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[Dambrosi]

Well, my copy of the game just shipped. Really gonna enjoy looking at the box for a week...

Ha ha ha, that's me and Deathsmiles.

On topic: I played this at one of the pre-launch showcases NOE held in Manchester, UK. I really liked it, felt that it was a real call back to the old-school values of the original and Revolution. The 3d effect wasn't that great, though, but the music was listenable. Pity about no Rotterdam Nation though, that would have completed it for me.

 

[vatstep]

No rubber band AI, though sometimes it feels like opposing cars have unlimited nitrous. So basically in the tougher races, once you get ahead you often have to fight to keep your lead because the other cars are constantly using nitrous. It hasn't felt unfair to me yet tho - mostly just exhilarating (and sometimes frustrating).

Thanks, that's good to know. I'm not a huge racing game player, and titles with really extreme rubber banding just tend to turn me off.

 

[WillyFive]

Luckily, I love a hyperactive soundtrack, makes it feel alive.

From another thread:

So, Ridge Racer... I'm not sure I've played RR before, but IGN's review makes it sound like a warm, inviting world to inhabit.

Can someone please describe how this game handles? As a point of reference, I don't like how vehicles handled in Motorstorm and Gran Turismo -- too heavy, hard to turn -- and I generally favor racing games where cars are very responsive, like Mario Kart and Pure.

If it's like Ridge Racer 64, then the handling is response, but you have an intentionally limited range of movement (i.e. you won't be able to make that sharp turn). However, the gameplay of Ridge Racer is about drifting, so you just have to drift to make that turn at very high speeds.

It's not like Gran Turismo where the sense of speed and exhiliration is ruined every time you have to make a turn.

 

[Insayne]

I got some questions.... Hope one of you who owns it can help me out here

1) What does the soundtrack consist of? Old songs? New Remixes or PSP ones?

2) Are there new tracks? Is it only new tracks? Is it a mix of both?

3) Do you have the dynamic/standard/medium driving styles like in RR6?

4) Does nitrous work like in RR6/7 ?

Thank you

 

[Domstercool]

I got some questions.... Hope one of you who owns it can help me out here

1) What does the soundtrack consist of? Old songs? New Remixes or PSP ones?

2) Are there new tracks? Is it only new tracks? Is it a mix of both?

3) Do you have the dynamic/standard/medium driving styles like in RR6?

4) Does nitrous work like in RR6/7 ?

Thank you

1) New and old

2) Few new tracks, lots of old ones

3) Yes

4) Like 7, but with even more nitrous options than what 7 added

 

[Peru]

A simple arcade-y racing game is basically a lock for me as a launch title, but the game's official trailer put me off: The graphics look brutally bad in this trailer, all ps1 pixels and ugliness. Now, I've read several reviews and they don't seem to make that big a point of the graphics, and screens/videos can't really tell me how it looks, so my question is: Does it look as bad as this trailer? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myDyfi02vys

 

[Domstercool]

On the smaller screen the game looks fine

 

[mrklaw]

Does this game have both streetpass and spotpass? I'd like to do time trial against friends ghosts but not sure if you can or how to. Not bothered about random strangers so much

 

[Marty Chinn]

After saying I wouldn't get it, I ended up buying it since I combined some gift cards with the tru deal.

 

[:Motorbass]

Question for Players: What is "Ultimate Charge"? (Don't know if it's called like that in English) How do you get it?

 

[john tv]

Question for Players: What is "Ultimate Charge"? (Don't know if it's called like that in English) How do you get it?

Drift at the tail end of nitrous usage and you charge faster. It's a pretty small window; it's been a long time since I played RR6/RR7, but I have fuzzy memories of it having been easier in past games...

 

[plagiarize]

i'm only a little ways in, but i love it so far (done three or events). does this have any type 4 tracks? that's the only one i really know.

 

[WillyFive]

A simple arcade-y racing game is basically a lock for me as a launch title, but the game's official trailer put me off: The graphics look brutally bad in this trailer, all ps1 pixels and ugliness. Now, I've read several reviews and they don't seem to make that big a point of the graphics, and screens/videos can't really tell me how it looks, so my question is: Does it look as bad as this trailer? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myDyfi02vys

The graphics were designed for 3D, so that's how it will really look good. Users here have said the graphics are much better in 3D.

Does this game have both streetpass and spotpass? I'd like to do time trial against friends ghosts but not sure if you can or how to. Not bothered about random strangers so much

You can exchange ghost and lap data via StreetPass.

 

[mrklaw]

You can exchange ghost and lap data via StreetPass.

hmm, shame. I'd like Nintendo to expand the idea of streetpass to also include sharing stuff with your friends.

 

[angelfly]

Basic Grand Prix finally finished with first place in all but 3 races (Event 15 races 1-2 and Event 16 race 1). I'll take care of those later but for now it's time for Advanced.

