Released in 1992, the Mega Drive game Road Rash II is perhaps one of my favourites on the console - and that's saying a lot, considering.

The box proudly proclaims of the game's "spectacular new crashes including 'face plants' and 'air swims'", and that's exactly what the game is about: motorbike racing, with a level of violence and pain that all ages can enjoy.

There's no gore, no horror, just good, old-fashioned fun. So, what's the deal?

You place as a racer, a "Rasher", taking part in illegal races in the US. Well, in five US states. It's your job to be first, to win the best cash prizes and to upgrade your motorbike, and it's up to you to get there however you can. Punch and kick your fellow racers, steal their weapons (chains and whatnot), and out-run the law when the officers come to call. As you go up to the next level, by coming in third or better, your course will get longer, your prizes bigger, and your fines for breaking the law...well, they increase too.

What makes Road Rash II so brilliant is that you're not racing on a track, but on the streets of the US. Dodge cars that change lanes unexpectedly, and slicks of sand and oil on the road. If you crash, you'll be thrown off your bike and will have to run back to it. Crash too much, and you'll wreck your bike completely. Buy new bikes and upgrades from the shop to stay in with a chance of winning each race, and you could be the best Rasher in town, but don't spend all of your money because you never know how much those repairs will cost!

If you're lucky enough to get a boxed game, with manual, you'll be pleased to know that you'll receive a bit of a story about each of your potential players, and of course your enemies. An extract, for your entertainment:

"Public Enemy No. 1: She saw her first punk show at five years old. At thirteen she was tattooed black from the waist down. By her eighteenth birthday she had 143 piercings."

Those are the kind of people you're dealing with. Those and the cops, of course, like Marshall:

"An orphan raised in Los Angeles. All he talks about is his gun".

You get the idea.

Road Rash II is a fantastic game for one player, but also offers two-player split screen and alternating games. And, despite the fact that you can't save many Mega Drive games (including this one), you at least get passwords to start where you left off.