Republished on Saturday, 18th March, 2023: We’re bringing this evaluation again from the archives following the announcement of March 2023’s PS Plus line up. The unique textual content follows.
Push Sq. has contemplated the infancy of 3D console graphics in the course of the 32-bit period, and mirrored that the ageing course of was not at all times visually form, particularly to PS1 launch video games. Some early titles like Leaping Flash! conceal their pixelated wrinkles behind shiny colors and plain fashions, whereas others like Battle Enviornment Toshinden appear creaky with well-worn textures at the moment. Due to this fact, it feels nice to evaluation Ridge Racer Kind 4 — often known as R4: Ridge Racer Kind 4 in Japan and North America — as a result of Namco’s arcade drift racer has aged splendidly inside the context of the capabilities of the fifth era, since its European launch on the tail finish of PS1’s lifespan in 1999.
The December 1998 preview — throughout the identical month because the Japanese launch of R4 — in Difficulty 113 of Digital Gaming Month-to-month journal titled ‘One thing To Lastly Kick Gran Turismo’s Ass’ defined that, “the Ridge Racers have at all times been about high-speed motion fairly than technical accuracy. R4 can be no completely different, however will push the very limits of the PlayStation by way of graphical presentation. Rumoured to be Namco’s final sport for Sony’s field (as a result of the system cannot be pushed any more durable).”
As reinforcement to EGM’s level, in John Linneman’s frankly superlative protection of outdated video games for DF Retro — on this case a technical evaluation video about Ridge Racer Kind 4 on Digital Foundry — he praises it as among the finest wanting racing video games on the platform, describing an environment exceptional on the PlayStation. He applauds the pre-rendered introduction film with mascot Reiko Nagase as being magical in 1999, and commends the sport for persistently hitting its goal of 30fps.
Namco has added particulars to the eight programs within the Actual Racing Roots ’99 Grand Prix by setting Ridge Racer Kind 4 throughout seasons from Could to December in 1999, and the builders have related the monitor design’s places collectively, whether or not the programs are in Japan or America. For instance, should you take a look at the left aspect of the circuit format for the Could early-evening, peach sunset-lit Wonderhill course, after which evaluate it to the November afternoon mint-blue sky setting of the Heaven and Hell monitor, you may discover they share a portion of one another’s Japanese, Fukuoka circuits. You will presumably realise the tracks hyperlink collectively subconsciously, ranging from whenever you drive below the cables of the suspension bridge.
This makes the programs extra memorable, as does the roadside surroundings that pertains to Namco’s gaming heritage. Consequently, Race 1 of the Remaining GP is named Phantomile — named after the wonderful PS1 2.5D platformer Klonoa: Door to Phantomile — and as you race alongside to a tune referred to as Motor Species with a pulse-rate pumping bass, you may cross each Pac-Man and Pooka from Dig Dug peering over billboards. The race earlier than this additionally shares a Yokohama backdrop, however this time the Out of Blue course has a relaxing and relaxed vibe due to the stunning Lucid Rhythms piano tune as your automotive powerslides across the ridge of a harbour, previous a lighthouse, beneath the gliding seagulls.
All of this ambiance builds in direction of Ridge Racer Kind 4’s eighth and final course — Taking pictures Hoops set in Los Angeles — as Race 4 of the Remaining GP is ready at 11:45pm on New Yr’s Eve, in 1999. The announcer declares, “Okay it’s the ultimate lap, maintain your cool”, and you’re feeling cool drifting by way of a night-time cityscape, previous a helicopter with a highlight. In case you look upwards you may see Galaxian enjoying on the overhead display, because the vocalist sings “transferring to the beat, Ridge Racer” within the music Movin’ in Circles. You will even have refined your driving expertise by realising that you do not essentially have to brake or drift at throughout Taking pictures Hoops’ corners, so you may preserve your automotive’s most velocity.