 

[Chorazin]

hmm, shame. I'd like Nintendo to expand the idea of streetpass to also include sharing stuff with your friends.

Wait, what? That's what StreetPass does, it automatically exchanges data with all 3DS's in the area with the same StreetPass games. It doesn't exclude your friends or anything!

 

[ColtraineGF]

"Look's like you've really got your hands full!"

"You just got owned!"

<_< Go away, announcer lady.

 

[krae_man]

Man I hate the track being on the bottom screen. I use it as a compass for deciding when to use nitros. I'd rather have the rear view mirror down there at all times.

 

[paranoidfortean]

you guys made me buy this. haven't played a ridge racer since PS1, so i should be completely satisfied.

 

[john tv]

Man I hate the track being on the bottom screen. I use it as a compass for deciding when to use nitros. I'd rather have the rear view mirror down there at all times.

Definitely agree - was hoping they'd at least have an option to overlay it on the top screen or have a mini version or whatever, but nope. :/

 

[C-Jo]

I haven't played a Ridge Racer since R4, but I just put 3 hours into this. Prettttay, pretttttaaay good.

 

[:Motorbass]

Man I hate the track being on the bottom screen. I use it as a compass for deciding when to use nitros. I'd rather have the rear view mirror down there at all times.

Yeah well, I use the zoomed in View for the map, this way you can quickly see the radius and length of the next corner. I find that pretty helpful. But yeah, once you know the tracks, you won't need either.

And thanks for the ultimate charge help. Yeah, I didn't find it that useful until now. I'm at the end of easy GP and start to not finish all the races in 1st playce :]

 

[chickdigger802]

So how does the game look compare to the psp games? I'm getting mixed reports around the internetz.

The car textures look mighty shitty on the screenshots, but I kinda stop judging portable game graphics from screenshots except for, funny enough, ios games.

 

[Peru]

So how does the game look compare to the psp games? I'm getting mixed reports around the internetz.

The car textures look mighty shitty on the screenshots, but I kinda stop judging portable game graphics from screenshots except for, funny enough, ios games.

I bought it, but I have to say it looks pretty bad. Or not bad, just dated. The prettiest PS1 game you'll ever see. Really disappointed in this seeing how other companies managed to deliver the goods, graphics wise, for launch, while Namco must have phoned it in. The game itself is pretty good, though, but part of my fondness for this type of racer depends on the looks.

 

[sinnergy]

So how does the game look compare to the psp games? I'm getting mixed reports around the internetz.

The car textures look mighty shitty on the screenshots, but I kinda stop judging portable game graphics from screenshots except for, funny enough, ios games.

I think most stages look good enough and some look very good, PSP like. There is 1 canyon level which looks really good.

The real winner is the 3D effect imo.

 

[Keio]

Played from the bumper cam, I'd say this is on the level of Ridge Racer PSP; but the 3d makes it mindblowing.

 

[Neuromancer]

Never mind

 

[plagiarize]

I bought it, but I have to say it looks pretty bad. Or not bad, just dated. The prettiest PS1 game you'll ever see. Really disappointed in this seeing how other companies managed to deliver the goods, graphics wise, for launch, while Namco must have phoned it in. The game itself is pretty good, though, but part of my fondness for this type of racer depends on the looks.

since i just played through R4 for the first time to warm up for this calling this a pretty PS1 game smacks of exagerration to me. it's like twice the resolution, and is definately better looking than R4 in just about every single way.

it's not the best looking 3DS game, no, but the 3D really does make a massive difference here, and that's surely what you'd be looking for.

 

[krae_man]

Yeah well, I use the zoomed in View for the map, this way you can quickly see the radius and length of the next corner. I find that pretty helpful. But yeah, once you know the tracks, you won't need either.

And thanks for the ultimate charge help. Yeah, I didn't find it that useful until now. I'm at the end of easy GP and start to not finish all the races in 1st playce :]

I do know the tracks, I've played the crap out of Ridge Racer 6, 7 and both PSP games. This whole time I've used the Mini track as the gauge for when to use Nitros. Unlearning that and using a different visual cue is going to be a pain in the ass. It's like trying to play Super Mario Bros with B and A swapped.

 

[heringer]

I bought it, but I have to say it looks pretty bad. Or not bad, just dated. The prettiest PS1 game you'll ever see. Really disappointed in this seeing how other companies managed to deliver the goods, graphics wise, for launch, while Namco must have phoned it in. The game itself is pretty good, though, but part of my fondness for this type of racer depends on the looks.

Some people really don't remember how PS1 games actually looks.

 

[Android18a]

i'm only a little ways in, but i love it so far (done three or events). does this have any type 4 tracks? that's the only one i really know.

Sadly not. R4 has some of my favourite tracks in the series, particularly the night city tracks.

