Support NeoGAF

[metsallica]

I'm really digging this game, it has a great sense of speed! I'm only up to the 5th Category 3 race and already have no idea how I'm going to be able to tame 2 or 1!

 

[Naked Snake]

this game takes on a whole new level of awesome once you unlock the faster cars. Hot damn.

 

[swerve]

So late to this party but just picked this up to start the hype for 3DS now that the games are coming, and man I wish I had got this not SF4 as my launch title. At first I was underwhelmed, but after an hour of racing I became hooked and I spent all day yesterday listening to her say SLIPSTREAM over and over and over, and loving it every time.

It looks great, the slide pad is great, and sure it was clearly rushed for launch (some of the text is wrong and some overshoots the graphics) but it gives me great hope for future racers on 3DS.

Finally, I'm starting to get a good feeling towards my 3DS.

 

[Android18a]

So this is my favourite Ridge Racer after R4 now. Wonderful.

I wish it had some R4 tracks, though. And where is Movin' in Circles on the OST??

 

[Naked Snake]

Love to see this thread bumped. The more I play this game the more I fall in love with it (currently about 30% in Gran Prix mode). This game is giving me such a rush and making me say things like "Man, I love games!"

 

[Nexus Zero]

Ridge Racer 3D is fantastic. Still my only title but I have a couple of races every day.

The one thing that ruins it is the lack of image filtering. I don't see any evidence of this "free AA" that the 3D effect is meant to produce and I think the lack of AA actually harms it. Also, when there are bitty textures in the background they're rendered slightly differently for each eye, and become noticeably easier to look at the closer they come to the camera.

 

[bumpkin]

So this is my favourite Ridge Racer after R4 now. Wonderful.

I wish it had some R4 tracks, though. And where is Movin' in Circles on the OST??

I also noticed a distinct lack of two of my favorite past audio tracks; "Rare Hero" from RR and "Samurai Rocket" from RRV.

 

[The Lamonster]

Does anyone actually use the 3D mode? I used it in my first couple grand prix races, but I've left it disabled for the majority of my play time.

 

[Why would you do that?]

Does anyone actually use the 3D mode? I used it in my first couple grand prix races, but I've left it disabled for the majority of my play time.

I actually do.

I used to not be able to crank up the 3D 100%, but after a day or two, I keep the 3D full blast. It just takes a little getting used to, and those hills will give you mini-freakouts. lol.

 

[:Motorbass]

Does anyone actually use the 3D mode? I used it in my first couple grand prix races, but I've left it disabled for the majority of my play time.

Always at max. It just seems flat to me otherwise. And I think it helps me judging the corners better.

Also, the end credits song is awesome!

 

[Tenbatsu]

I use 3D mode too. Reason being the game look so dam ugly without 3D @_@

 

[swerve]

Yeah, 3D at max, always looking into the far distance. Loving it.

 

[Effect]

I've started to notice I actually do worse in the races when I have 3D off. It shouldn't have that much of an impact but it does and the game isn't as fun when it's off.

 

[Kuramu]

Bought this at launch and am still playing it. At 46% in grand prix. Once I got a feel for the drifting, it's really satisfying to execute an S curve perfectly.

 

[Boney]

Does anyone actually use the 3D mode? I used it in my first couple grand prix races, but I've left it disabled for the majority of my play time.

Yeah, I use it all the time, game looks great on it, unlike Pilotwings where your character is in the middle so you can't see in front of you, and SF where you move your DS way too much to focus on 3d.

And yeah this game is great, I'm around 60% and some courses are tough.

 

[metsallica]

I can't see the 3D effect (or any 3D effect for that matter), so I play with it off!

I'm around 65% completion now, and am REALLY starting to struggle. I've been using the Evolver Type Z with flex nitrous and even if I run a perfect race I rarely seem to catch the top two cars. Anyone have tips? I shudder to think what the next Grand Prix is like... Up until this point I haven't had too much trouble placing first, but now my pattern has been 2nd and 3rd place finishes, winning the event, then going back to mop up. Said mop up sessions can often take 10-20 restarts before I eke out a first!

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

My fave of the 3DS launch games. No online still sucks, but the 1p modes are great.

And I always play with 3D about 3/4 of the way up. Tried switching to 2D to save some battery the other day and I also started screwing up all over the place, kind of surprised me.

 

[Phife Dawg]

Does anyone actually use the 3D mode? I used it in my first couple grand prix races, but I've left it disabled for the majority of my play time.

Full blast driver cam here, really easy on the eyes and has no effect on the framerate (too bad it's 30 in either case). Only reason to disable it would be to save battery charge but I don't game for long periods of time anyway.

