Ridge Racer 7 – Lacto’s Post-Work High-Speed Unwind (29-1-2024)

#PS3 #RidgeRacer7 #drifting

On work days these days I often get home late, which leaves little time for gaming. The odd 30 minutes here and there. So I tend to ‘drift’ towards arcade games that are easier to pick up and have a go at than some involved adventure game which I tend to leave for moments that I have more disposable free time. The Ridge Racer series of racing games get’s picked often despite their severe lack of realism they’re great arcade racers.

Some of my favourites among the many releases are
-Ridge Racer (1993): The original game that premiered the series in the arcade and on PlayStation. With only 4 cars and 3 tacks it does lack content but for the day it was considered quite realistic with the techno music sound track and drifting/powerslide mechanics.

-Rage Racer (1996): The third one in the series, it features a money/credit system allowing purchasing as well as upgrading cars. Four car manufacturers to choose from and it features a story mode. It premiered quite a few features or provided glimpes of them that can be found on arguably the best game in the series…

– R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 (1998): The 4th and last installment on the original Playstation and arguably the best one in the series. It has an elaborate story mode that followed four racing teams, each with their own cars, drivers, and endings. It also had a grand prix mode that offered 320 different car variations and eight tracks. It had amazing visuals with gouraud shading, a fancy camera system. It was received well.

– Ridge Racer 64 (2000): The first and only Ridge Racer game on the Nintendo 64. A must have if you own a N64 and like the series. It’s quite unique compared to the others on PlayStation but it is a real Ridge Racer. The NTSC version is a lot smoother and plays better than the PAL release.

– Ridge Racer V (2000): The launch title for the PlayStation 2, was a huge step up in the design of the tracks and the surrounding areas. It has many cars, a lot of tracks. The graphics engine uses some weird interlaced mode that ensured fast action on the screen but is rather jarring on the eyes these days. The garage mode allowed for a lot of customization. It was rather short, not that difficult and R4 On PSOne I feel is superior still.

– RIDGE RACER 6 (2005)
Released on XBox 360. It was more elaborate than the PS2 release but only ran at 720p. Quite a few folk didn’t appreciate the game-series departure from PlayStation onto the Microsoft console.

– RIDGE RACER 7 (2006)
Released in 2006 for the PlayStation 3. It is the seventh main installment in the Ridge Racer series. Some would argue the games are identical and that if you own the 360 version your money is wasted on the PS3 version but there are some stark differences in graphics, features, and gameplay that make it the superior game. Some of the main differences are:
– Ridge Racer 7 supports 1080p resolution, while Ridge Racer 6 only supports 720p (the PS3 being superior to the 360 here).
– Ridge Racer 7 has a customization mode, where the player can modify the car’s body and engine, while Ridge Racer 6 does not have this feature.
– Ridge Racer 7 has a 3D mode, which was added in 2010 as a patch, that allows the game to be played in stereoscopic 3D, while the XBox360 doesn’t have any 3D features like the PS3 had.
– Ridge Racer 7 has more cars and courses than Ridge Racer 6.
– Ridge Racer 7 has a global ranking system, where the player can earn fame points, credits, and online battle points, while Ridge Racer 6 has a single race mode.
– Ridge Racer 7 has a slightly different art style than Ridge Racer 6, with more details and less blur.

I prefer the PS3 version as it has evolved after the 6th outing on Xbox360 and does feel more current. So today I play PS3.

The Ridge Racer game series is a classic example of how a racing game can evolve and adapt to different platforms, generations, and audiences. I am among its loyal fan base and can appreciate the arcade-style gameplay but I am also a huge fan of the more simalator Gran Turismo series. 🏁

Sources:
(1) Wikipedia.
(2) GameFAQs on gamespot
(3) Personal memories

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