of true classics like 'Need For Speed III', relentlessly competitive AI, and just a nice overall experience.

Hell, I'd even go as far as to say that the only things holding it back from being a must-have are a rather mediocre audio department and the fact that the N64 controller really hinders it (but the game is also on PlayStation, so it's almost a non-issue).

Seriously... Give it a go.

Happy races, dudes!

 

[RageBurner]

The N64 lowkey has some of the most fun racers of the era.

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

The N64 lowkey has some of the most fun racers of the era.

It was the one genre the system could do far better than the competition. It's just too bad it wasn't known for them.

 

[RageBurner]

It was the one genre the system could do far better than the competition. It's just too bad it wasn't known for them.

I had way too much fun with the Cruisin' games and Road Rash 64, let me tell you.

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

I had way too much fun with the Cruisin' games and Road Rash 64, let me tell you.

See? As someone who grew up with Road Rash II & III, 64 felt alien to me - and strangely slow -, but I enjoyed it as its own thing.

 

[RageBurner]

See? As someone who grew up with Road Rash II & III, 64 felt alien to me - and strangely slow -, but I enjoyed it as its own thing.

It is very much a weird, slow, plodding thing, but it's fun in that capacity haha. Doesn't hold a candle to the 16 bit games though, as the PS1 ones also do not, IMO.

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

It is very much a weird, slow, plodding thing, but it's fun in that capacity haha. Doesn't hold a candle to the 16 bit games though, as the PS1 ones also do not, IMO.

Totally.

I think that Road Rash on Genesis had the perfect balance of speed, graphics and gameplay. More powerful machines couldn't do either well because they had to compromise constantly... Can you imagine how poor a reception a 2D sequel would have gotten on N64?

 

[RageBurner]

Totally.

I think that Road Rash on Genesis had the perfect balance of speed, graphics and gameplay. More powerful machines couldn't do either well because they had to compromise constantly... Can you imagine how poor a reception a 2D sequel would have gotten on N64?

And yet, when you consider the likes of Bangai-o and Mischief Makers, it feels like a waste that the N64 didn't have a more balanced library.

 

[sandogma sandogma]

Totally.

I think that Road Rash on Genesis had the perfect balance of speed, graphics and gameplay. More powerful machines couldn't do either well because they had to compromise constantly... Can you imagine how poor a reception a 2D sequel would have gotten on N64?

RR64 was best with friends. The ragdoll physics were hilarious and often made it tempting to try and steer your friends into oncoming traffic with the comedic effect of seeing your friends rider suddenly yeet out from your split screen instantly after colliding with a bus

As for this game, I completely missed out on it but as an N64 racing fan, I think I would have really liked it! I'm kinda surprised I never tried it as a rental back then because I do remember renting Lamborghini 64, which is also a Titus game. If I ever had come across it then it was likely the Titus branding that made me pass on it haha

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

And yet, when you consider the likes of Bangai-o and Mischief Makers, it feels like a waste that the N64 didn't have a more balanced library.

Totally, but the N64's D-Pad is horrible and was clearly an afterthought for them. Most 2D games rely so heavily on it that it would have been ugly.

I think allowing more 2D games in there would have been seen as an admission of defeat for Nintendo after screwing the system with expensive cartridges and weird joysticks just to commit to full 3D experiences.

RR64 was best with friends. The ragdoll physics were hilarious and often made it tempting to try and steer your friends into oncoming traffic with the comedic effect of seeing your friends rider suddenly yeet out from your split screen instantly after colliding with a bus

As for this game, I completely missed out on it but as an N64 racing fan, I think I would have really liked it! I'm kinda surprised I never tried it as a rental back then because I do remember renting Lamborghini 64, which is also a Titus game. If I ever had come across it then it was likely the Titus branding that made me pass on it haha

Ah, yeah... Trolling your friends was the name of the game across this entire franchise XD

And hey, I don't blame you — games were expensive and so were mistakes. Why would you ever consider buying a post Superman 64 release from them?