 

[Naked Snake]

I always play with 3D on. Either at Max or a tiny notch below (sometimes the 3D just feels better dialed back just a touch). Sometimes during replays I toggle 3D off and then toggle it back on in disgust.

The question I'm more interested about is whether people use Manual Transmission at all? (some asked that before but don't think anyone answered)... I always played with AT, but tried a couple of recent racers in MT. It was fun and more involved, but definitely more difficult, and I had to change the default button configuration to make it more managable, but it still felt like too much to keep track off.

I can't see the 3D effect (or any 3D effect for that matter), so I play with it off!

I'm around 65% completion now, and am REALLY starting to struggle. I've been using the Evolver Type Z with flex nitrous and even if I run a perfect race I rarely seem to catch the top two cars. Anyone have tips? I shudder to think what the next Grand Prix is like... Up until this point I haven't had too much trouble placing first, but now my pattern has been 2nd and 3rd place finishes, winning the event, then going back to mop up. Said mop up sessions can often take 10-20 restarts before I eke out a first!

Have you tried Auto-Charge Nitros? I tried it just yesterday and it almost feels like cheating. I don't feel bad for using it though cause the game definitely gets tough later on. Prior to that I was mostly using Normal B. Nitros (the one that charges more on normal drifts), and that was working very well too.

 

[metsallica]

I haven't, but I certainly will now! Thanks! I'll follow up with success/failure stories.

 

[Naked Snake]

I also do better with Standard Drift cars (like the RC410) compared to Dynamic Drift cars (like the Evolver), even when the top speed of the RC410 is lower. I do enjoy driving the Evolver but it feels like a raging bull that often goes out of control, while the RC410 almost drives itself around corners.

And a basic tip of course is to ALWAYS keep some nitrous to the final stretch of the race, because that's when the AI will often try to one up you.

 

[metsallica]

I've actually alternated between both as I've progressed through the game, and am slightly better with dynamic drift at this point. Point taken, though! The thrill of just barely holding on as this monster slip-slides along the track is what Ridge Racer is all about!

Definitely been saving nitro for the final stretch, too. With Category 1 races, it feels as if you need to burn some on literally every straightaway to even have a chance.

 

[Naked Snake]

The thrill of just barely holding on as this monster slip-slides along the track is what Ridge Racer is all about!

Yeah feels great going through several successive turns in one continious drift

Definitely been saving nitro for the final stretch, too. With Category 1 races, it feels as if you need to burn some on literally every straightaway to even have a chance.

I don't even know what Category 1 means (I keep seeing it mentioned though)... I'm only about 26% in the Basic Grand Prix (green colored events I think). Edit: Nevermind, just checked, I'm in Category-3 now, so I probably shouldn't be giving you tips

 

[metsallica]

Oh man, you're still in easy mode! Just wait! You have no idea what's in store!

 

[Naked Snake]

I'm looking forward to it! The game is pretty easy so far, 1st place in every race without a sweat (it's my first Ridge Racer). Just finished another event between posts <3

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

I actually found the auto nitrous doesn't fill fast enough for me. Maybe because I drift around *everything* but I'm using 1-3 nitrous on the longest straightways every lap depending on the course. I haven't gotten all that far though, just unlocked class 2 machines.

 

[Kuramu]

The question I'm more interested about is whether people use Manual Transmission at all? (some asked that before but don't think anyone answered)... I always played with AT, but tried a couple of recent racers in MT. It was fun and more involved, but definitely more difficult, and I had to change the default button configuration to make it more managable, but it still felt like too much to keep track off.

I only ever use Manual in any game... it's just more fun. The default settings made it hard to shift and hold down the gas, so I set it up to use the L and R buttons for shift up, down.

 

[butter_stick]

I've just unlocked a fast yellow car. Game has jumped up to awesome.

I've barely played Ridge Racer before, so even if it's a shitty version of the game it's still a ton of fun for me. Dat drift.

 

[Neo Child]

The only other RR game I played was Ridge Racer DS and loved that... tried the PSP version a little bit but wasn't as fast. Will probably pick this up when I get the 3DS in July if it's in the bargain bin, unless Mario Kart is out soon.

 

[dark10x]

The only other RR game I played was Ridge Racer DS and loved that... tried the PSP version a little bit but wasn't as fast. Will probably pick this up when I get the 3DS in July if it's in the bargain bin, unless Mario Kart is out soon.

Ridge Racer DS? Seriously? That's one of the worst "Ridge Racer" games ever made and has nothing to do with the Namco development teams that created the series. RRDS is just a repackage of Ridge Racer 64.

Ridge Racers on PSP is the mold on which all later RR games are built. Ridge Racer 3D is just a continuation of the PSP game, basically. RR6 and RR7 were as well.

