JAMMARidge Racer V Arcade Battle Hands-On

Namco's latest arcade driving game is a more tightly focused version of Ridge Racer V. Containing only a few different cars and tracks when compared to the PlayStation 2 version of Ridge Racer V, the arcade version seems almost silly.

Obviously, the game runs on PlayStation 2-based arcade hardware, and it looks roughly identical to the PlayStation 2 version. Aside from simply racing against computer opponents, you can link up two cabinets and race against a human driver, as well. There are four tracks available off the bat, though it's possible (and practically expected) that the rest of the RRV PS2 tracks make an appearance in the game.

The game controls pretty well, though getting the powerslide techniques down with a steering wheel takes a bit of practice. But with a deeper, better controlling version of the game already available on the PS2, the arcade version seems like an afterthought, meant to simply show off the new PS2-based arcade hardware. Let's hope it's used for something more meaningful in the future.