Ridge Racer is a must have for fans of the series and arcade racing enthusiasts.
Ridge Racer for the PSP is a celebration of the franchise. The series has been around for 10 years and has had six titles and 2 side games. Ridge Racer is a compilation of the best tracks from the previous titles so fans of the series should feel at home. The game is basically a 'best of' but doesn't hide it because the game doesn't feel old at all. Nothing feels dated and that’s a true testament to how good the game is.
There are four modes of play in the game. You have your standard single race, time attack, online and world tour. World Tour is where you will be spending all time at in the game. W.T consists of a series of races in different classes and difficulties. This is told to you quite effectively through an extremely well put together video narrated with a sultry female voice. Each tour consists of different events and within the events are different races. To qualify in each race you need to place in the top three to proceed. This is basically your standard tour mode but what makes it such an enthralling experience are the rewards. After you clear an event you are rewarded with a new car. Since you are constantly rewarded with faster cars you feel a true sense of accomplishment and motivation to continue with the tour. These cars will also help you with any events you didn't finish in any previous tours. The second to last tour is where you can compete in the special events. These races have you driving against Pac-Man in his jet car, a Galaga car and others that veterans of the Ridge Racer series may be familiar with.
Other bonuses that you can unlock in World Tour are concept art for the cars, and the opening videos for every Ridge Racer game. This is quite a treat to fans of the series as they can know experience their favorite openings on the PSP's crisp screen. It should however be noted that these videos are directly taken from the PS1 games so the quality of the graphics doesn't match those found in PSP.
The Ridge Racer series has always been about arcade style racing emphasized by stylish drifting. Ridge Racer continues this style but adds an element new to the series: turbo. By pulling off drifts you can fill up three turbo bars. The longer the drift you do the more boost in your bar. This new gameplay mechanic is quite helpful if you’re falling behind in a race or if you want to gain some ground against an opponent.
The controls in the game are very tight. Whether you are using the d-pad or the analog nub driving and pulling off drifts is easy. To pull off a drift you simply tap the accelerate button (x) and direct your car in the direction you want to go in. Each car in the game has different drift mechanics so drifting isn’t as easy as it sounds. Using the analog nub to drive my car never felt loose at all. When using the analog nub for the game I never encountered any issues with it. The nub always felt responsive during play and pulling off drifts with it was easy. At times it felt as natural as the analog sticks on a regular controller. While playing the game my hands never felt cramped from playing too long so this game can be enjoyed for long periods of time.
Fans of past Ridge Racer games should feel right at home with the soundtrack. Just like past titles the soundtrack is an eclectic mix of j-pop and jazzy tracks. The music can get a bit repetitive and boring at times but before each race the player can choose another track if they wish. Players will probably be more disappointed and angry at the choice of dj for this installment. The dj is best described as sounding like Chris Tucker. As we know Mr. Tucker is best known for his roles in the Rush Hour films and uh… the Rush Hour movies. I have since concluded that the developers over at Namco must be big Rush Hour fans and they couldn’t afford Mr. Tucker services so they hired a dude that sounds like him. The dj will make comments on your performance throughout the races but thankfully you can turn him off.
The cars in the game as always are excellent. There is a good variety of coupes and faster cars. The cars aren’t real world manufacturers but that doesn’t matter since the cars are so stylish. As you progress you will unlocked more upgraded cars that have better speed, drifting, handling, etc. Each car in the game does drift differently so you will have to get accustomed to be successful in the races. A few cars drift a bit too loosely to the point that it seems like it’s a hovercraft instead of a sports car. Those who are into car customization will be disappointed to know that you can not customize you car.
By far the best achievement is the visuals. To think that visuals like these are coming off a handheld are unbelievable. This game actually looks better than Ridge Racer 5 for the PS2. The cars are rendered beautifully and reflect lighting very impressively. The cars do have a few jaggies but these are only noticeable in some of the replay sequences. There is no damage modeling to the cars so don’t expect a Burnout experience when you play. The courses cover a wide range of areas ranging from tropical areas, European style cities, and downtown city courses. The courses are amazing to look at and they often feature some type of background action. Planes will often be flying by, helicopters will following you as you drive through the course or fireworks will be going. These actions add to the immersion of the game since the courses seem alive. The game is also fast, in fact very fast. There are never any frame rate issues at all so the game plays smoothly.
Ridge Racer doesn’t try to reinvent itself because it doesn’t have to. The formula that made it a hit nearly ten years ago is still enjoyable today. If you’re looking for a fun arcade experience then you have got to pick this game up. Amazing visuals, good control, good gameplay, and amazing presentation all make Ridge Racer a must have for the PSP.