![]() This disc features two versions of Ridge Racer: a 60 frames per second, high-resolution, smooth-as-silk game and the original 30 frames per second. And we guess that's what Namco's intention was when they included the original Ridge Racer in the package with R4 as a bonus disc. The evolution of the Ridge Racer series is pretty obvious when you look at them side-by-side. The game also features a two-player one-on-one split-screen mode when the Grand Prix mode gets a little old ¿ after all, once you've gone through all four difficulty levels of the Grand Prix mode, the only reason to go through them again is to be a collector of cars. Once you've passed them you can easily box them out by keeping an eye on your rear view mirror ¿ unless you're a major klutz, once you've passed an opponent they'll usually never pass you. Computer opponents, on the other hand, are not as bright as they can be. Granted, cars with better grip can turn better without sliding, and cars with more drift can powerslide like a dream, so it's up to you to choose the path of how you plan to handle the turns on the track. A few times around the track and you'll figure out which turns are the best to accelerate through and which to powerslide around. There are two main strategies in the Grand Prix mode: learning all the track curves, and learning how the computer AI reacts. It makes it handy to earn all the extra cars that way. ![]() All the cars that you earn are yours to keep ¿ you'll be able to save them on your memory card, and if you have a PocketStation, you can transfer your earned cars to other PocketStation owners through a downloadable application. If you fail to meet the qualification more than four times, the game is over. The Grand Prix mode is segmented into eight challenges across eight different tracks, each one having a specific qualifying criteria (must finish at least in a certain position). ![]() The challenge is to start with a pathetic car from one of four car manufacturers (each with its own special capabilities) and as you progress through the ranks you're awarded a better car from that manufacturer with higher top speed, better handling, or both. In it, you assume the role of a professional racer who must decide which team to work for ¿ there are four to choose from, and picking one essentially decides your difficulty level. Powersliding, for example, plays just as huge an element as it always did, though in real racing you'd be suicidal to try and pull off these maneuvers ¿ if you were talented enough to do so. Instead, the game flows extremely fast with an amazing amount of energy, while still keeping a sense of creative realism. Though the game's 321 vehicles aren't based on any real-world automobile, this is almost a godsend since the development team wasn't tied down with statistical details to conform to. Realism in VR ¿ it's a bitch to use since what may be accurate may not feel right. This meant that the cars, though moving at 120+ miles per hour, didn't feel like they were cruising as fast as they should. Gran Turismo kept it as real as possible ¿ each car, modeled after a real-life vehicle, reacted as true-to-life as possible. While, sure, the development team has designed a racing engine that feels energetic and realistic, the team has taken a bit of creative license when it comes to how cars react on the track. Ridge Racer has always been about arcade racing, and R4 is no exception. ![]() Gameplay Take all that you've learned about Gran Turismo and throw it out the window. Which is indeed what the company did when it set out to design Ridge Racer Type 4 (R4). And with Polyphony's Gran Turismo stealing the racing spotlight the past year, it was time for Namco to give its series a huge shot in the arm. ![]() But the same complaint from the original still retained: very few tracks. As the series continued over the PlayStation's life, going from Ridge Racer Revolution to Rage Racer, so did the graphic and gameplay quality, while still retaining the original's arcade playability. ![]()
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