Ridge Racer

"Ridge Racers PSP"

Every Playstation has had a Ridge Racer launch game. The PS1 got the excellent conversion of the arcade original, and the PS2 got the (in my opinion vastly underrated) 5th game in the series. Between those games came a host of remixes and sequels, each one being a solid fun title in it's own right. It's been ten years since the original hit the PS1.

When Sony announced the PSP, it pretty much went without saying that Namco would be bringing a new Ridge Racer title to the table. however, until shortly before the actual launch of the console, details of the game were quite scarce, so nobody really knew what to expect.

Well, after playing the game you'll be pleased to know that this will more than likely surpass your expectations.

I ordered my PSP before Xmas, and this was the game that i chose without consideration to come with it.

GamePlay
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The game seems to have been designed as a homage to the previous Ridge Racers (all of the tracks are taken from previous games albeit with PSP graphical updates) , with a few slight tweaks to make the gameplay a little more up to date.

A nitrous system has been introduced, whereby you build up your nitrous meters by drifting your car. There's also a newer car class mode, where cars you are awarded are graded from class 1-6, based on the performance. (although you'll find that this is really just a veil for the older system which holds a couple of different types of car, slow-but-good-handling, good-all-rounder, fast-but-tail-happy and fast-but-heavy)

Tournaments are also set with classes to keep things fair. and the game is split into a number of modes. World Tour, Single Race, Time Attack and Link Play.

The latter three modes are self explanatory, so The World Tour mode sees the guts of the games' lifespan. With 40 tournaments consisting of upto 6 races each, your task being to finish to a required ranking or higher (e.g finish in 3rd place or higher to qualify for the next round). Winning tournaments unlocks you newer and better cars, more tracks, more tournaments and even some secret bonus footage.

The tournaments are fun to play, and you'll find yourself climbing the rankings quickly. Although some may argue that the 1st 2/3rds of the tournament are relatively easy (a half decent player will find themselves finishing 1st in most of the races more often than not.) i'd argue that because of the 'pick up and play' nature that the PSP is supposed to represent, that the game has been set in this way. And besides, the later races prove to be far more challenging, you'll find yourself having to learn the tracks tightly to stand a chance of unlocking the 'special' class cars.

The only gripe i have with the world tour mode is the lack of variety. Each tournament holds the same rules, so it might have been nice to see some sort of shake up with the conditions for winning. (but given the no doubt massive time restrictions Sony will have put on Namco to have this finished on time it's not really a massive issue, and i won't let it detract from the score rather than 'let's see it fixed in the sequel')

As for the actual mechanics, the game plays soundly, with a welcome return to the ridiculously fun drifting action of the first games. The controls are tight and responsive, and the handling of the cars is satisfying, with noticable difference between the models. The nitrous system is implemented sensibly, and can be used tactically, rather than what could have felt like a last minute bolt on.

Presentation
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The presentation of the game is excellent. Namco should be proud that the FMV intro is singlehandedly capable of making peoples' mouths slacken open (possibly accompanied by some slurred profanities depending on who's watching). Combined with the PSPs' screen, this really is a gorgeous thing to see.

The menus are clear and easy to get through (importers note that this game is pretty much totally import friendly, with accompanying images assuring you'll never become totally clueless as to what's going on)

As most people who are reading this probably already know, it goes without saying that Ridge Racers' graphics are without a doubt the best we've ever seen on a handheld. The tracks look rich and detailled, with high quality texturing and attention to detail, and it all rushes past at 60fps with no slowdown. Car models are also nice to look at, and the cars seem a lot more distinguished in their styles than some previous titles in the series.It almost seems a shame that the object of the game is to go as fast as you do, because the scenes are fabulously modelled, and itd be nice to perhaps park the car on the beach and take a look around. But anyway....

One thing i cannot stress enough is that no screenshot or footage of a PSP game (especially Ridge Racers) will ever do it justice. Until you hold a PSP in your hands and see it how it should be, with it's vibrant colour, and uber-sharp (no pun intended) resolution, you only have half the idea of what it's about. The PSP really does bring something special visually, and i beleive Ridge Racers is the perfect title to introduce that.

As hard as it is, i'll prise myself from talking about the PSP visuals to discuss Ridge Racers sound. The game again scores highly here, as the music and effects in the game compliment the visuals perfectly. The music is CD quality, and the game contains 30+ (forgive me if it's give or take that, i haven't checked in a while) high quality tracks for you to listen to whilst you race.

The car effects are also good, with a nice range of engine notes, and some nice exhaust pops and turbo pressure release noises added for good measure.

As with every Ridge Racers game, there's a very enthusiastic commentator who'll accompany your every race, and comment on your ongoing race performance. Personally i find it a welcome addition, as it adds some style to the races, and really gives the game that final Ridge Racer polish. Ive played the game to the near end, and have yet to find that it becomes annoying.

Small touches like a tiny window of footage and details of the game on the PSPs' 'home' menu whilst you hover over the 'UMD' option, also help to give the game a very compete feel.

Overall
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I've heard many people touting this as the strongest launch title for the PSP, and even though i havent played many of the other launch games, i can easily see why. As an overall package the game is a fantastic, fast arcade style racer, with gorgeous graphics and sound too.

Weather you're an avid driving fan, or just a casual gamer who wants something quick to pick up and get straight into, i can't recommend this game enough. Well done Namco.

Lets just hope that it doesn't become lost amongst some of the bigger titles come the US and EU launch dates....

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/31/05