Rage Racer | |
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Developer(s) | Namco |
Publisher(s) | Namco [lower-alpha 1] |
Composer(s) | Tetsukazu Nakanishi Hiroshi Okubo |
Series | Ridge Racer |
Platform(s) | PlayStation |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Racing |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Rage Racer [lower-alpha 2] is the third title in the Ridge Racer series of racing games on the PlayStation and fifth overall title in the series. Developed and published by Namco, it was released in Japan on December 3, 1996, with releases in the U.S. and Europe following in 1997. It was the first game in the series to feature a CGI animated introduction, and introduced a new "mascot", Reiko Nagase. [3]
Though the game sold well, with praise from reviewers for its graphics and gameplay, it received criticism for its crash mechanics, relatively drab visual style and shortage of tracks. Overall Rage Racer was considered too similar to its predecessors, and as such its impact was limited. Rage Racer was followed by a sequel, R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 in 1998.
Visually the game takes graphical cues from Rave Racer , Ridge Racer's arcade successor, with a more realistic and darker color scheme. The game utilises a credits system, the first in the series, whereby the player tries to earn credits by winning races, which can be used to buy and upgrade cars. [4]
Cars from four manufacturers can be purchased, each favoring a different attribute (e.g., handling, acceleration, speed). All manufacturers offer a 'standard' car and a 'secret' car, which is locked until the top racing class has been reached. Rage Racer also offers a truck as an unlockable vehicle. All of the 'standard' cars can be upgraded, in several stages of increasing cost.
The racing is separated into five numbered classes, named 'Class 1' through to 'Class 5'. The player has three attempts to place in the top three of each class's events, before progressing to the next class. When the player has completed the five 'Normal GP' events, the 'Extra GP' is unlocked. [4] This allows the player to race the same classes on reversed courses. As well as unlocking the Extra GP, the player receives 999,999,999 e.g. in Normal GP - more than enough to purchase all of the cars and upgrade them to Grade 5.
In an interview with the Namco development team, Nobuhisa Mikoda (Rage Racer game designer and project director) admitted that the game was "somewhat off series and aimed to pursue enjoyment in shift controlling".[ citation needed ]Rage Racer's introduction introduced "mascot girl" Reiko Nagase. [3] Composed by Tetsukazu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Okubo, it marked the beginning of Namco's new primary sound team after their former members began working with other companies doing production on games such as Street Fighter EX (1996) and Driving Emotion Type-S (2000). The former had previously worked on Ridge Racer Revolution .[ citation needed ]
The game was unveiled at the August 1996 Tokyo Game Show, at which point it had yet to be titled. [5]
Aggregator | Score |
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GameRankings | 83% [6] |
Publication | Score |
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CNET Gamecenter | 8/10 [7] |
Computer and Video Games | [8] |
Edge | 8/10 [9] |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 9/10 [10] |
Famitsu | 31/40 [11] |
Game Informer | 8.25/10 [12] |
GameFan | 97% [13] [lower-alpha 3] |
GameRevolution | B [14] |
GameSpot | 7.6/10 [15] |
IGN | 7/10 [16] |
Next Generation | [17] [18] |
PlayStation Official Magazine – UK | 9/10 [19] |
Reviews for Rage Racer were positive, though generally mild. Critics widely approved of the use of more photo-realistic visuals than the previous games in the series, [10] [15] [16] [17] though some complained that they were comparatively drab and lacking in color. [15] [20] Comments on the game varied widely, but criticisms tended to focus on a lack of improvement over the previous games in what the reviewers saw as key areas. For example, a Next Generation critic summed up, "Ridge Racer games have never been deficient in gameplay or graphics, and Rage Racer is the best of the lot, but this third incarnation still lacks the depth and replay value that can only be satisfied by finally knuckling down and giving players more tracks." [17] IGN concluded, "It's not a bad game, we've just seen it all before (and before that even)." [16] Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot criticized it for failing to improve upon the unrealistic crashes seen in previous installments, though he nonetheless described it as "an outstanding sequel". [15]
Next Generation re-reviewed the game three months later, saying, "Rage Racer has all the classic elements of Namco's series - the pounding techno music, cheesy but encouraging vocal soundbites, slick power slides - but it ultimately leaves you with the uneasy feeling of déjà vu. Sure, it's a good series, but let's see something new next time." [18]
