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RIIIIIIDGE RACER... where are you?

Is Ridge Racer dead?

  • Yes

    Votes: 168 69.4%

  • No

    Votes: 74 30.6%
  • Total voters
    242
Lant_War

Lant_War

Classic Anus Game
The Fallen
Jul 14, 2018
23,581
I recently got a Playstation Classic which means I can relive the GOAT Playstation racing game, Ridge Racer Type 4. The game is just as stylish as it was on release, the music is just as good, the controls just as tight... it really is fantastic. Somebody pointed out in my no PS4 Wipeout thread that the next gen consoles didn't have a RR game and damn, that's right? What the hell happened Namco?

The last 2 were pretty bad, but so was Tekken 6 and look what their brothers of Bandai did with Tekken 7. Why did they stop making these games? It's not like they must include real world licenses like what happens with Outrun, Namco really could've just released at the very least a remaster of any previous one but we didn't even get that. Is Ridge Racer really dead?
 
Dest

Dest

Has seen more 10s than EA ever will
Coward
Jun 4, 2018
14,057
Work
Been playing Ridge Racer PSP and Type 4 on my Vita a lot as of late and I really, really want a new one of these. Hopefully we get something with PS5 launch or something.
 

srtrestre

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,971
Right here

riiiiidgeracer.jpg


Arcade racers in general are having a rough time. I miss them.
 
RingRang

RingRang

Alt account banned
Banned
Oct 2, 2019
2,442
At this point I would take any form of Ridge Racer from Namco. A remaster of Ridge 4/5 would be awesome.

In a way I fear they wouldn't get the right team of people together to make a game that measures up to those two games, so I would almost prefer they just go for a remaster rather than make a new one. I will say Namco really delivered with Ace Combat 7 this year though, so that does give me some hope.
 
mikehaggar

mikehaggar

Developer at Pixel Arc Studios
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
1,379
Harrisburg, Pa
I'd love Ridge Racer 7 ported to the Switch. Doesn't even need upgraded or remastered... just give me 1080p/60fps docked and 720p/60fps portable and I am a happy man.
 
OnanieBomb

OnanieBomb

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,491
I feel like this is the one arcade style series where they could maybe 'trick' everyone into thinking yay it's another arcade sim with a realism boner and then they end up actually playing a fun game
 
Hieroph

Hieroph

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,995
Namco could Wipeout the RR series and release a remake/collection like Wipeout OC, that'd be really great.
 
Kraid

Kraid

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,269
Cuck Zone
Hieroph said:
Namco could Wipeout the RR series and release a remake/collection like Wipeout OC, that'd be really great.
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That's basically what the PSP Ridge Racers were. And I think 6 & 7 followed that same template. I agree with the poster above who would be fine with a straight up port of 7.

What I really want, though, is a remaster of V which is my favorite Ridge Racer by far. I don't think it could sell for $60 today, but maybe that's good. Give us a tight racing experience for $20-25 and hopefully it sells well.
 
TheOne

TheOne

Alt Account
Banned
May 25, 2019
947
Lant_War said:
I recently got a Playstation Classic which means I can relive the GOAT Playstation racing game, Ridge Racer Type 4. The game is just as stylish as it was on release, the music is just as good, the controls just as tight... it really is fantastic. Somebody pointed out in my no PS4 Wipeout thread that the next gen consoles didn't have a RR game and damn, that's right? What the hell happened Namco?

The last 2 were pretty bad, but so was Tekken 6 and look what their brothers of Bandai did with Tekken 7. Why did they stop making these games? It's not like they must include real world licenses like what happens with Outrun, Namco really could've just released at the very least a remaster of any previous one but we didn't even get that. Is Ridge Racer really dead?
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They were fantastic games?!? Really enjoyed both. Moreso than RR5 or even those on PSP/3DS.
 

Deleted member 51691

User requested account closure
Banned
Jan 6, 2019
17,834
Ridge Racer 8 by Namco Singapore was leaked alongside Namco's involvement in Metroid Prime 4, but that LinkedIn sleuthing hasn't gone anywhere yet.
 
jett

jett

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
44,659
I've kinda lost hope for a new game after those RR8 rumors came to nothing.