My favorite remains Ridge Racer V, actually, but I could see other favoring different games in the series. All except RRDS or RR64, which were not Ridge Racer games. If you didn't like Ridge Racers on PSP you probably won't like the 3DS game either.

 

[Neo Child]

Yeh I realise RRDS gets hate and whatnot, I thought it was a fun arcade racer though.

I won it so it's not like i bought it with an interest in the RR series...barely played any RR games so my opinion probly isnt valid.

 

[dark10x]

Yeh I realise RRDS gets hate and whatnot, I thought it was a fun arcade racer though.

I won it so it's not like i bought it with an interest in the RR series...barely played any RR games so my opinion probly isnt valid.

Well, if you enjoyed RRDS, I'm not here to claim that your opinion isn't valid. That would be ridiculous. I'm simply surprised that you found the PSP game less enjoyable than Ridge Racer DS and wanted to note that the 3DS game is based on the gameplay in the PSP titles.

 

[butter_stick]

Does anyone actually use the 3D mode? I used it in my first couple grand prix races, but I've left it disabled for the majority of my play time.

I turn the 3D off in PES, but for Ridge Racer I think it's the only way to play. The effect can be really impressive at times and never distracts from the gameplay.

 

[Stinkles]

Well, if you enjoyed RRDS, I'm not here to claim that your opinion isn't valid. That would be ridiculous. I'm simply surprised that you found the PSP game less enjoyable than Ridge Racer DS and wanted to note that the 3DS game is based on the gameplay in the PSP titles.

The ability to do 360 spins on the PSP, at will, is one of the best aspects of Ridge racer in the last ten years. So awesome.

 

[Naked Snake]

The ability to do 360 spins on the PSP, at will, is one of the best aspects of Ridge racer in the last ten years. So awesome.

I can do 360 spins in RR3D... ?

 

[Neo Child]

Well, if you enjoyed RRDS, I'm not here to claim that your opinion isn't valid. That would be ridiculous. I'm simply surprised that you found the PSP game less enjoyable than Ridge Racer DS and wanted to note that the 3DS game is based on the gameplay in the PSP titles.

To be honest I never really gave RR on the PSP a chance when my mate had it, also this was back in my hayday of youth when PSP SUXXORED. Y'know.

 

[ShinNL]

Mmmm, guys, I need help. At first I thought of not buying this game, since it looked so bad. I remember Ridge Racer PSP (launch title) looking a lot better, so I don't want to give my money for a half assed effort. And maybe there will be a Ridge Racer 2 with visual improvements, so I thought about waiting out for a better racing game.

But the thing is, I hear about how many tracks this game has.

Then I searched for some PSP videos and looking at this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsyRkQFBqg0 - I don't see how I thought that looked better. Maybe it's nostalgia and a bad memory. 3DS looks at least on par with that video, doesn't it? In this video it looks pretty nice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQvidzlcZv0

So should I just buy the game? The game looks smooth with lots of content, so maybe there won't be a sequel and I'm just waiting for nothing. I just played SSF4 with the dynamic view and now I'm really longing for something 3D (I don't want to sink my money yet into a full price Pilot Wings which seems so expensive).

What do you guys say?

 

[DCharlie]

I'm about to clear the second class and, god damn, the games performance has gone to the dogs on a few tracks. Frame rate starts getting much worse depending on track.

re: PSP looking better - ran them side by side, PSP looks better but isn't 3D (duh) and holds 60fps which makes a massive difference (plus has more cars on track). The car textures on the PSP version are a hell of a lot better than the 3DS ones.

I'm enjoying the game but it (along with most of the other titles so far) scream LAUNCH GAME. :/

 

[syoaran]

I'm about to clear the second class and, god damn, the games performance has gone to the dogs on a few tracks. Frame rate starts getting much worse depending on track.

re: PSP looking better - ran them side by side, PSP looks better but isn't 3D (duh) and holds 60fps which makes a massive difference (plus has more cars on track). The car textures on the PSP version are a hell of a lot better than the 3DS ones.

I'm enjoying the game but it (along with most of the other titles so far) scream LAUNCH GAME. :/

That's ok though, because it was a launch title. It's a cash in, but it's a good one. The game has been the only 3DS cartridge in my 3DS for a while, sadly. OoC will hopefully fix this.

 

[ShinNL]

Thanks for your perceptive. I think I'll wait anyway then. Looking worse than the PSP version seems so unacceptable to me.

 

[BDGAME]

I know a Ridge Racer fan that has these 2 versions and he say the 3DS has better graphics. The street's texture, the light and shadow and car reflection are better in 3DS. But the PSP version has 12 cars (vs 8 in 3DS), runs in 60 fps (vs 30 in 3ds) and support 8 players (vs 4 in 3DS).

