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This thread has been linked to the game 'Ridge Racer 3D'.
“Enemy closing in!” declares the commentator. It sets off a mild panic inside me as I frantically hit buttons in search for the fire button. And then I remember I’m playing Ridge Racer, there are no enemies.
The biggest surprise of this version of Ridge Racer is that it with a running commentary. Ridge Racer had a commentator who made the odd quip and that was perfectly fine, it was never intrusive. The commentator for the 3D edition, however, brought his wife to the recording studio and she likes to talk. A lot. I can’t fault her enthusiasm but seldom does she have something worth listening to. Her husband on the other hand, sits quietly in the corner waiting for his wife to take a breath before leaping in with his contribution. He can just about manage “final lap” before she starts up again.
Punishing my ear is not a good way to start any game, especially one in which I was never quite sure about.
I’ve been a fan of Ridge Racer ever since a summer day trip to Largs (you might need to look that one up on a map of Scotland) in ‘92. The arcade machine left quite an impression on me which led to purchasing all four PS1 outings (Ridge Racer, Ridge Racer Revolution, Rage Racer and Ridge Racer Type 4) on the day of release. Since then however, I’ve pretty much left the series alone as it doesn’t seem to have grown any. I picked up the PSP version on its release as it was for all intents and purposes, a best of collection. And a portable compilation like this was too hard to resist.
Ridge Racer is a dead cert attendee at any console release these days. The 3DS was no exception and the Vita won’t be breaking that trend. I watched the videos of Ridge Racer 3D and was fairly underwhelmed. But I’ve buckled and find myself in the audio options screen turning down the voice volume.
In game, veterans will find nothing has changed and that extends a great deal to the tracks too. I’ve skipped a few Ridge Racer releases and even I recognise a lot of them. It is all familiar ground and right in the middle of your first drift, you’ll realise that the déjà vu feeling doesn’t matter one bit. It’s always been Ridge Racer, it’s never tried to be anything else (although the next outing will change that) and it sticks to what it is good at.
Drifting was always the key to the game. Master the drift and you’ve mastered the game. The drifting is every bit as unrealistic as it has always been but that’s part of the charm. You spend a great deal of the game going sideways but don’t lose any ground on the opponents. Brake and try to corner as you would in Forza and you’ll be surprised to see the ‘enemies’ gliding past you. And you’ll also not build up any nitrous without sliding that backend round a corner.
The drifting has a newcomer friendly approach that can be turned on. For those that aren’t able to correct a slide easily can go for a simple one button mechanic to help them through. It’s a sign of the modern era to make the game accessible to all. I can’t fault that myself but I hope everyone turns off this setting once they are comfortable with it, which shouldn’t take too long.
Other extras which I’ve not seen before include some in-game currency which can be used to buy extra cars or some one-off bonuses to be used in a single race, feel the need for some extra boost at the start? Too lazy to build up the nitrous and would like a full quota to start with? A few thousand credits and they can be yours.
The tracks, if there are any new ones, are all classic Ridge Racer. Nice scenary, wide bends for sliding, plenty of hills and a stalker in a helicopter. They are plenty of tracks available which does help counter the lack of new arrivals.
The soundtrack is typical Ridge Racer. It’s not to my tastes and only the original Ridge Racer track stops me from switching that off too. That tune is iconic for me as OutRun’s Magical Sound Shower.
The game is primarily single player. Multiplayer is unfortunately kept to local play, a sign of the dash to get the game out on release perhaps, Ridge Racer can’t be late to the launch party afterall. The Spot Pass facility will let you get some ghost data from other players but it is not the same as an online leaderboard, especially for those whose 3DS barely meets another.
Regardless of the multiplayer omissions, the single player component is going to keep any player busy for some time. The Grand Prix is the main attraction, numerous events comprising of 4 races. As always, the starting class is the slowest. Traditionally, this has always been a bit of a drag. Ridge Racer becomes more alive as you move up through each of the classes. Saying that, the beginner class isn’t quite as slow as it has been in the past and it may just surprise you. I managed to win each event at the 1st attempt but that’s not to say the opponents didn’t keep me on my toes from time to time.
Graphically the game is pretty without being startling. It doesn’t feel any further ahead of the PSP version but that’s nothing to fault it. The 3D adds a bit of depth and isn’t draining on the eyes but it doesn’t add anything to the game. There are times where you can see that the developers have tried to give a 3D thrill, the helicopter coming right at you or confetti flying about but it all sounds better on paper.