Besides... I'm not sure how much I would like a new game. The post-RRV drfiting style and feel isn't really to my liking, nor is how much everything seems to be designed around nitrous boost. Oh well.
 
Not Spaceghost

Not Spaceghost

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,717
I wish more racing games worked the way ridge racer did, where you always started off in last place and you had to crawl your way up to first by just getting good lap times. Yes I know that sounds like every racing game but the way ridge racer does it is unique it's almost like a push pull where you're constantly catching up to cars and passing them rather than just clumps of cars fighting for an inch.

It gives the races a real tension to them.
 
ODD

ODD

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,225
The only ones I played was RR Unbounded and RR DS. So... I got the crappiest ones, I guess.
 
MaverickHunterAsh

MaverickHunterAsh

Good Vibes Gaming
Verified
Oct 24, 2017
1,397
Los Angeles, CA.
Ridge Racer has been one of the most depressing, hardest-to-stomach casualties of this gaming generation. I would do just about anything for a proper Ridge Racer 8 for the Switch (or for every console), but I just don't see it happening, especially after the recent rumors amounted to nothing. I'll never be able to understand why because it's such a wonderful genre, but people just don't want arcade racers anymore on the whole and we see that reflected in the fact that almost no one's bothering to make them anymore... even Bandai Namco with a series as storied as Ridge Racer.

I played Ridge Racer 6 nonstop during the Xbox 360's early days. Absolutely nonstop. It was also one of my first real tastes of online play on a console (Xband hardly counts...), and while that ultimately wouldn't stick with me outside of Smash and Mario Kart, I sure do have good memories of playing this online with various strangers (something I would never repeat today given how far online play has fallen in terms of toxicity and vitriol).

I also played the shit out of Ridge Racer(s) at the PSP's launch, and plenty of Ridge Racer 7 even though it was really more like Ridge Racer 6.5.

God, I miss Ridge Racer so much.
 
Light-Bringer

Light-Bringer

Self-requested ban
Banned
Oct 21, 2019
16
I just can't see Namco making an exclusive Ridge Racer just for one console as it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

Though, with that said, I still believe one is in development.
 
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Grettir_the_Swole

Grettir_the_Swole

Member
Nov 1, 2017
1,348
FL, United States
I'm pretty sure every racing simulator not being Forza pretty much killed every non-mainstream racing game for Sony. And Ridge Racer hasn't been a major player in Sony's lineup for a while. Are they releasing another Gran Tourismo? Who knows?

Edit: Oh wow. GT Sport: Spec II just came out this month and I had no idea.
 
Bjones

Bjones

Member
Oct 30, 2017
5,622
Do you realize how much people would shit on RR these days without it having years worth of content like forza or gt ?
 
OP
OP
Lant_War

Lant_War

Classic Anus Game
The Fallen
Jul 14, 2018
23,581
Grettir_the_Swole said:
I'm pretty sure every racing simulator not being Forza pretty much killed every non-mainstream racing game for Sony. And Ridge Racer hasn't been a major player in Sony's lineup for a while. Are they releasing another Gran Tourismo? Who knows?

Edit: Oh wow. GT Sport: Spec II just came out this month and I had no idea.
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Spec 2 is literally just Gran Turismo Sport with the updates on another disc :P
 
Bigg

Bigg

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,638
Just to clarify, the RR8 rumor came from the LinkedIn account of a lead designer for Bandai Namco. So it was probably in development at some point, but that was a year and a half ago so it could've been canned.

original.jpg
(from Nintendo Life)
 
Grettir_the_Swole

Grettir_the_Swole

Member
Nov 1, 2017
1,348
FL, United States
Lant_War said:
Spec 2 is literally just Gran Turismo Sport with the updates on another disc :P
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I understand that, but I still had no idea it was coming out and I usually follow stuff like this once it pops up on my radar. All I'm getting at is I saw next to no fanfare about its release.

Speaking of which, is the box art any different? Maybe it's an EU exclusive but I can't find any evidence a physical edition exists in the US. Maybe I'm just too old to live to function and life stops at 28.
 