I have the 3DS version only. I don't like the graphics, but I think it's a good game.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

I know a Ridge Racer fan that has these 2 versions and he say the 3DS has better graphics. The street's texture, the light and shadow and car reflection are better in 3DS. But the PSP version has 12 cars (vs 8 in 3DS), runs in 60 fps (vs 30 in 3ds) and support 8 players (vs 4 in 3DS).

I have the 3DS version only. I don't like the graphics, but I think it's a good game.

Yeah, I think it looks good enough to not hinder the fun but hopefully they'll release another one down the road and clean up the graphics a bit.

The gameplay is really good though.

 

[ColtraineGF]

Andriasang: 3DS Update Causes Ridge Racer to Freeze

3DS is getting its long awaited e-Shop firmware update tomorrow (June 7). We already provided a preview of what to expect from the update last week. Today, Nintendo came clean on an unexpected feature for owners of Ridge Racer 3D.

Once you've updated your 3DS, Ridge Racer 3D will freeze in certain areas. The conditions for the bug appear to be very specific. Before starting a Single Play or Grand Prix race, if you press B from the Machine Select or Race Select screens, the screen may freeze.

You can avoid the freeze by not pressing B at those screens. Nintendo says that it will offer another firmware update in mid June to clear up the problem.

Well, this is not good, but it's not too big a problem. I don't usually find myself backing out of those screens anyway, but I can see this being a problem for some.

 

[The Main Event]

Andriasang: 3DS Update Causes Ridge Racer to Freeze

Well, this is not good, but it's not too big a problem. I don't usually find myself backing out of those screens anyway, but I can see this being a problem for some.

That sucks, but at least Nintendo acknowledges the problem and will fix it. That's good.

 

[krae_man]

I just 100%ed this game. Those last races were a pain in the ass with the BS AI that will always repass you and you can't do a damn thing about it.

 

[AlphaTwo00]

That sucks, but at least Nintendo acknowledges the problem and will fix it. That's good.

Just got a spotpass notification about this. Update coming later this month.

 

[Naked Snake]

Damn that update freeze problem is a bummer. This game is the only thing I'm playing on my 3DS these days, and I play it daily. Good thing it's a relatively minor issue.

I finished the Basic Grand Prix, and damn the Advanced one is much harder. But it is so satisfying seeing your skills gradually improve in the game.

Some thing I've learned:

Nitrous charges much quicker in cars with Dynamic Drift (while drifting) than in Standard Drift cars (and I assume it charges slowest in Mild Drift cars--I never use them).

So choosing different Nitrous options with different cars makes a big difference. For example I noticed that in Dynamic Drift cars (like the Evolver), choosing Nitrous Normal B yields the best Nitrous charges, while with the RC410 choosing Auto Nitrous fills it quicker than Normal B. (You can easily verify this by doing a test, you'll realize it by the first turn).

I switch between these two cars (with their respective optimized Nitrous option) whenever I'm having difficulty with a particular race. I noticed that each works better for some races than the other.

One technique I discovered that really helps occasionally (or all the time if you feel so inclined) is to perform drifts by repeatedly tapping the accelerator button 2-3 times during turns instead of the standard method of releasing it once and holding it again. Doing the quick tapping on turns make the car drift as if its "on-rails" and you can go-in and out of drifts much quicker and easier. It also allows you to execute a perfect drift even you do it late in the turn. That trick has saved my ass and won me races many times.

 

[metsallica]

I just 100%ed this game. Those last races were a pain in the ass with the BS AI that will always repass you and you can't do a damn thing about it.

They were quite tough, weren't they? Fun, though! Really forced me to perfect the tracks and bump down to standard or mild drift cars. The unlock after 100% was pretty weak, though, but the concept cars are awesome (though I never used them on the Grand Prix as they were a little too unwieldy).

In all, loved this game! Can't wait for Ridge Racer Vita!

 

[Boney]

I just 100%ed this game. Those last races were a pain in the ass with the BS AI that will always repass you and you can't do a damn thing about it.

I'm in the last cups and just wanted to come by and say this.

So fucking annoying!!

 

[beje]

Ugh, you know rubberbanding AI has gone horribly wrong when the only way of winning some races in the Advaced GP is picking the slowest unmodded car you have available and not using a single Nitro during the whole race so the AI doesn't go "trolololol I'll just go faster". It took me hours of trying even with the special cars you unlock in the Expert GP (which can go up to 420Km/h on Nitro) to notice.

By the way, I only have Events 47 and 48 left to get 100%.