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Jun 07 2005
Ridge Racer Review
PSP Game Review | Racing
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| Summary: This is a launch title?! Wow...
95
I have to agree with some of the other reviewers that this is the best racing game I've played. Wipeout XL held the title for years, and Burnout 3 was close, but this game keeps me coming back, and I keep catching myself sitting in front of my PC/consoles playing a quick game of Ridge Racer PSP.
For those who don't know Ridge Racer at all, this is an arcade racer, not one of those uncontrollable "simulation" games where you spend most of your time building and fixing the car. Basically, you pick your car speed class (unlockable), and choose between 3 drift types: balanced, small easy drifts, or long, sustainable, harder to exit drifts, then you pick a track and race. It seems GRiP cars are gone from this title, but I never used them and didn't know anyone who did, so they were probably dropped due to lack of popularity.
Speaking of arcade racers, there is still no car damage. I haven't played Ridge Racer since R4, but in comparison to it, I noticed that it's definitely easier to go in and out of drifts, and colliding with opponents doesn't hurt as much, though it will still often send them flying into the lead. You seem largely invincible while drifting, and once I got to class 4, I would often drift into someone's rear bumper, or clip the walls with minor, or at least believable slowdown. Your car still collides with that "3D model" feel, but if you're a Ridge Racer fan, you're probably used to it now. For me, it's a minor thing, but if you tend to race by smashing your opponents off the road or spinning them out, it won't work here! Just like a real race, you don't try to kill the other competitors.
This game has a nice selection of cars, lots of tracks including the best of the older games, graphically pumped up for PSP, and a ton of tours to keep you busy. It also has a custom tour mode that lets you tell it how long you want to play, and it'll make a tour to fit the time slot! Carrying on the Ridge Racer loading game tradition, this one comes with Pole Position. Overall, this is a game you don't have to be afraid of tearing into and beating in a day - you'll get your money's worth and then some!
It also has several discs worth of BGM including 2 of classic tracks, 1 remix, and 2 of original tunes. If you like Namco's sound team, you'll love this game for this too.
Graphics - Generally, I don't care as long as they're not horrible - these ones are great, and it seems like you're playing a pocket PS2! I'd elaborate, but go look at some screenshots! 
Load times are good too, usually only a few seconds. I actually disabled the startup mini-game because it loads fast enough as it is.
Sleep mode - Most games I've seen have no issues on any version of the PSP, but just to clarify, you can even put your PSP to sleep in the middle of a loading screen with no ill effect. I've never seen this game glitch out or crash.
Other stuff: This version has a "nitrous" boost that you fill up by doing high-speed drifts. It doesn't fill like crazy, but isn't hard to get either. I find it doesn't hurt the gameplay, and the AIs seem to use it a reasonable amount, probably earning it the same way you do.
Overall, think of it as the best of the Ridge Racer series, collected and improved a bit for good measure. I've heard of other projects along these lines, like Burnout Legends, so if Ridge Racer is an indicator of what's to come, the PSP will be a must-have even for non-portable gamers.
REVIEW IT
PRODUCT INFO
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Comments
06/07/05
13 
captain
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| Ontario Canada
I still haven't played this game. The whole 'drifting' concept turns me off. Am I REALLY missing out?
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06/07/05
2
radius
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captain said: "I still haven't played this game. The whole 'drifting' concept turns me off. Am I REALLY missing out?"
Well you don't dritft on straight line ^^ (but you can), but if you don't like drifts don't get it, I like this game exept it still has the old ridge racers problems like crappy colisions; when you drift the car is on a "rail" even if you turn the wrong side it drifts to the right side; no reverse gear etc ^^edited: Jun 07 2005
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06/07/05
19
Agent808
| Hawaii USA
gameplay gets repetative and it doesnt feel like much changes throughout. its fun and the graphics and framerates are beautiful, but after a while you will see that its just endless drifiting so you can charge up as much nitro as possible to win races. i wish that you could modify some apecs of the car and that made me enjoy NSFU much more. ridge racer is still a great game, but more to rent and play for a few days rather than spending 30-40 dollars buying it.
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06/07/05
10
sp1083
| Ohio USA
Go to CCCheats.com and go into the PSP area, there is a "cheat code" to enable nitros at all times if you push select I believe while the course loads up. That way you don't have to 'drift' all the time if you don't feel like it.
Also the RR Saves section of this forum has a saved file that enables all the special cars, puts a whole new twist to the game. I love the PacMan Lego car, slow at first but gets up to over 175 mph on those block tires......freakin' hilarious!!
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06/08/05
5
jcgamer60
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yes captain you are missing out racing isnt the only thing that makes this game great.
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06/08/05
14
slb
| California USA
I think so too - this is a great game, one that you can pop in and play wherever you are...I've played nothing but this since I got it.
I think it's excellent, and you can avoid drifting a lot, but in the pro tour, you need to as the "unlimited nitro" is only good in single race and one other mode.
SB
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06/08/05
10
sp1083
| Ohio USA
Good point slb, forgot to mention that.
However the "saves" option on this forum gave me a great advantage to play the quick races with whatever car I wanted.
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