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Ridge Racer DS
"Rubber burning races"
Developer: NST
Publisher: Namco
Genre: Racing
Year released: 2004
Number of Players: 1-6 simultaneous (Single and Multi-Pak)
ESRB: Rated E (Mild Suggestive Themes)
Save: Game Card
Misc: N/A
Namco�s Ridge Racer began life in arcades, and then appeared on Sony�s PlayStation console. Since then, all five Ridge Racer titles have appeared on a Sony console. However, in 2000, the Nintendo 64 received its own Ridge Racer title, Ridge Racer 64, developed by NST. Now, with the release of Nintendo�s new handheld, the Nintendo DS, NST has ported its hit N64 to the portable, with a few new features and unlockables. How good is this port? Read on.
Visuals:
Ridge Racer DS looks exactly like its N64 predecessor that it was based on. Not worse, and unfortunately, not any better. The graphics definitely could have been refined a bit. Just look at Super Mario 64 DS; it looks better than the N64 version. Nevertheless, Ridge Racer DS still looks pretty good. Screenshots don�t do the game justice; you have to play the game to see it in action. The frame rate is also smooth, never really dipping down at all, even when you�re racing against eleven opponents.
Sounds:
The background music in RR DS is fairly good. The tunes aren�t really that memorable, but they do a good job in giving that arcade feel. The sound effects are also not bad. They�re not spectacular, but they get the job done too. And it wouldn�t be a Ridge Racer game without that overexcited announcer. Yep, he�s in here, and he just as hyper as ever. He can get quite annoying, because he always points out the obvious (�Having engine trouble?�, �It�s the final stretch!�, �You�re the champion!�), but yeah, like I said, it wouldn�t be a Ridge Racer game without him.
Gameplay:
The gameplay remains largely unchanged from the N64 version. You still race across several different courses, and attempt to beat all the other racers. And by beat all the other racers, I mean ALL of them. You must get in first place to win and unlock the next track/new car (if applicable). If not, you�ll have to race again. The AI can sometimes get brutal and downright unfair at times. There were a few instances where cars would intentionally ram into me, and other times where cars would come out of nowhere and zoom right pass me. But, as long as you can make quick turns and such, you should be fine for the most part. There are several courses in the game, each unlocked as you complete the previous course. The courses have only four different backgrounds, so you�ll be racing on different courses that share the same backgrounds at times, which isn�t bothersome, really. Oh yes, the top screen shows all the action and such, and the Touch Screen displays the map, lap times, and also a large steering wheel used for the stylus and thumbstrap control options.
And now to the controversial issue with Ridge Racer DS: the controls. There are three options available: playing with the D-pad, playing with the stylus, and playing using the thumbstrap. I find the controls to be easiest to hardest in this order: D-Pad, thumbstrap, and then stylus. The D-Pad mode is easiest for me because I feel I have more control over my car. The thumbstrap mode is the closest to having analog controls, though I still felt that I had more control using the D-Pad. And the stylus mode is just too hard to control, in my opinion. I was going all over the place when I tested that mode out. Each player will have their own preference, but I have reason to believe that most will prefer the D-Pad, some will like the thumbstrap controls, and a very small, select (and ballsy) few will like playing using the stylus.
Replayability:
The single player mode will offer some entertainment for a bit of time. Unlocking all of the tracks and cars in the game is definitely a challenge. If you get bored of attempting to do all that, you can try setting times in the Time Attack mode. But it�s recommended that you play the multiplayer mode. It can be played with multi or single pak play. With multi-pak play, everyone can choose any of the cars they�ve unlocked and play on any of the tracks one has unlocked. In single-pak play, you�re limited to choosing from a handful of cars and only the hosting DS with the RR DS game card will have most of the sound effects and such. But with single-pak play, you can definitely have some entertaining races with your buddies if they don�t own the game. It�s also a good way for them to sample the game, so perhaps they may end up picking the game up.
Bottom Line:
Ridge Racer DS is a fun racing game, but as much as I don�t like to admit it, the controls are definitely an acquired taste. If you think you can get used to them, you�ll be fine. If not, then you should probably save your money for another DS game. But with a challenging single player mode, and a fun multiplayer mode, Ridge Racer DS is recommended for those looking for an arcade racer for their DS.
Final Score: B
Also recommended...
Ridge Racer 64 (N64)
Asphalt: Urban GT (NDS)
Ridge Racer V (PS2)
Did You Know�?
- Many of the unlockable cars in the game have art featuring classic Namco and Nintendo franchises, such as Pac-Man, Xevious, and Donkey Kong.
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