 

[dark10x]

Some people really don't remember how PS1 games actually looks.

It's definitely way above PS1 level, but it looks too similar to the PSP games while running at half the framerate. Even crazier, the game runs at 30 fps while the reflections update at 15 fps! The PSP version updated everything at 60.

It just seems like Namco should have been able to get 60 fps out of this.

 

[Dave Long]

It was probably rushed together. I'm certainly not expecting all 3DS games to have issues with frame rates based on launch titles.

We've been through enough launches now to know the first set of games never really do justice to system capabilities.

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

I picked this up yesterday and have really been enjoying it. Graphics are nothing mindblowing until you turn on the 3D. To me it just adds so much to the game. I've played RR6,7 and both PSP titles and liked them all although I ended up giving up on the PSP games due to my hatred of the nub and the discomfort it gave me. The 3DS circle-pad is so much better though I find the face buttons a little too small. They hurt my thumb from holding down the gas button for so long when playing this game.

 

[Stephen Colbert]

How do I switch to Firstperson View in the game?

I tried every button, and it's not letting me switch the camera view to first person mode.

 

[Domstercool]

How do I switch to Firstperson View in the game?

I tried every button, and it's not letting me switch the camera view to first person mode.

That big button on the touch screen at the bottom

 

[plagiarize]

Sadly not. R4 has some of my favourite tracks in the series, particularly the night city tracks.

ah well, at least all these tracks are new to me then.

 

[The Main Event]

Played the first cup and this game does not disappoint. I missed Ridge Racer.

 

[mjc]

Played the first cup and this game does not disappoint. I missed Ridge Racer.

Yeah its pretty great, I haven't played a RR since the PSP launch game.

 

[Alcahest]

Does anyone know if this game is a real ridge deved in Japan or if it was deved by these guys?

 

[Flib]

Union Hill District in 3D is mindblowing.

Haven't played Ridge Racer since ps2, and was not thinking about getting this, until I ended up with some extra cash and read the impressions here. To me, this is THE standout launch title (also have Pilotwings and SSF4). Really hard to put down, and controls like a dream. As "bad" as the graphics are, they kind of work and I find them vaguely nostalgic for some reason.

Also, besides reverse/mirrored variants, are there any tracks besides the inital 15?

 

[Synless]

It's definitely way above PS1 level, but it looks too similar to the PSP games while running at half the framerate. Even crazier, the game runs at 30 fps while the reflections update at 15 fps! The PSP version updated everything at 60.

It just seems like Namco should have been able to get 60 fps out of this.

You have a 3ds? What's your code?

 

[KennyLinder]

Bought this today, its a great game as always with RR. The only negative is that like others have said, 60fps sucks in a game like this, but whatever.

The worst thing is that RR only appeals to a very small number of people, and those people expect the game to deliver in certain ways. Handling, music, presentation, 60fps. If you take one of those away you annoy the small number of people that were going to buy the game, so why do it? Namco, you bad. (But good, its a cool game otherwise).

 

[GotchaForce]

Loved RR since the PS1 and this one is great extension of the PSP games. I really enjoy the 3D and slide pad as well.

Main thing I'm reminded of: why Rage Racer was always my favorite, the tracks from that game are way crazier than the others.

 

[Chorazin]

Finally got to play this today, OMG SO GOOD. I haven't played a RR game since 4 so this is hitting my nostalgia button just right.

 

[Synless]

I don't know if this ha been asked, but how does the 3D in this RR compare to the 3D mode in RR7 on PS3?

 

[Chittagong]

A simple arcade-y racing game is basically a lock for me as a launch title, but the game's official trailer put me off: The graphics look brutally bad in this trailer, all ps1 pixels and ugliness. Now, I've read several reviews and they don't seem to make that big a point of the graphics, and screens/videos can't really tell me how it looks, so my question is: Does it look as bad as this trailer? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myDyfi02vys

Don't hate, graphics look like Cruis'n USA which is an awesome game

 

[WillyFive]

Don't hate, graphics look like Cruis'n USA which is an awesome game

Cruis'n USA is an awesome game, but using it as an example of graphics is very misleading. I am pretty sure the draw distance of Ridge Racer exceeds more than 20 feet away from your car.

 

[Dacvak]

I have this game. What the fuck is the "slipstream"?

 

[mrklaw]

god I'm loving this. Still only a few GP in, but the nostalgia of playing some of the tracks is nuts. Its like having a super PSone greatest hits compilation. Just played a rage racer track - the one with the huge hill next to a waterfall and I just grinned like an idiot.

And I *know* it looks way better than the PSOne version, but its giving me the same vibe as when I first played those - you know, when the PSone was actually new and therefore Ridge/Rage Racer was amazing and you couldn't imagine graphics getting any better.

fuck the haters I love it.