R4: Ridge Racer Type 4

"Ridge Racer's finest hour."

I have been a long time fan of the Ridge Racer series, though I rarely enjoy racing games. There's always been something unique about RR, something that actually made it fun to play. Now we have the fourth installment, which was made from the start to compete with the likes of Gran Turismo. Does it stack up? Read on to find out.

Believe it or not, this time there actually is a story. Not a wonderful one, but something to read none-the-less. You are a rookie driver and you sign up to a team. Depending on your performance in races, the team manager will say different things and different times, progressing the story. There's even an ending.

Graphically, Ridge Racer Type 4 is the most impressive racing game to date. If you'll pardon my French, it even makes Gran Turismo its bitch. The backgrounds, tracks, and even the cars are visual bliss.

If you've played any of the other RR games, then you know what to expect for music. Even if you're not a fan of techno, its still strangely appropriate for this game, and it gets your blood pumping. The sound effects are right on too, from engine hum to tire squeal, its all here. Most impressive is the roar of the air as you pass too close to a wall.

Ridge Racer Type 4 controls like a dream. The game supports the Dual-Shock controller, the Jogcon, and the NegCon. I found that using just the Dual-Shock controller is enough though. One more thing, drifting is a hundred times easier on this game than any other racing game I've played.

The design of this game is simply incredible. The tracks are well thought out, giving you not only tight corners to squeeze past but straight stretches in order to pass your opponents. Also, this game features some of the best car designs I have ever seen.

Boy does this game have some features. Plenty of different modes to play though, 4-Player action if you have a link cable, 321 cars (one of which is Pac Man), and a decal mode so you can customize your cars even more. Oh, did I mention it comes with a bonus disc that not only includes demos and movies for other Namco games, but also the original version of Ridge Racer and a 60fps version of the original game!?!

All I gotta say is, even if you hate racing games, buy this one! Its worth it. Kudos to Namco!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 07/05/02