Ridge Racer (PSP) Review

It seems that every time that Sony has introduced some kind of game hardware onto the market, Namco's been right there with some kind of impressive feat lifted from their Ridge Racer line-up. In 1995, when the PlayStation debuted, Namco brought forth an arcade port of the original game for the system, programmed in a matter of one month and also allowing you to play your own audio CD's along with the pre-loaded game. Then came the year 2000, and Namco again stepped up their game with the detailed Ridge Racer V, a game that would soon find itself lapped by Sony's own Gran Turismo 3 but still enjoyed its time in the limelight, tapped as a "next generation racer". Now we come to Sony's third system on the market, and, as expected, here's another Ridge Racer - only this one's better than the previous two combined.

Ridge Racer for the Sony PSP is a stellar racing game, capturing elements from the classic entries in the series and yet retouching them into what feels like a blazing new product. It features the classic Namco touch, from the CG intro featuring a beautiful model to the mini-game Rally-X that's playable during the loading sequence at the beginning to the quirky vehicles with classic Namco titles strafed on the sides. And, somehow, Namco makes it feel so new, so refreshing to handheld racing. It's a must-see.

The main component that'll thrill gamers is that they will actually find drifting in the game rather useful. Instead of just allowing them to hug corners and still maintain a decent speed with easy control, the drift system builds up into a nitro system, gauged in the upper left corner through three gauges. Once a nitro bar is filled up, gamers can press the nitro button to give themselves an extra boost for a race to the first, a useful feature since Namco's fine-tuned the racing AI to be a little more challenging this time around. I'm thankful for that, since the AI has been somewhat asleep at the wheel in past Ridge Racer games. The gameplay remains just as sharp and compelling as always, and fans will be grateful - despite whether they use the analog or the digital pad.

Most developers for the PSP have been trying to squeeze the best graphic juice out of the little handheld, and, thus far, Namco's made the finest example thus far with this game. The frame rate is speedy, the car details are gorgeous, and the tracks are designed with excellent flair, from the glowing details on the streets to the smaller things, like the seaplane and helicopter that pass overhead from time to time. The game also features some slick little menus and little presentation quirks, like the Rally-X cars popping up during race updates. This game looks fantastic.

As far as sound, I admit that the music selections could be a little more stylish, but they still somewhat work here, pumping energy into each race. The sound effects are terrific, blazing along in each race with the roar of the engines and the squealing of the tires as you enter into a drift. Put on your headphones for the full experience - trust me.

Then you have the game's extras, in which there are plenty. There are a number of tours you can engage with, including the ability to create a Custom Tour of your very own. Or you can challenge the World Tour with a number of circuits to unlock new cars and earn your statu as a Ridge Racer legend. If the solo stuff doesn't grab you, you can also race against seven friends with copies of the games in a huge Wi-Fi racing circuit. The Wi-Fi racing is smooth as silk and hasn't run into any hiccups yet, not even with the most intense of car-ramming.

It's official - Ridge Racer remains a staple in Sony's hardware line-up, as this is the best game in the series yet. It's focused, detailed, highly tweaked on gameplay, and loaded with options galore. It's got the old-school greatness of the series and a shiny new gloss rolled into one, with nothing ruined or tarnished in the process. And it offers only the finest in Wi-Fi support, allowing you to challenge friends like a true champion would. Make no mistake, Ridge Racer is a crowning achievement and no PSP owner - not even the most jaded of racing fans - should be without it.