Ridge Racer DS Game by Nintendo Software Technology Reviewed by Philip "Pocket Squirrel" Wesley Size: 128 megabits Save: batteries (3 slot) Released: 2004 Works with: Nintendo DS Rated: E (Mild SUggestive themes.) Quick Opinion: Borrow **************************************************************************** Opening Snide Remarks: A long time ago, Nintendo got permission to make a port of the original Ridge Racer game that had been on the Play Station. Nintendo then had Nintendo Software Technology -which is comprised of DigiPen fresh developers- do the port. It turned out reasonable, although the hit detection was cheaply done. This game is a port of that port with a few added DS extras like touch screen control, a new car, six player wireless multi-player, slightly sharper graphics, and some light sourcing. (Also, light trails in the night courses from your cars tail lights.) So how is this port of a port? **************************************************************************** Gameplay Descripion: Ridge Racer is slightly less realistic than a lot of racers in that it requires you to drit turn all over the place. In order to drift turn, you can do one of two things: Release the gas while making a sharp turn and then gun it halfway through the turn. Or tap the brake while turning then gunning it after tapping the brake. Doing either causes your car to skid and "drift." The game has a few options when you turn it on. The Touch Screen is used on menus and the somewhat suggestive title screen. The only way to progress and matter in a race is to place First. There is no "point" system like in games such as Mario Kart. Either finish FIRST or it does not count. When in a race, you have a timer counting down between checkpoints and if that timer counts down all the way, you lose. The Game Play Options are as follows: QUICK RACE = Set up a quick race against the computer. SINGLE PLAYER = Select this and it opens up three more options. The options are GRAND PRIX, CAR ATTACK, and TIME ATTACK. GRAND PRIX is where you race against other opponents on set courses to open up new areas in TIME ATTACK, and new vehicles in CAR ATTACK. CAR ATTACK allows you to challenge and win other cars. TIME ATTACK allows you to set lap records or practice courses. MULTI-PLAYER = This allows you to play a multi-player game. You can join a multi-card race, start a multi-card race, or set up a single card race. All modes have up to 6 players or so and you can fill in blank spaces with multiple computer controlled cars. Multi-card means that all players need a copy of the game. Single card means that only one player needs a copy of this game. Rules are the same in Multi-player, although the games learning curve makes it really not worth it to play against people who do not own the game and may not be familiar with the controls. OPTIONS = Tweak the sound settings, control settings, view and delete records as well as loading up a different save file. The gameplay (racing) is amusing for a while and it clocks at a good, fast pace; but -just like the game it is a port of- the game has a few points where it would appear that it leans toward the computer controlled cars too heavily. If you bump into a car, you lose speed and the CPU controlled car gains speed. This game will frustrate many players to no end because of this quirk. That said, I do not recommend this game for anyone but the hardcore racing fanatics as many people will become infinitely upset at the uneven play mechanics and/or bored at the amount of practice required to play with skill. The cars also control like butter.. on a frying pan. I will go into that a little bit later in this review. Liked: Good multi-player, and challenging gameplay for a while. Hated: Cheap hit detection, and an absurd learning curve. **************************************************************************** Graphics Description: While not as pretty or detailed as some DS racers, this game is a step above the N64/PSOne games in terms of graphics. The car models do have a little bit of clipping, and sometimes pop-up is evident. However, the backgrounds are nice, the cars -while often similar to each other- are nicely detailed with light effects, shadows, light trails, etc. Ridge Racer feels old-school, and that is part of the problem with it. The game should have had a lot more time put into it. It feels like the games engine needed tweaks in this area. For example: There's a small town and it is nighttime, would it be too much to ask for little details like -say- fire works in the background? That would have expotentially increased the attention factor on some of these drab courses. The game does have a sense of speed and goes at a steady 60FPS (Frames Per Second) throughout. You also have three camera views, although the first person view will make it really hard to alaign yourself through many of tight turns in this game. Liked: Graphics are pretty crisp and the game moves quickly. Hated: The graphics are quite a step backwards from other games like this. I think this game needed more time. **************************************************************************** Sound/Music Description: Go to the OPTIONS menu, select sound settings, and select ANNOUNCER. NOW TURN HIM OFF. The announcer is annoying, redundant, and just plain sucks. The noises the cars make are pretty much the same for each car with so very little difference, it can not be heard. The music is pretty good though with some techno-euro-pop style music. Overall, the game is the thing here, but the sound does not draw you in to the game at all. Liked: The music is pretty good. Hated: The Announcer, and no variation between car noises. **************************************************************************** Play Control/Game Design: Even with the ability to use the touch screen as a controller, this game has some serious control flaws. When you turn the wheel on the bottom screen even a pixel or so, your car pretty much flies to one side or the other. This happens even at slow speeds. There is also very little variance between many of the cars. When the only difference between a car is the base color for it, that just says the developers got lazy. There is no way to improve the base settings for a car either. That car is as good as it is going to get once you get it. The CPU cars tend to never lose speed, never bump into each other, never hit the walls, and if you bump into one of them: They GAIN speed, even if you hit them from a side. It is enough to make you wish there were WEAPONS in the game. The speed increase you get from DRIFTING is very marginal, compared to the speed increase the computer gets from just being on the road. This game needed more work and more rewarding gameplay before it was released to the public. Like a lot of launch titles, this game was rushed out. Liked: Well, it's marginally fun for a little while. Hated: This feels like it was made over a weekend in Redmond, Washington. That is not a compliment. **************************************************************************** Improve: Fix Control, add variety, add difference in cars, extra details, etc. If you're going to port over an N64 racer, Nintendo should have snatched up the license to do San Francisco Rush. RIYL: Racing.............. **************************************************************************** Final Words: Endless potential, wasted. But it is fun for a while! **************************************************************************** Score Gameplay: *** Graphics: *** Sound/Music: *** Play Control/Game Design: ** Personal Opinion: ** Total: 13 out of 25 Final Score: 52% **************************************************************************** Currently Known Codes: Eh.