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Ridge Racer DS Review
Written by Modojo Staff on Sunday, January 30, 2005
Fans of the series should be satisfied by this game.
The touch screen controls pale in comparison to the d-pad!
When I go out for dinner I'm big on appetizers. Hit up some nachos. Maybe order some quesadillas. It's all good, but it's hardly enough to satisfy my appetite. For that I need the main course. This is the dilemma with Ridge Racer DS. There's no question it's a fun racing game, but it's not very filling. Rather, it's a small treat on a menu that features Ridge Racers (PSP) for dinner. Still, that doesn't mean the DS game isn't tasty in its own right.
So let's get this right out of the way. Ridge Racer DS is basically a port of the N64 game Ridge Racer 64, but with lackluster touch screen controls. However, it's still a fun game that revs its engines in a big way on Nintendo's dual screen system.
Visually, it's on par with a PSone game, but it runs a lot faster than you'd expect. It has a zippy sensation of speed that'll make the hairs on your arms pop up as you scream around hairpin turns. There's also a multitude of tracks and cars, and the inclusion of wireless multiplayer for up to six racers on one cart, putting this game clearly above Ubisoft's Asphalt Urban GT.
Much has been said about the game's controls, and yes, they're bad. Namco has in place three schemes, two of which use the DS touch screen. Viewing the action on the top screen, you can steer using either the stylus of the infamous DS thumb strap on the bottom one, and I just couldn't commit to either system. The controls take way too long to master, and you probably won't even try to become better at them because right away your car will be sliding all over the place. Instead, just use the boring but reliable d-pad controls.
