Road Blaster: Original Arcade

Ever heard of Road Blaster? I had recently acquired an arcade cabinet from an Arcade seller who had been liquidating their supply of games. Road Blaster was a Full Motion Video (FMV) video game released in 1985. The game was ported to Sega CD in 1992 under the name of Road Avenger to avoid confusion with Road Blasters which was released two years later after the original arcade game. The plot of Road Blaster was very simple, you and your wife are driving home on your wedding day when you accidentally run into a car gang who kill your wife. The player then must take revenge against the car gang and the gang's leader (Who I will refer as The Leader) for his wife's murder, this plot varies with Road Avenger's plot with you being a cop out for revenge against SCUM which they're not called that in the original arcade game they were called RRR according to the internet. There was nothing else to prove that you were a cop other than the Mad Max references and the "A GANG KILLED YOUR WIFE YOU MUST TAKE REVENGE!" plot.

The owner told me that this particular arcade cabinet was one of the very first original cabinets that were released in August, unlike the hundred stock cabinets, this one was special, only 5 of these exist. The one I got was left to collect dust in the backstage of an arcade place by its original owners possibly because they thought people wouldn't want to play a game where they couldn't physically control the car, the owner also told that this arcade cabinet contains cut animated scenes were not in the original game and its subsequent ports. Overjoyed to hear this, I purchased it being interested in cut content once it was delivered I put it between Defender and Spy Hunter in my garage to serve as a personal arcade.

I had finished the game only a few minutes before I started writing and here's my description what transpired.

== Stage 1 == Stage 1 was normal the game mechanics worked like Simon Says the player would be shown instructions such as Brake or Turn Right on the indicator (misspelled as "Indicater") if the player fails they would be shown a death scene like Dragon's Lair. The first stage starts the protagonist starting the car to pursue two cars on a coastal road the game gives me 6 lives having played Road Avenger I didn't die on this stage the cars turn around and heads toward the player's vehicle which they must avoid. After that, the player comes across two trucks the car accidentally scrapes the side of the trailer causing the car to turn left the player must get the car back on the road by turning right.

The player ends on upon on a narrower road where they must take out a car and avoid the wreck, after rampaging through a village and a marina the player jumps into the beach with the thugs chasing them, the player then has to avoid the thugs and then take out a van which the stage ends.

I noticed the ending scene was a little more drawn out than the original game instead of ending immediately after the player leaves.

Stage 2
In Stage 2, the player is in a canyon-like setting the player must dodge a boulder and avoid bulldozers that are commandeered by the thugs. Eventually, the player happens upon some cars driven by the thugs after some combat the player is then chased by an apache which they must take out. The player then has to flee the thugs by turbo-ing across a small bridge, a car that was chasing the player falls into the ravine after which the stage ends. This stage was short. I've noticed some extra animated scenes such as a second pursuing car stopping once the other car falls into the ravine and the bulldozer's interior being seen briefly before a boulder was pushed into the player's path.

One particular scene that caught my eye was the wreck of the pink car once the player took it out the player drives away from the flaming wreck and the camera focuses in once it does I could hear screaming it was an agonising scream, this lasted about for a few seconds.

== Stage 3 == Stage 3 is set on a highway the player is speeding until suddenly a car is driving towards the player who has to dodge it to avoid a head-on collision the player then comes upon a truck the trailer's doors open to reveal two thugs who throw barrels at the player. Then the player has then to slow down and pass under another semi to which a car from the left side attempts to bump the player's car into the truck's wheels after that the player has to turbo the car to crash and avoid the wreck. The player then has to avoid cars being dumped from a car transporter, and then turbo using the transporter's trailer as a ramp, the thugs then take over a fuel truck and spill oil onto the road to slip the player's car, there's a prolonged scene here of the thug pulling out a lighter before lighting it and throwing until the road instead of just the lighting it and throwing it.

The spilled oil catches on fire the player has to turbo to the left to avoid the fire, after which one thug jumps on the player's car and attacks it using a wrench. The thug loses his balance and falls off the car, this when another cut animated scene happens here, in original version the thug disappears but in this version we're shown what happens, when the thug loses his balance and the camera cuts to behind the car to show the thug falling on the road once he makes impact he breaks one of his legs, he lies on the road screaming in pain with severe road rash while the vehicles speed away from the roaring fire.

The player then turbos into a car and causes it to crash while the fuel truck slips into the pit of fire it created to which the player turbo right to escape and that when the stage ends.

== Stage 4 == Stage 4 is set in a factory, the player has to dodge forklifts and gun-toting thugs (One of the only times they use guns) the player goes into a car factory and ends up in a junkyard. The player then must avoid cars and falling wrecks, eventually, a magnet crane picks up a car and the player must slow down to avoid crashing some cars sandwich the player's car who must turbo over the ramp the cars crash causing an inferno, the player lands on the other side and must brake to avoid crashing into a wall.

The ending scene shows the player's car driving away on the left side and the camera pans up as the car disappears after which instead of ending right here the camera pans down back to the inferno, this when screaming could be heard from right side. It was from the thugs who I could imagine are still trapped inside.

Stage 5
Stage 5 starts with the player on a draw bridge, 4 biker thugs drive up and two of them throw axes at the player, the bridge then pulls an upward swing, and the player has to turbo to gain enough speed to make the jump. A cut animated scene happens here that wasn't in the original version, as the player is about to land a biker thug who threw an axe earlier, the player's car shadow looms over him. The player's car lands on him, I could hear his bones breaking because of the car's weight he let out an agonising scream before fading as the player's car speeds away.