It’s Ridge Racer. Again. Despite my reservations, I’ve come to accept I’ll always enjoy a spot of Ridge Racer.
8
The biggest surprise of this version of Ridge Racer is that it with a running commentary. Ridge Racer had a commentator who made the odd quip and that was perfectly fine, it was never intrusive. The commentator for the 3D edition, however, brought his wife to the recording studio and she likes to talk. A lot. I can’t fault her enthusiasm but seldom does she have something worth listening to. Her husband on the other hand, sits quietly in the corner waiting for his wife to take a breath before leaping in with his contribution. He can just about manage “final lap” before she starts up again.
Punishing my ear is not a good way to start any game, especially one in which I was never quite sure about.
I’ve been a fan of Ridge Racer ever since a summer day trip to Largs (you might need to look that one up on a map of Scotland) in ‘92. The arcade machine left quite an impression on me which led to purchasing all four PS1 outings (Ridge Racer, Ridge Racer Revolution, Rage Racer and Ridge Racer Type 4) on the day of release. Since then however, I’ve pretty much left the series alone as it doesn’t seem to have grown any. I picked up the PSP version on its release as it was for all intents and purposes, a best of collection. And a portable compilation like this was too hard to resist.
Ridge Racer is a dead cert attendee at any console release these days. The 3DS was no exception and the Vita won’t be breaking that trend. I watched the videos of Ridge Racer 3D and was fairly underwhelmed. But I’ve buckled and find myself in the audio options screen turning down the voice volume.
In game, veterans will find nothing has changed and that extends a great deal to the tracks too. I’ve skipped a few Ridge Racer releases and even I recognise a lot of them. It is all familiar ground and right in the middle of your first drift, you’ll realise that the déjà vu feeling doesn’t matter one bit. It’s always been Ridge Racer, it’s never tried to be anything else (although the next outing will change that) and it sticks to what it is good at.
Drifting was always the key to the game. Master the drift and you’ve mastered the game. The drifting is every bit as unrealistic as it has always been but that’s part of the charm. You spend a great deal of the game going sideways but don’t lose any ground on the opponents. Brake and try to corner as you would in Forza and you’ll be surprised to see the ‘enemies’ gliding past you. And you’ll also not build up any nitrous without sliding that backend round a corner.
The drifting has a newcomer friendly approach that can be turned on. For those that aren’t able to correct a slide easily can go for a simple one button mechanic to help them through. It’s a sign of the modern era to make the game accessible to all. I can’t fault that myself but I hope everyone turns off this setting once they are comfortable with it, which shouldn’t take too long.
Other extras which I’ve not seen before include some in-game currency which can be used to buy extra cars or some one-off bonuses to be used in a single race, feel the need for some extra boost at the start? Too lazy to build up the nitrous and would like a full quota to start with? A few thousand credits and they can be yours.
The tracks, if there are any new ones, are all classic Ridge Racer. Nice scenary, wide bends for sliding, plenty of hills and a stalker in a helicopter. They are plenty of tracks available which does help counter the lack of new arrivals.
The soundtrack is typical Ridge Racer. It’s not to my tastes and only the original Ridge Racer track stops me from switching that off too. That tune is iconic for me as OutRun’s Magical Sound Shower.
The game is primarily single player. Multiplayer is unfortunately kept to local play, a sign of the dash to get the game out on release perhaps, Ridge Racer can’t be late to the launch party afterall. The Spot Pass facility will let you get some ghost data from other players but it is not the same as an online leaderboard, especially for those whose 3DS barely meets another.
Regardless of the multiplayer omissions, the single player component is going to keep any player busy for some time. The Grand Prix is the main attraction, numerous events comprising of 4 races. As always, the starting class is the slowest. Traditionally, this has always been a bit of a drag. Ridge Racer becomes more alive as you move up through each of the classes. Saying that, the beginner class isn’t quite as slow as it has been in the past and it may just surprise you. I managed to win each event at the 1st attempt but that’s not to say the opponents didn’t keep me on my toes from time to time.
Graphically the game is pretty without being startling. It doesn’t feel any further ahead of the PSP version but that’s nothing to fault it. The 3D adds a bit of depth and isn’t draining on the eyes but it doesn’t add anything to the game. There are times where you can see that the developers have tried to give a 3D thrill, the helicopter coming right at you or confetti flying about but it all sounds better on paper.
It’s Ridge Racer. Again. Despite my reservations, I’ve come to accept I’ll always enjoy a spot of Ridge Racer.
