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> Results: Ridge Racer
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by Cary Woodham
November 07, 2005
Start your engines and peel out with this great portable arcade racer.
Reviewed for PSP.
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Since the early 80's, game maker Namco has always been on the forefront of arcade racing games. Pole Position, Final Lap and Ridge Racer have always been crowd pleasers. Ridge Racer has made a name for itself on the home consoles as well. New games in the series push the envelope for graphics on home systems and usually a new console is graced with a Ridge Racer game as a launch title. First on the PlayStation, then PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and now PlayStation Portable!
Like the previous games, Ridge Racer on PSP is just straight up arcade racing. There are no car parts or engines to tinker with, no complex driving simulations, no car damage and no reputation or ﾑstreet creed' to worry about. You just go fast in a car. Get first place in the races to unlock more cars, tracks, and other goodies. A staple in this series is drifting. By letting off the brakes in a turn and hitting the accelerator at the right time, you zip through corners without losing speed. Master drifting and you sail through the tracks! In the PSP game, there's a new incentive for drifting. As you drift, a meter will fill up until you can perform a nitro boost for an extra bit of speed. This adds a new layer of challenge and skill to the tired Ridge Racer format. You can also race others with the PSP's wireless capabilities and there are also time trials and other expected race modes.
The graphics are amazing! The sense of speed in the higher classes is dizzying, and this has to be the best-looking PSP game I've seen. It's also the best PSP game I've heard. I wouldn't mind having a soundtrack to this game! Plus, Ridge Racer controls like a dream with the PSP's analog stick. While the game allows you to play Namco's classic arcade Rally-X game during loading, the load times are rarely a problem. Two to three second load times tops. That's not too bad. There are no licensed cars or lengthy driving simulations to be found here, so anyone looking for a Gran Turismo experience need to look elsewhere. But personally, I think Ridge Racer games are better than GT racers anyway. If there's any problem with this game, it's that it is a little too much like previous entries in the series. In fact, all the tracks in the PSP game are recycled from past titles. These games are also famous for not having enough tracks, and the PSP version is no exception. While the circuits you can race on are very well designed and entertaining, it would still be nice to have more. The game gets pretty challenging later on. I'm not sure I'll be able to unlock the secret Pac-Man and Rally-X cars now! Rats! At any rate, Ridge Racer on the PSP is a very fine game.
Just about all kids love to play with race cars! Anytime a parent asks me for help on what non-silly racing game they should get for their kids, I always recommend Ridge Racer games! They're simple to get into with little driving complexity, no reading is required, no nasty wrecks, and there's no questionable content that has managed to seep into some of the other racing titles as of late. The early race classes are simple enough, but some of the later challenges can get real tough for younger gamers. I really can't recommend the PSP as a kid-friendly handheld game system, but if your kids just have to play your PSP, this is one of the best games they can play right now.
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