Ridge Racer DS
Back when the PS1 launched, Ridge Racer was the first game that I bought for it (but was it really worth the trade in for Chrono Trigger, and Super Mario RPG? Well I got them both again so it is all good) I loved that game and bought most of the subsequent sequels. About the time that R4 (Ridge Racer 4) came out they poorly ported the first Ridge Racer to the N64. I have heard the DS version of Ridge Racer compared to the N64 version (I have both versions so I can do a head to head), so how close is that statement?
Story:
Ridge Racer is an arcade style racing game, so as with all racing games you are out to prove you are the best racer in the world, while unlocking cars and stages along the way.
Graphics:
Wow what can I say? Craptacular I think fits the mold perfectly, this is supposed to be a port of the original game, and well the N64 version looks better than this game. this game looks worse than the PS1 version, and they both looked worse than the original arcade game. I mean that even Super Mario 64 went through a graphical update when they ported it to the DS. Did Namco just not care when they brought the game to the DS, or were they too busy tweaking the PSP Ridge Racer to bother doing anything for the DS version
Music:
The music is vintage Ridge Racer, and stays true to the series, how ever you would have thought that they could have added a few new musical tracks to this aging title, to mix things up a little
Game Play:
Have you ever played a ridge racer game? If you have then you know what to expect from this title. This is a good thing you will find yourself playing this game, out of sheer love for the original design. The creators had the foresight to add a new feature though. The folks at Namco allow you to use the touch screen to steer your car, however you will find yourself ignoring the feature all together and using your D-Pad instead because it is simply easier to steer with
your D-Pad, than your stylus and drive your car
Design:
Other than the steering wheel stylus option Namco did almost no design changes to this game at all. Shame on you guys! Do you care about any other platform but Sony platforms lately?
DS owners, if you are desperate for a racing game on your DS, buy Mario Kart DS. Unless you are looking for a nostalgic throwback don't even look in this games general direction. This is the worst game I have played in 2 years. Avoid this game at all costs!
Ridge Racer DS:
Pros:
Steering wheel Idea is cool
Cons:
Bad graphics
Bad port of a 10+ year old game
Where is the design?
Steering wheel idea is cool, but not practical
This game is not worth $5 let alone $25