Kraig Kujawa and Dean Hager of Electronic Gaming Monthly both described Rage Racer as a dramatic improvement over the original Ridge Racer. [10] GamePro concluded that "Once you get over the game's initial lull, you will have plenty to rage about with this cool new Racer." [20] [lower-alpha 4] Official UK PlayStation Magazine said that Namco had succeeded in developing their game even further, and praised the track and car count, before concluding: "The pick-up-and-play experience of the original remains, only now there is more longevity because of the incentive to progress through the classes and upgrade to the fastest cars." [19]
Rage Racer was a runner-up for "Racing Game of the Year" (behind Diddy Kong Racing ) at Electronic Gaming Monthly's 1997 Editors' Choice Awards. [21]
Ridge Racer is a racing video game series developed and published for arcade systems and home game consoles by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Namco. The first game, Ridge Racer (1993), was originally released in arcades for the Namco System 22 hardware, later ported to the PlayStation one year later as a launch title. It was met with several sequels and spin-off games for multiple platforms, the latest being the mobile game Ridge Racer Draw & Drift (2016) with the latest mainline game being Ridge Racer 7 (2006). Gameplay involves the player racing against computer-controlled opponents to be the first to finish in a race. Drifting is a core aspect of the series, and is used to keep speed while turning corners.
Ridge Racer 64 is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Software Technology for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. It features a total of 20 race tracks, including some drawn from Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer Revolution.
Moto Racer, mislabeled as Moto Racer Gold, is an arcade style motorcycle racing game developed by Delphine Software International and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation. The game was originally to be published by BMG Interactive, but after BMG closed down its U.S. operations it sold the publication rights to Electronic Arts. Critics hailed the game as the first outstanding arcade-style racer to appear on PC, and the PlayStation version in turn was called a strong conversion in reviews.
Ridge Racer Revolution is a racing video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation in 1995. It is the sequel to the PlayStation version of Ridge Racer. Like the original Ridge Racer, the player races computer-controlled cars with the objective of winning a series of races, and supports Namco's NeGcon controller. Ridge Racer Revolution adds two hidden cars, and two-player support via the PlayStation Link cable, and took roughly the same time to develop as the first. The intention was to increase the depth and add features.
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 is a racing video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation. It is the fourth title in the Ridge Racer series after Rage Racer and the last to be released for the PlayStation. It was released on December 3, 1998 in Japan and further released the following year in Europe and North America. It was later re-released on the PlayStation Network in 2011, again in 2023 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and pre-loaded on the PlayStation Classic which was released on December 3, 2018. It is the first Ridge Racer series game on the PlayStation to use Gouraud shading on polygons and was followed by Ridge Racer V in 2000.
The NeGcon, stylized as neGcon, is a motion-based game controller manufactured in 1995 by Namco for the PlayStation. One of the first third-party peripherals for the system, the controller is connected by a swivel joint, allowing the player to twist the halves relative to each other. The controller also replaces the "symbol" buttons on the original PlayStation controller with two "A" and "B" buttons, as well as "I" and "II" buttons that allowed for analogue control. A black variant was released exclusively in Japan.
Ridge Racer V is a 2000 racing game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2, as a launch game for that platform. It is the fifth title of the Ridge Racer series succeeding Ridge Racer Type 4 and was followed by Ridge Racer 6 in 2005. The game received a home-to-arcade port named Ridge Racer V: Arcade Battle.
Rave Racer is an arcade racing game that was released by Namco in 1995. It runs on Namco System 22 hardware, and could be played by two people per cabinet for up to eight players total when up to four of them were linked together. It is the third arcade title in the Ridge Racer series and the follow-up to Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer 2.