8
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“Enemy closing in!” declares the commentator. It sets off a mild panic inside me as I frantically hit buttons in search for the fire button. And then I remember I’m playing Ridge Racer, there are no enemies.
The biggest surprise of this version of Ridge Racer is that it with a running commentary. Ridge Racer had a commentator who made the odd quip and that was perfectly fine, it was never intrusive. The commentator for the 3D edition, however, brought his wife to the recording studio and she likes to talk. A lot. I can’t fault her enthusiasm but seldom does she have something worth listening to. Her husband on the other hand, sits quietly in the corner waiting for his wife to take a breath before leaping in with his contribution. He can just about manage “final lap” before she starts up again.
Punishing my ear is not a good way to start any game, especially one in which I was never quite sure about.
I’ve been a fan of Ridge Racer ever since a summer day trip to Largs (you might need to look that one up on a map of Scotland) in ‘92. The arcade machine left quite an impression on me which led to purchasing all four PS1 outings (Ridge Racer, Ridge Racer Revolution, Rage Racer and Ridge Racer Type 4) on the day of release. Since then however, I’ve pretty much left the series alone as it doesn’t seem to have grown any. I picked up the PSP version on its release as it was for all intents and purposes, a best of collection. And a portable compilation like this was too hard to resist.
Ridge Racer is a dead cert attendee at any console release these days. The 3DS was no exception and the Vita won’t be breaking that trend. I watched the videos of Ridge Racer 3D and was fairly underwhelmed. But I’ve buckled and find myself in the audio options screen turning down the voice volume.
In game, veterans will find nothing has changed and that extends a great deal to the tracks too. I’ve skipped a few Ridge Racer releases and even I recognise a lot of them. It is all familiar ground and right in the middle of your first drift, you’ll realise that the déjà vu feeling doesn’t matter one bit. It’s always been Ridge Racer, it’s never tried to be anything else (although the next outing will change that) and it sticks to what it is good at.
Drifting was always the key to the game. Master the drift and you’ve mastered the game. The drifting is every bit as unrealistic as it has always been but that’s part of the charm. You spend a great deal of the game going sideways but don’t lose any ground on the opponents. Brake and try to corner as you would in Forza and you’ll be surprised to see the ‘enemies’ gliding past you. And you’ll also not build up any nitrous without sliding that backend round a corner.
The drifting has a newcomer friendly approach that can be turned on. For those that aren’t able to correct a slide easily can go for a simple one button mechanic to help them through. It’s a sign of the modern era to make the game accessible to all. I can’t fault that myself but I hope everyone turns off this setting once they are comfortable with it, which shouldn’t take too long.
Other extras which I’ve not seen before include some in-game currency which can be used to buy extra cars or some one-off bonuses to be used in a single race, feel the need for some extra boost at the start? Too lazy to build up the nitrous and would like a full quota to start with? A few thousand credits and they can be yours.
The tracks, if there are any new ones, are all classic Ridge Racer. Nice scenary, wide bends for sliding, plenty of hills and a stalker in a helicopter. They are plenty of tracks available which does help counter the lack of new arrivals.
The soundtrack is typical Ridge Racer. It’s not to my tastes and only the original Ridge Racer track stops me from switching that off too. That tune is iconic for me as OutRun’s Magical Sound Shower.
The game is primarily single player. Multiplayer is unfortunately kept to local play, a sign of the dash to get the game out on release perhaps, Ridge Racer can’t be late to the launch party afterall. The Spot Pass facility will let you get some ghost data from other players but it is not the same as an online leaderboard, especially for those whose 3DS barely meets another.
Regardless of the multiplayer omissions, the single player component is going to keep any player busy for some time. The Grand Prix is the main attraction, numerous events comprising of 4 races. As always, the starting class is the slowest. Traditionally, this has always been a bit of a drag. Ridge Racer becomes more alive as you move up through each of the classes. Saying that, the beginner class isn’t quite as slow as it has been in the past and it may just surprise you. I managed to win each event at the 1st attempt but that’s not to say the opponents didn’t keep me on my toes from time to time.
Graphically the game is pretty without being startling. It doesn’t feel any further ahead of the PSP version but that’s nothing to fault it. The 3D adds a bit of depth and isn’t draining on the eyes but it doesn’t add anything to the game. There are times where you can see that the developers have tried to give a 3D thrill, the helicopter coming right at you or confetti flying about but it all sounds better on paper.
