Ridge Racer 6 takes checkered flag

Namco took its sweet time to release its Xbox 360 launch-driving game, Ridge Racer 6, confirming that the game went gold last week and only today saying it has actually shipped to stores.

Ridge Racer 6 takes the popular racing series and lets players take to the streets in new ways, including the World Xplorer mode. As players enter and win races against computer-controlled opponents in this mode, they will unlock new cars, routes, and other prizes. The single-player mode also gives players a chance to master the game's new nitrous system, tweaked since its debut in the PSP's Ridge Racer. Now racers can save multiple nitrous boosts and use them in succession or stack them on top of one another.

For the first time in the series, gamers can take the race online, with support for up to 14 players swapping paint over Xbox Live. There's also the ability to download "ghost car" data to race against other players' best times.

Ridge Racer 6 has some competition when it comes to taking home the checkered flag of the 360 launch. Electronic Arts' Need for Speed Most Wanted and Microsoft Game Studios' Project Gotham Racing 3 are both vying for racing enthusiasts' day-one dollars. For the final word on Ridge Racer 6, look for GameSpot's full review soon.