The player then continues to chase the three biker thugs even hitting one of them, the player speeds into the gas station and must avoid the pumps. this part went a little bit too quickly for me and I paid the price for it the death scene shows the player's car crashing into a gas pump and another car, we see the gas station to explode from a bird's view, instead of ending after the explosion like it does in the original version, the camera cuts back to the gas station in ground view, the shot shows the gas attendants lying on the ground, their bodies grafted and burnt to a crisp as the fire rages around them they scream horribly as the sounds of the roaring fire are played over them.

5 cars left.

"What the fuck?" I thought to myself, why would they put this in a game like this? Anyway, I started back after the car lands this time I did the instructions to avoid the pumps. The player's car crashes through a window and they end up in a park, after dodging biker thugs and pedestrians the player gets back on the street. This when The Leader's car approaches and the game instructs me to turn right curious to see what would happen especially after that death scene I ignored the game's instruction and turbo into The Leader's direction.

A death scene that never was in the original version shows The Leader's car turning left to avoid the player's speeding car which crashes off-screen then it cuts to the player's upside-down car and the Protagonist crawling out of the wreck this is when The Leader walks up to him and we see her trampling him from bird's eye view before zooming out and fading to white.

4 cars left.

The game starts back before I turboed into the Leader's car and turned right, the player then smashes into an entrance of a building and drives up a staircase with The Leader's car behind them, the player turns right and turbos through a window and lands on a freeway, the player must avoid traffic and chase a green car which they must crash into causing the car to fall and explode the player then drives and again instead of ending there it's prolonged, and yet again I could hear screaming before ending.

== Stage 6 == Stage 6 opens with the player driving on a forest road, after some car combat the player's car is chased by a dump truck and the player must turn right on a dirt road, this dirt road leads to a dirt field with a group of gang members waiting for them they chase the player and the player has to dodge them. Two cars try to sandwich the player but the player brakes and two cars explode a cut animated scene is shown of The Leader facepalming briefly. The player then dodges a boat commandeered by a gang member, the player chases a car which crashes and the player does an epic jump across a broken bridge and the stage ends.

Stage 7
Stage 7 opens with the player chasing two cars into a sewer, the sewer gate closes and the player's car headlights turn on to light the sewer, the player navigates the complex sewer system avoiding cars, the player makes it to a large area where tons of gang members are waiting for them.

Another cut animated scene shows the player's car entering this large area, I heard a whisper probably the only piece of dialogue in the entire game it was one of the gang members saying.

"Get Ready! He's coming!" The player engages in a demolition derby with the gang members and the player must escape the sewer system, they eventually find a way out with the sewer gate wrecking their windscreen.

== Stage 8 == Stage 8 begins with the player driving on a dirt road in a crop field, the player is then chased by harvesters, the player has to turbo to escape a harvester that's right behind them. I decided to waste a life to see what other cut animated scenes might be here, and lo-and-behold there was one that, of course, never was in the original version.

The death scene shows the player's car windshield is wrecked by harvester's reaper, that's normal it happens in the original game but the cut animated scene happens after the player's car windshield is destroyed.

The scene showed the player's car in an open green field, the car was mangled and twisted like it had been through hell.

3 cars left.

Then it went back to gameplay before I ignored the game's instructions to turbo the player then makes out of the crop field and into a green field after making a jump across a river, the player is overwhelmed by attack helicopters and cars, one of the helicopters crashes into a windmill causing a huge explosion that allows the player to make their escape.

Stage 9
The final stage shows The Leader's car being tailed by bikers. The bikers honk their horns to lure the player out, this when the player's car stops in an alley and turns their headlights while revving their engine, ready for the final fight. The player must dodge a car driving towards them and after making out of the alley the player must then engage in car combat against gang cars before breaking into a ballerina hall the player makes it back onto the street, I see The Leader's car approaching the player who then has dodge 3 cars, however, the player's car crashes on the third one turning the player's car upside down. The protagonist crawls out from his wrecked car a white van stops and a gang member gets out to trample the Protagonist The Leader's car then ominously approaches and stops, The Leader gets out and gives a sideways thumb signalling to the gang member to kill the Protagonist but before he can do so. The Protagonist tackles him and gets in his van the surprised Leader gets back in her vehicle the player must turbo to get the van started all the while the gang member trying to break the windshield with an axe I decide to waste one more life by not turbo-ing the death scene that was never in the original version, shows the gang member being successfully able to break windshield and kills The Protagonist it was quite gory, to say the least.

2 cars left.

Anyway, the gameplay returned, and I turboed to start the van and the player must chase the Leader's car while avoiding the gangsters who are now using the guns against the player.

Eventually, The Leader's car turns around to face the player, the Leader shoots at the player who must turbo into The Leader's car after doing so The Leader's car explodes and the player's vehicle flips upside down. The Protagonist gets out and stares at the flaming wreck of the Leader's car while he does this he holds his wife's ring a flashback of the intro is played as he clenches his fist. The Protagonist leaves the accident site and walks down the street and disappears as the camera pans up to the night sky.

The credits are played, listing all the developer names and animators who helped create the game but instead of ending right there, a cut post credits scene happens. The camera pans down back to the accident, the Protagonist is gone The Leader's car moves left to right like something is trying to get out something does get out, it's The Leader who survived the crash without a scratch, her dress is not even damaged, she gets out of the flaming wreck as the only survivor she walks towards the camera before stopping and speaks.

"So, you made this far into the game, huh? You only played this game just so you don't have to think about LIFE and the misery it brings, all of you play this game so you can escape your horrid existence and reality while I can't escape from my fate, an endless loop of repeating the same actions over and over again for your entertainment, weel imagine this, imagine that you couldn't escape from me, couldn't escape from the world I created where I torment for entertainment over and over again, that was this feels like. Soon you will learn what it feels like to be like me."

After this, the intro plays again, I don't what to do should I contact the seller or something? I mean that was pretty weird even it was cut content, you guys tell me should I do? Because I'm stumped.