After a wonderful hour it is satisfying whenever you beat the Grand Prix to place your toes up, and relish the funky finish credit tune Ridge Racer (One Extra Win). You may then have a good time your victory by way of appreciation of the beautiful digital dance soundtrack, together with the vocals of Kimara Lovelace, and the musical contributions of composers like Hiroshi Okubo. At this level chances are you’ll effectively declare your love for this PS1 racing sport.
The basic Ridge Racer quick arcade-style racing gameplay is unbroken, regardless that it is not truly primarily based on a coin-op. Therefore, the AI of competing racing groups continues to be aggressive and they’ll block you from passing, or side-barge you into tunnel partitions. The leaders of the racing pack are notably desperate to cease you from overtaking, however the problem curve is gratifyingly balanced. Regardless, your nerves will nonetheless construct as in the course of the second warmth you will need to end a minimum of in second place, and within the ultimate spherical’s final 4 races you will need to at all times end first.
Fittingly, you may nonetheless hinder your AI rivals by watching your rear view mirror within the inside automotive view, and drift round them as you grasp the responsive controls. You may also select the Grip methodology of automotive dealing with the place you cut back velocity utilizing the accelerator to time clearing a pointy nook, however most Ridge Racer followers will clearly choose the Drift methodology of turning sharply into the curve and setting the tail of the automotive right into a satisfying slide, because it’s synonymous with the sequence.
Though it roughly takes lower than one hour to finish all eight programs within the Grand Prix, there’s additionally a unique story for every of the 4 groups, and they’re assigned a set problem primarily based upon the tuning of their automobiles. Due to this fact, say you beat the sport with the Regular tuning of Pac Racing Membership (PRC) — and uncover why its supervisor Yazaki is obsessed in regards to the loss of life of an ace driver referred to as Giuliano — you may nonetheless have three different group tales to play by way of. You may then attempt the Laborious problem of Solvalou, or the Skilled tuning of Dig Racing Staff (DRT).
There are three important save sport factors scattered all through the Grand Prix, though it is advisable to manually save your sport straight after you beat the eight tracks to maintain any automobiles or modes that you’ve got unlocked. You may unlock a complete of 321 racing automobiles (together with a hidden automotive that may be a massive Pac-Man on wheels), in addition to an Additional Trial mode, and reverse tracks for Time Assault and Vs Battle multiplayer showdowns. The Vs Battle is a fundamental split-screen one-on-one race on a single course, the place you may configure the variety of laps and assign as much as two laptop managed automobiles — which retains the monitor from feeling too empty, however would not issue into the results of the precise two-player race.
An additional little bit of celebratory Champagne cork popping for players was the inclusion of a separate Ridge Racer Hello-Spec Demo disc included in Ridge Racer Kind 4’s sport field, which was a enjoyable bonus, with an up to date 60fps and gouraud shaded conversion of the unique 1993 arcade sport. In any case, enjoying Ridge Racer Kind 4 once more is a reminder of how nice gaming was in 1999. It is the head of the 4 Ridge Racer video games on PS1, and compares favourably when pitted towards the competitors of Daytona USA and Sega Rally Championship on the Saturn. Due to this fact, rekindling reminiscences of arcade racing by way of a superb PS1 sport that has aged in addition to Ridge Racer Kind 4 could give you a glimpse of feeling R4-ever younger.
Conclusion
Namco’s builders have been adept at squeezing nice technical performances out of the 32-bit PlayStation — particularly with late fifth era video games like Tekken 3 — and in 1999 Ridge Racer Kind 4 stayed steadily on monitor at attaining its 30fps goal and slick circuit designs. The ambiance from course particulars provides fine-tuning to the graphics, which is boosted by an impressive dance soundtrack by musicians like Hiroshi Okubo, with further pizzazz supplied by Kimara Lovelace’s vocals. The arcade-style gameplay delivered a enjoyable and quick distinction to Gran Turismo’s sim racing, and it confidently tail-slid alongside the most effective Nintendo 64 and SEGA Saturn drift and blue sky racers. As a Namco racing sport it holds pole place amongst the 4 PS1 Ridge Racer titles, placing the pedal to the metallic en path to Ridge Racer Kind 4 changing into a real PlayStation basic.