It’s Ridge Racer. Again. Despite my reservations, I’ve come to accept I’ll always enjoy a spot of Ridge Racer.
8
The biggest surprise of this version of Ridge Racer is that it with a running commentary. Ridge Racer had a commentator who made the odd quip and that was perfectly fine, it was never intrusive. The commentator for the 3D edition, however, brought his wife to the recording studio and she likes to talk. A lot. I can’t fault her enthusiasm but seldom does she have something worth listening to. Her husband on the other hand, sits quietly in the corner waiting for his wife to take a breath before leaping in with his contribution. He can just about manage “final lap” before she starts up again.
Punishing my ear is not a good way to start any game, especially one in which I was never quite sure about.
I’ve been a fan of Ridge Racer ever since a summer day trip to Largs (you might need to look that one up on a map of Scotland) in ‘92. The arcade machine left quite an impression on me which led to purchasing all four PS1 outings (Ridge Racer, Ridge Racer Revolution, Rage Racer and Ridge Racer Type 4) on the day of release. Since then however, I’ve pretty much left the series alone as it doesn’t seem to have grown any. I picked up the PSP version on its release as it was for all intents and purposes, a best of collection. And a portable compilation like this was too hard to resist.
Ridge Racer is a dead cert attendee at any console release these days. The 3DS was no exception and the Vita won’t be breaking that trend. I watched the videos of Ridge Racer 3D and was fairly underwhelmed. But I’ve buckled and find myself in the audio options screen turning down the voice volume.
In game, veterans will find nothing has changed and that extends a great deal to the tracks too. I’ve skipped a few Ridge Racer releases and even I recognise a lot of them. It is all familiar ground and right in the middle of your first drift, you’ll realise that the déjà vu feeling doesn’t matter one bit. It’s always been Ridge Racer, it’s never tried to be anything else (although the next outing will change that) and it sticks to what it is good at.
Drifting was always the key to the game. Master the drift and you’ve mastered the game. The drifting is every bit as unrealistic as it has always been but that’s part of the charm. You spend a great deal of the game going sideways but don’t lose any ground on the opponents. Brake and try to corner as you would in Forza and you’ll be surprised to see the ‘enemies’ gliding past you. And you’ll also not build up any nitrous without sliding that backend round a corner.
The drifting has a newcomer friendly approach that can be turned on. For those that aren’t able to correct a slide easily can go for a simple one button mechanic to help them through. It’s a sign of the modern era to make the game accessible to all. I can’t fault that myself but I hope everyone turns off this setting once they are comfortable with it, which shouldn’t take too long.
Other extras which I’ve not seen before include some in-game currency which can be used to buy extra cars or some one-off bonuses to be used in a single race, feel the need for some extra boost at the start? Too lazy to build up the nitrous and would like a full quota to start with? A few thousand credits and they can be yours.
The tracks, if there are any new ones, are all classic Ridge Racer. Nice scenary, wide bends for sliding, plenty of hills and a stalker in a helicopter. They are plenty of tracks available which does help counter the lack of new arrivals.
The soundtrack is typical Ridge Racer. It’s not to my tastes and only the original Ridge Racer track stops me from switching that off too. That tune is iconic for me as OutRun’s Magical Sound Shower.
The game is primarily single player. Multiplayer is unfortunately kept to local play, a sign of the dash to get the game out on release perhaps, Ridge Racer can’t be late to the launch party afterall. The Spot Pass facility will let you get some ghost data from other players but it is not the same as an online leaderboard, especially for those whose 3DS barely meets another.
Regardless of the multiplayer omissions, the single player component is going to keep any player busy for some time. The Grand Prix is the main attraction, numerous events comprising of 4 races. As always, the starting class is the slowest. Traditionally, this has always been a bit of a drag. Ridge Racer becomes more alive as you move up through each of the classes. Saying that, the beginner class isn’t quite as slow as it has been in the past and it may just surprise you. I managed to win each event at the 1st attempt but that’s not to say the opponents didn’t keep me on my toes from time to time.
Graphically the game is pretty without being startling. It doesn’t feel any further ahead of the PSP version but that’s nothing to fault it. The 3D adds a bit of depth and isn’t draining on the eyes but it doesn’t add anything to the game. There are times where you can see that the developers have tried to give a 3D thrill, the helicopter coming right at you or confetti flying about but it all sounds better on paper.
It’s Ridge Racer. Again. Despite my reservations, I’ve come to accept I’ll always enjoy a spot of Ridge Racer.
8