R4: Ridge Racer Type 4
- November 24, 2000 14:47 PM PST
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There's enough here to thrill fans of the series, but the disappointing two-player mode hurts replay value, and unlocking the cars becomes tedious. Still, if you've got room in your gaming garage after testing Need for Speed: High stakes, R4's a solid acquisition.
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A Motorized Mutant
Boasting eight tracks and over 300 cars (counting all team-
variations and paint jobs), R4's wheels range from Europe's fastest works of art to sleek modiFIed roadsters and bizarre concept vehicles. What you drive depends on which racing team you join and how well you perform. Whether you choose the easier grip cars or powersliding drift-machines, you won't FInd the classic road-hugging Ridge Racer physics. The cars sway on
their shocks as they corner, but bob back and forth cartoonishly when they make contact with another vehicle. It's neither sim nor arcade, but a strange hybrid.
For a twist, R4 introduces story elements: for instance, a flirtatious romance with the female owner of the French team or a need to earn the respect of the Japanese team's crew chief. Simply put, winning races will win you friends.
Chrome Sweet Chrome
Ridge 4 features beautiful graphics on every front--detailed scenery, nighttime lighting, killer replays--and yes, it's at least as pretty as Gran Turismo. Alas, R4 was built for beauty rather than speed; while pop-up is kept to a minimum, the illusion of speed isn't very good. The pace picks up once you get into Grand Prix mode's FInal stages, but why should you have to wait? The game needs more camera views, too.
Similarly, the game blows a flat with irritating, mixed-genre music, lackluster engine sounds, and a goofy male announcer. The analog steering's a dream, but the two-player races lack excitement. Probably the single most annoying element, however, is the interface: a maze of endless menus. Let's just race already!
"Gran Turidgemo"?
With both Need for Speed and Gran Turismo revving for another lap, it's tough to back R4 as a FIrst-place FInisher. The game seems FIrmly wedged between its arcade past and the genre's simulation future, resulting in racing that's fun but ultimately flawed. Don't buy it without taking Need for Speed: High Stakes for a spin first.
The Jogcon:
R4 comes with a special "Turbo Mode" version of the original Ridge Racer, running at a stunning 60 frames per second. Special packages also come with a new controller, the Jogcon, a true force-feedback steering controller designed speciFIcally for R4--but the Ridge Turbo works with it, too. Ask your retailer for availability details.