Ridge Racer 6 is a racing game by Namco released in 2005. It was the sixth console game in the Ridge Racer series but unlike the previous mainline entries, which were released for PlayStation consoles, this entry was released exclusively as a launch title for the Xbox 360. In a similar fashion to the first Ridge Racer on PS1, Ridge Racer V on PlayStation 2, Ridge Racer(s) on PlayStation Portable and eventually Ridge Racer 7 on PlayStation 3. All are exclusive launch titles for their respective consoles.
Ridge Racer 7 is a racing video game developed by Namco Bandai Games. It is the seventh installment in the Ridge Racer series for consoles. It was developed as a launch title for the PlayStation 3, in a similar fashion to the first Ridge Racer on PS1, Ridge Racer V on PlayStation 2, and Ridge Racer(s) on PlayStation Portable. Ridge Racer 7 is essentially the PlayStation exclusive version of the Xbox 360 exclusive Ridge Racer 6, but with more content. The game has around 40 cars, many of which are from Ridge Racer 6 and Ridge Racer (PSP). There are also 22 courses, available in forward and reverse. The game runs at 1080p native resolution and 60 frames per second. It also features Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and free online gameplay via the PlayStation Network.
Ridge Racer, released in Japan as Ridge Racers, is an arcade racing video game developed by Namco for the PlayStation Portable. It is named after the eponymous Ridge Racer video game series to which it belongs. The game was released in Japan on 12 December 2004, in North America on 24 March 2005, and in Europe and Australia on 1 September as a launch title. Available in the game is a fully playable version of the Namco arcade game New Rally-X.
Ridge Racer is a 1993 racing video game developed and published by Namco. It was released initially on the Namco System 22 arcade system board and ported to the PlayStation console in 1994. It is the first title in the Ridge Racer series released for arcades and home consoles.
Ridge Racer 2, released in Japan as Ridge Racers 2, is an arcade-style racing game developed by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation Portable hand-held console, marking the 14th release in the Ridge Racer series and also the sequel to the PSP launch title Ridge Racer. It saw release in Japan on 14 September 2006, followed by its 13 October European launch and 19 October release in Australia. The original North American release was cancelled. On 20 December 2022, Ridge Racer 2 was made available worldwide to download on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 as part of the PlayStation Plus Premium subscription service.
The PlayStation Link Cable (SCPH-1040) is a peripheral cable for the 1st generation PlayStation console. Utilizing the serial I/O port found on the back of most PlayStation models, it allows for two consoles to be connected in order to play compatible multiplayer games on separate consoles. It was released in July 1995 in Japan for ¥2000, and during the 1995 Christmas shopping season in the United States.
Speed Racer, known in Japan as Mach Go Go Go, is a PlayStation game based on the television show of the same name. It was released by the company Jaleco in 1996, though it did not appear in North America until March 27, 1998. It met with overwhelmingly negative reviews which cited simplistic and outdated gameplay and graphics.
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Ridge Racer Accelerated for iOS, SoftBank 006SH with 3D screen and Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet on Android is an arcade racing video game developed by Namco Networks. It is part of the Ridge Racer video game series. The game was released on the App Store, Google Play and Amazon App Store and it uses micro-transactions for unlocking more courses and an extra car class. There are three cars available per class, with six cars more to be unlocked during the game's progress. The game also features an SP1 class consisting of prototype cars. The game features an Arcade, Duel, Survival and Time Attack mode. The game uses the same engine, race courses and menu system from Ridge Racer 2 (PSP).
MotoGP is the first of Namco's MotoGP games. It is based on the arcade game 500GP released the year prior. The game is based on the 1999 season, although only four of the tracks from that season are featured. Later games in the series went on to fill out the gaps and became more of a true representation of the seasons they covered. The first installment is also notable for the inclusion of Klonoa, the titular character of another Namco series, who appears as a playable guest character, as well as Gun Koma, a character from Bari Bari Densetsu manga.
Rage Racer (Sony Computer Entertainment)//For: PlayStation//Price: £39.99, Release date: June 13