OP
OP
Lant_War

Lant_War

Classic Anus Game
The Fallen
Jul 14, 2018
23,581
Grettir_the_Swole said:
I understand that, but I still had no idea it was coming out and I usually follow stuff like this once it pops up on my radar. All I'm getting at is I saw next to no fanfare about its release.

Speaking of which, is the box art any different? Maybe it's an EU exclusive but I can't find any evidence a physical edition exists in the US. Maybe I'm just too old to live to function and life stops at 28.
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Yeah they updated the boxart and the icon when it came out. Considering the base game is now on PS Hits, it's kinda pointless.
 
FarSight XR-20

FarSight XR-20

Member
Jan 4, 2018
8,647
They revived Ace Combat with AC7. Ridge Racer is not dead.

The Anchorhead city in AC7 had also a Ridge Racer board but Kono said it was only a joke though.
 
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SharpX68K

SharpX68K

Member
Nov 10, 2017
10,518
Chicagoland
What I really, really want is a next-gen Rave Racer.

For those not familiar with the 1995 arcade-exclusive game (and no, Rage Racer on PS1 is a totally different game, here are some magazine articles, as well as a review of Rave Racer from the usenet newsgroup rec.games.video.sony.

Diehard GameFan (September 1995)

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GamePro

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EGM2
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rex.games.video.sony USENET newsgroup review of arcade Rave Racer, posted in February '96.

Anthony Lui Feb 4 1996
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.sony
Date: 1996/02/04
Subject: RAVE RACER Arcade review
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Seeing as noone has played it and I have, I thought I might as well let everyone know about it (the game that is)

Well, the attract sequence has cut scenes of cars looking cool moving up a road every now and then interrupted by shots of a twisting female's body.
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After you put your money in ($HKD4) you get presented with 4 courses, a new city course, the original Ridge Racer course and two others (that escape me at the moment sorry).
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The Rave Racer city course is THE most awesome course I have ever played in a driving game... (except maybe Daytona's Expert. Hey! I liked it!) It's like driving through Tsuen Wan in HK, with all the factories, overhead bridges, etc.
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It starts off in the city streets (the foot paths are blocked off by red and white barriers, but you can still see the towering buildings). As you progress (yes, the awesome tunnels that Sega Rally tried to replicate are still there), you get to drive under bridges (it feels good, give realism), go through an industrial area (the BEST!) and get to the start for another lap. Yes, the laps are longer, but I can't remember everything in it =).
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There are banked curves, 3 jumps on the first course (which are pretty hard to recover from imho)!and 12 cars to race against. As far as I know they're just rehashed ones of the original RR ones. (Which can't be a bad thing... if the yellow solvalvouoawurow is there). There are now two commentators, a normal 3 2 1 GO guy and a girl who "encourages" you. Coolies. It's still lacking the Sega-esque reactive steering wheel (which is a good thing for me for sure)
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Gripes. Ok, well, The seat seemed a bit uncomfortable (I'm about 6') and I was wearing 8up Docs so it was pretty hard to hit the miniscule pedals (I'd guess this'd change for the western release). Oh, and in the intro, I didn't like the girl. They should've replaced it with Nina or something =)
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Graphics : 99.99999999% =)
Sound: 90% About as realistic as you can get.
Music: 80% Namco! Techno isn't for everyone!!!!
Playability: 95% If it's Ridge Racer...
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Replayability: 95% with the addition of 3 courses, this'll keep
you pumping in the coins like hell.
Overall: 96%
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After Biohazard, Tekken 2 and Soul Edge come out, this'll be the one
we'll be waiting for March for =)
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Rave Racer has NOT been scheduled for a PSX release although it's pretty much certain (for the Nintendo 64 as well)
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Obviously there was never a PS1 version, although an N64 version was rumored.

(GameFan)
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Superplay (UK)
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What we do know for absolute certain is that Namco was developing a PC version for the PowerVR graphics cards by VideoLoguc and NEC. It was shown at trade shows and previewed in EDGE UK and U.S. Next Generation magazines during mid 1996 (announced in late 95) but Namco never released it.

Namco never acknowledged the cancellation of Raver Racer, or the PC versions of Tekken and Air Combat 22. They quietly swept it all under the rug as if it never happened.

Game Players
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EDGE

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60fps video of all tracks, all modes, including mirrored.

 
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