Ridge Racer Review - PS1

If Ridge Racer DS, Madden NFL 2005, and Super Mario DS are any indication, we should expect to see quite a few Nintendo 64 ports on Nintendo's touch screen handheld. Ridge Racer DS is a near-identical translation of 2000’s Ridge Racer 64, a title that marked the first time Namco’s celebrated racing franchise appeared on a Nintendo platform. Though Ridge Racer has shifted gears from a bulky gray cartridge to a piece of flash memory not much bigger than a piece of Corn Chex cereal, the DS version adds more vehicles, a new control scheme, and revs up the simultaneous multiplayer action from four to six. We recently took Ridge Racer DS out for a spin to see if it was road worthy or in need of an oil change.

Relics from the Past

Namco’s Ridge Racer (1995) was an arcade and console hit that helped catapult the original PlayStation to superstar status soon after its launch. The series has since seen numerous sequels, but the gameplay has never wavered from two basic principles: keep a heavy foot on the accelerator, and master the power slide or drift technique to coast around corners. Ridge Racer DS retains most of Ridge Racer 64’s strengths, with colorful graphics, a smooth frame rate, a healthy number of courses, and cars featuring logos and names from such classic quarter-munchers as Mappy, Pac-Man, and Galaga. Yet it fails to address some of the original’s shortcomings, namely the limited play modes and linear structure, and it throws in a flaw that wasn’t present in the N64 cart: dodgy control.

Clear-Cut Competition

Game modes in Ridge Racer DS are identical to its N64 forebear and include quick play, grand prix, car battle, and time attack, all of which are for solo players. Grand prix is a series of 20 races against 11 computer-controlled opponents. These races are divided into stages, with the majority of stages spanning three races apiece.  In order to advance to the next stage, players must place first on each course. Completing a stage also opens up faster cars to unlock in the car battle mode, a straightforward one-on-one race against the computer. Win this race and the car will become available for use in the other modes. Time attack lets players choose a course, the number of laps, and car before trying to break their best time records, while quick play is a single race on a novice course.

Wheel of Hate

The touch-screen part of the handheld is used as a control option, with a large steering wheel taking up the majority of the screen’s real estate. Players can “turn” the wheel using either the stylus or the thumb, but it’s an extremely difficult task when compared to the default digital controls. Instead of sliding your thumb left or right, you often have to arc your movements to manipulate the round steering wheel. This is a huge source of frustration during some of the more twisting courses in the game, and it’s very easy to overcompensate for your mistakes. In other words, you’ll be crashing into more guardrails than Billy Joel on a rainy night. Digital control is certainly not perfect (the constant tapping motion wears on your thumb), but it’s easier to adjust to than the touch-screen. Unfortunately, there’s no option to view a rear-view mirror or a larger map on the bottom screen when using the control pad -- you still get the steering wheel.

Handsome Hills, Good-looking Gulches

The visuals in Ridge Racer DS are more pixilated than in the N64 version, but you’ll witness things like light trails from taillights while in tunnels and a number of animated vehicles like planes, helicopters, trains, and even trucks rumbling across overpasses. Courses are divided into three themed areas: the familiar urban cityscape popularized in the earlier Ridge Racer games; the more scenic Northwest; and the desert climate of the Southwest. The game runs smoothly throughout each course, and though there are occasionally seams appearing along the road, the trip is free from unsightly pop-up or other graphical hiccups. While most of the themed courses are similar in appearance, there are enough embellishments to make each race feel different even if the format isn’t.

Weak Finish?

Ridge Racer DS is a fun arcade-style racing game that could have benefited from more features, like the ability to customize cars (you can only choose color and transmission type), compete in tournaments, or embark on a dynamic career mode with cash prizes instead of trophies. The control takes some getting used to, and the aggressive computer AI can be annoying, but the ability to compete against up to five other friends is a nice feature even if it may be a bit impractical. Simulation fans should steer well clear of this title, with its pinball-like physics and strong aversion to braking, but Ridge Racer DS gets good mileage from its vibrant graphics and competitive, vigorously-paced action.