No you are not imagining things. One of Sony’s most well-known series by Namco, Ridge Racer has landed on the Xbox 360! Now I know deep down inside Bill must be laughing at the fact that Namco’s arcade racer is now on the 360 and you know what he has a right too. I used to hate seeing PS2 exclusive even though I enjoyed many of their games. So I think it’s sort of funny that old Bill pulled this off. Now for fans that love Ridge Racer, you know what to expect: insane drifting, the strange Japanese girl who is in love with you, and of course the announcer. Nothing has changed and I am just fine with that in the end. It’s a supped up version that plays on the fact that it’s on the 360 at several points in the game.

Now instead of ruining anything let me just say I have seen and heard a few things about this game. Having logged in many hours of game time both offline and online, the game is great if you are a fan of the series. You will see the use of the 360’s graphical abilities put to use and the replays are stunning but keep in mind the game is pure arcade racing. With insanely fast cars and techno tracks, how does it stack up against the other racing games out for the 360? Read the full Ridge Racer 6 review and see.

Gameplay

For any fan that grew up playing Ridge Racer, you are going to notice while the basic formula has not changed, there are a few changes as far as how you play through this version. In the single player mode known as the World Xplorer you will have several paths to take to get to the end. Along the way there are a few different races; for example, the regular free for all where you earn nitro bottles by drifting and let loose with them like crazy though some insanely tight courses. Then there is the reverse nitro races where you start with 2 bursts of nitro and need to fill the meter up or lose them and they won’t fill up unless you are using nitro. Last is the no nitro allowed races which is a little different for fans but offers a real challenge. The map is huge and you can pick to go straight by the numbers and go in order, or mix it up. The map is like a grid and you want to make it to the bonus areas, there is also a red marker in every area. By completing each race in first place and winning every one, you will block off the area. This unlocks a special and usually means a new car.

Okay, it sounds like the same game we have known and love but now here is where they decided to mix things up. You’re whipping butt and earning nitro tanks left and right, then all of a sudden there is a car right on your tail. Shake that dude loose by using up to three nitro boosts all at once and smoke him. You will also notice when using the nitro that a great drift will trigger a nitro boost and the announcer tells you this as well as being informed by the HUD. The car types are the same standard drift which anyone starting out will want to choose then the mild drifting cars and finally the dynamic drifting cars. All of the cars have advantages in certain courses and you will want to learn how to use each one. Each course really shows off the time that was spent to make the single-player mode a good one worth playing. The new map and events offer a variety not seen in a long time for the franchise and I liked that a lot. Taking some liberties Namco has replaced the mini-game with Pac-Man to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the little yellow guy. You will get a chance to play the full version of the game once unlocked and then drive the special Pac-Man car.

Speaking of cars, this new version offers some great looking machines and has more than any game in the series. The real reason to unlock them all, besides the achievements and just to say you own them, is now you can go online and do battle with up to 14 other racers world wide. More on that in the Xbox Live section though. Ridge Racer 6 is a well presented game and is huge! Not everyone will enjoy the racing style and after playing NFS: Most Wanted or PGR 3 it will take time to get used to just going for speed and those long drifts, but this is the type of game you can pop in play for a few hours an then return to it. It offers a fast-paced competition and the arcade feel that fans enjoy. Some may be taken back by this and think it’s too arcade like. Others will simply enjoy it and want to try and beat the single-player mode and then move on to the online mode. They did not just add those modes and then stop time. Trials are back as well as the single race options and they even added a 2-player split screen mode. Ridge Racer 6 has plenty to offer and while it will appeal to the arcade fans, it certainly shows that it fits in the Xbox 360 launch of titles and was well done.

Control / Playability

Namco laid out the controls to go perfect with the new 360 controller. Your basic left trigger = brake, right trigger = gas, and hitting the B , Y or X will determine how many nitro bottles are used at one time. You also have the option of manual or automatic transition and to change the control layout as well as choosing to race with an inside or outside view of the car. The controls are very responsive and the learning curve will be about 10 minutes for long time fans and about 15-30 for those starting out. All in all the controls are excellent and laid out perfectly, no complaints at all!

Xbox Live

Ridge Racer features a basic lobby with the option to search for those who match your skill levels or just OptiMatch and jump in to start racing. There was a bit of a lag issue, but this has been resolved and is not still a factor and with all the graphics going on like fireworks as well as up to 8-14 cars it’s impressive. You can earn achievements online as well which will make those who are going for a total point score happy. No issues with the voice online either but I will warn you most of the rooms are die-hard fans who play every night and the competition is tough.

Finding a game that suits your racing level is easy enough, but it can be a bit intimidating to enter a room and get beat by everyone. It seems the game has generated its own leagues and competitions, although unofficial so you may be asked to leave to allow for the tournament to start. The game is smooth online and while not perfect offers something a bit different for those who are in need of a break other Xbox Live racers. Namco has really impressed me with the game and while not perfect it’s a great showing for them.

Graphics / Presentation

While allot was added like helicopters and fireworks, the graphics do have a few issues. It’s not the most graphically enhanced title and if you look hard enough at times there are a few things that could have been polished up before release, nothing major though. They really did shine in the way of the replays using 6 different views including the helicopter angle which really is impressive. For those starting out, you may want to watch a replay of a race if you were beat offline and see what or where you need to adjust or if you over used the drifting. The neon-like look at night is great although there are a few courses that have some blind spots. There is a map but when going at a high-rate of speed, it can become difficult to use, this should have been fixed. Other than that the graphics are great the replays look fantastic. Every car you earn looks different and will respond differently.

Audio

You will want to play the game without streaming music first to enjoy the soundtracks in the game, all are well done, and then adjust the sound sand start streaming tunes later or you’re going to miss out. Each car has a unique sound and you can hear when someone close to you fires off some nitro. Of course the announcer is great and really is into the role, but at times will say things that will cause you to want to just turn him off. He adds to the game but just certain keywords are overused. At the same time he really has some great lines and will cue you in to unlocking the secret achievements without holding your hand. If he sounds familiar to fans of the series, he has done the latest PSP and DS versions and the last Ridge Racer game to hit the big consoles. The tunes in the game are all techno and date back from past versions and some new mixes and fit the action of the gameplay perfectly. I liked the tunes but after a while I needed to stream my own music. They did a great job overall in the audio part of the game. There are a few special things that will unlock later in the game and I don’t want to spoil it for those who have not reached that point yet.

Replay Value

Arcade racing fans and long time fans of the series will get the most out of this one. However, Namco made this to introduce arcade-style racing to those who may not have played the series. It is enjoyable and easy to play. As huge as the single-player mode is and the addition of a split screen mode and an online mode, the game is loaded with replay value.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.2/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

I am pleased that Namco released one of my personal favorites onto the 360 and I am hoping this is a sign of things to come. Ridge Racer is strictly an arcade racer plain and simple but requires some real skill to be good at it. The new courses, the chance to race online and the new cars make this one a must for any fan of the old Ridge Racing series.

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