Oh man, how racing games have changed.
Ridge Racer was a game that did not just start the Ridge Racer series, it also gave credibility
to the original Playstation with an addictive arcade racer that came straight from, well
the arcade.
It launched the series and started a love affair between Ridge Racer and Playstation,
that would be rekindled on every platform Sony would release.
But this is the original, the trend setter, the game that started it all.
It’s Ridge Racer, and man has this game aged.
Now I’m not going to complain because you know what you are getting when you load up
a Ridge Racer game.
It is going to be arcade style racing, that is very fast and with physics that amplify
the speed.
That is just what Ridge Racer is, and there is no point in expecting anything different.
What I will mention though is how limited the game feels when being played today.
When this game came out, I couldn’t take it out of my system.
I learned the perfect line for each track and the right passing techniques.
I’m just saying, I love this game.
But with games like Gran Turismo out there, with so many options, Ridge Racer just feels
kinda shallow.
There are only four tracks in the game.
There is the Beginner, Mid-Level, High Level, and T.T.
Each one is harder than the last, with tougher turns and opponents.
And there are only four cars, each with their own stats.
One has better acceleration while another has the best top speed.
After you select your track and car, it is time to go racing.
The racing itself is very fun but also very challenging.
The cars don’t really feel like they have real weight, but are rather just floating
on top of the tracks.
This leads to the cars feeling very fast but also requiring major concentration during
turns.
You will easily slide across the track and hit every barrier if you do not focus.
The game is all about getting the best time.
There are eleven other cars, but they stick to pre-determined paths.
So you are racing more so against the clock.
The game also was very impressive graphically, and surprisingly still holds up.
Everything has a very clean and smooth look, and the tracks have some nice details in the
backgrounds.
This was a powerhouse when it was released and it still shows why.
Ridge Racer is a fun arcade racer that only suffers from some limited game modes.
There is no 2 player and only a couple tracks.
But the fun and challenging arcade style racing on those tracks more than makes up for it.