 SEGA DRUNK A long while back, I made a video about Road Rash 64, and while I'm not a huge fan of the Nintendo 64, I still to this day have a ton of fun playing that game, to the point that it's probably my favorite game on that console. That, of course, led me to getting into the rest of the Road Rash series, particularly on Sega Genesis, which in turn led me to find Skitchin, and it features the same kind of gameplay you'd expect from the Road Rash series, only on Rollerblades, with a few other mechanics thrown in as well. The word Skitchin refers to hanging onto another vehicle, and hitching a ride while on a bike or a skateboard, or in this case, on Rollerblades. This one was developed by Electronic Arts in 1994, and of course, they also made the Road Rash series, which makes Skitchin a kind of sort of spin-off game. And yeah, just like any Road Rash game, the structure here is really simple. Just beat the crap out of anyone you come across, and don't get flattened by cars. All while trying to finish in the top five to advance to the next city, eventually getting to the Skitchin World Championship. Ah, yes, I think I remember watching that on ESPN Ocho at 2AM. Of course, there's all sorts of other hazards you gotta avoid, too, like oil slicks and trash or whatever this crap is on the street, and you do all this with a health meter, with each opponent having their own health meter as well. There's all sorts of weapons you can pick up or take from other skaters to dish out damage. The usual assortment of chains, pipes, crowbars, and baseball bats, along with two special items, like a Nitro Burst, and my favorite, the Stun Gun, which lights up your opponent. Now that's great. The A button grabs and releases from vehicles, the B button accelerates, and the C button deals damage. The gameplay seems really simple at a glance, but I admit it's kinda sorta tricky to get the hang of it first. Not only do you have to get the timing right to grab onto a car, you also have to be just in the right position, and that can take a little while to get used to. But once you do, then it's just hang onto a bumper and beat the crap out of whoever's next to you. And just like Road Rash, the icing on the cake here is the sound. It's friggin' hilarious to hear the cartoony sounds of bats hitting someone in the skull. Money is also a big part of this game, since the more you race, the more you get beat up, and the more you get beat up, the more you gotta spend on equipment. And of course, there's also cops that can bust you and end the race on the spot, making you pay a fine to continue the game. The same sort of deal applies to health, too. If you can afford the hospital bill, you can continue, otherwise it's game over, but there is a password system here, however. So, how do you get money? The game rewards you for hanging onto different cards, and rewards you for hanging onto police cars the most, and of course, you gotta win races or just place high in general. You also get money by doing tricks. No, not those tricks. I'm talking about going off of strategically placed ramps in the road, complete with judges that appear, you know, if you actually managed to land a trick? That's one major nitpick I have with this game. The tricks and stunts almost feel like they were thrown in at the last second. You go up and you just kind of flail around, and sometimes you land on your feet, but most of the time you don't. I suppose the five frames per second frame rate here isn't all that helpful, but hey, that's no different than the other Road Rash games. Still, the stunt system could have been a little more refined. What is refined here is the music. I mean, for one thing, how often do you hear double bass drums in a video game soundtrack from 1994? Damn, what, did they get Dave Lombardo for this song? Seriously, though, the music here is a lot of fun and adds a lot to the game, especially since these tracks aren't just the same 20 or 30 second loops, they're full-fledged songs. All the settings here are also well done, and combined with the distinct music, it almost gives Skitchin' an outrun kind of vibe. Although there's some oddities here and there, like, since when is the metrodome in Vancouver? Anyway, yeah, as you might expect, it's real simple. If you like Road Rash, you'll like Skitchin'. It's not quite the same sort of game, but they did just enough to make it its own thing to stand out. I personally still prefer Road Rash, especially Road Rash 64, but still, if you're into that kind of thing, you'll definitely get a big kick out of Skitchin'. Alright, I want to thank you for watching, and I hope you have a great rest of your day.