Pure Driving Excellence

When Ridge Racer 64 first appeared at E3, the game was clumsy, unwieldy, and almost unplayable. It cast doubt over not only on the game, but also on first-time developers NSTC. (Namco had nothing to do with the game’s development.) When the game finally arrived at the stores, it was received so badly that Nintendo decided not to release it in its native Japan.

So, how does the game fare, after all this negative press? Very well, in fact.

Ridge Racer 64 ‘s greatest asset is its gameplay –all its other features depend on it. The game has only three courses, (Ridge Racer, Revolution, and the N64-exclusive Renegade) with three tracks each –forming a grand total of nine tracks. Even adding the "Extra" tracks, (which are the normal tracks put backwards) the total is 18 tracks. In the face of World Driver Championship’s 30 circuits, and F-Zero X’s random track generator, RR64 is certainly lacking.

The game has plenty of features, although some are more useful than others. First, there is the Quick Play option, in which you are automatically given a specific, unchanging car and track (Revolution Novice) for you to race. It is useful in the beginning when you are learning the basics, but soon becomes redundant.

Then there’s the Grand Prix –the main part of the game- in which you must, as all other racing games, come in first place in the race. There are eight stages in total compromising (mainly) of three races each. As you beat each stage, you unlock the next stage, with the next three tracks, and so on. Closely associated to it is the Car Attack mode, in which you race against a car on a particular track to unlock it.

Finally, there is the compulsory (and quite addictive) Time Attack mode, in which you race alone on any track to beat your best times. A few other features to mention: you can also change the collision and drift modes from past Ridge Racer games, and customize the screen to your liking.

Nintendo’s main selling point (judging from the box) is that RR64 features an "exclusive 4-player mode". Unsurprisingly, in this mode you race against three other players either in just one track, or a complete stage, individually or in teams. It is very well done, although, much like GoldenEye, the tracks lose some detail, and when all four players are present, there is no engine sound, which makes racing somewhat eerie. A definite plus is that you can choose from among four screen layouts for racing.

The game is drenched in nostalgia: there are hundreds of banners and images along the courses displaying a wide range of Namco’s greatest hits, from Galaxian and Pac-Man to even obscure platformer Mappy.

And it does not stop at that: the game itself could be called "The Best of Ridge Racer", as it has features from all past Ridge Racer games. The Ridge Racer and Revolution courses from the first two games, the handling adapted from Rage Racer, and the graphics from Ridge Racer Type 4.

Ridge Racer 64 prides itself on being a "true" arcade game, which is both its strength and weakness. First, the bad news: Ridge Racer 64 is not a very long game. With a distinct lack of tracks, by the time you have finished the third stage in the Grand Prix mode, you will have seen 95 percent of what the game has to offer, even if the later stages (especially the Ridge Racer Extreme course) get to be exceptionally difficult.

On the bright side, NSTC have polished the gameplay mechanics to perfection: the cars handle like a dream, and the drift turning has been done extremely well. The lack of courses also has a plus side: every single one of the tracks has been masterfully crafted to be truly distinct. Additionally, they have provided some of the most beautiful graphics for a racing game, most noticeably with the cars’ streaking lights in the night courses.

The sound is also accomplished, with various non-intrusive and even pleasing techno/electronica pieces. The commentator is also a nice touch, even if he gets on your nerves sometimes.

Overall, NSTC have proven themselves to be among the best game developers in the world with Ridge Racer 64. Not only have they produced an excellent port of the very popular game, they have also succeeded in making the best racing game on the console. So do yourself a favor and go buy this fantastic game –last I heard they were selling it at the bargain price of $15.