20 Things Only 30-Something Gamers Will Understand
12. Road Rage Was Acceptable
Before EA struck gold with its FIFA, NFL and NBA titles they were a little more... Violent.
The Mega Drive's Road Rash title pre-dated the vehicular violence later to be seen in Grand Theft Auto by some ten years. It allowed motorbike riders to punch, kick, run over and maim other road users in the race to finish first.
As gamers fought their way to the front in illegal street races it soon became clear that, just like Outrun, the Californian mountains and cityscapes weren't getting any closer but that didn't matter.
Definitely these brutal, leather-clad actions never spilled over into real life although once or twice you can bet bikers thought about it for a second every time they met a Rex, Rhonda, Axel or Cydney.
The first Road Rash game was a SEGA exclusive with rumours of a SNES port but it never materialised, presumably because debilitating your fellow rider with a pair of nunchucks or a crowbar went against Nintendo's more wholesome family values, although a GameBoy version later surfaced.
Brutality and aggressiveness were actively encouraged which is perhaps why Road Rash is the era-defining 16-bit title.