GTP Video Game Cool Wall: R4: Ridge Racer Type 4

[Cowboy]

R4: Ridge Racer Type 4, nominated by @nick98

Release date: December 3, 1998 (Japan); May 1, 1999 (North America); 1999 (Europe)
Platforms: PlayStation (PSP and PS3 through PSN)
Game developer: Namco
Genre: Arcade racer

Spoiler: Game description

R4: Ridge Racer Type 4, known simply as Ridge Racer Type 4 in Europe, is the fourth home console title in the Ridge Racerfranchise and the last one to be released on the original PlayStation. Like all Ridge Racer games, Type 4's gameplay centers around high-speed arcade racing with emphasis on drifting around corners. There are 4 car manufacturers, 2 with Grip cars and the other 2 with Drift cars: Terrazi (grip), Age Solo (grip), Assoluto (drift), Lizard (drift). More cars can be earned by playing Grand Prix Mode, where the player can select one of four teams - each with varying difficulty and car tuning, and the car manufacturer of their choice. Grand Prix features 8 races divided into three stages; to continue the Grand Prix, the player must finish the race within the qualifying range. Depending on their performance, the player will unlock new cars or upgrades to their already owned ones. There is a grand total of 320 cars to unlock, each with a varying combination of team, car manufacturer and finishing position. Upon finishing Grand Prix mode, a special Extra Trial mode is unlocked, where the player goes one on one against an unlockable rival car depending on the combination of car manufacturer and team. The player can also create new logos to apply on their cars with the Decal Edit mode.

The game supports a special controller named the JogCon, which came bundled with the game in a special edition, as well as the PocketStation, which allowed players to trade cars. The game's soundtrack was later released only in Japan in 1999. The game was also re-released for PSP and PS3 in 2011 as a digital download through PSN.

Spoiler: Images

 

[Brend]

One of the finest arcade racing games ever made. Period.

 

[Stephan]

The best PS1 racing game next to Gran Turismo and others.

 

[Wolfe]

Top-tier soundtrack, which I've put on while playing racing games for years. The game itself is great even though Ridge Racer handling didn't age well.

 

[nick98]

Fun gameplay? Check. Gorgeous aesthetics? Check. Nicely designed fictitious vehicles? Check. Fantastic soundtrack? Check. All of this makes it easily my all-time favorite arcade racing game. The only real complaint I can give to this game is its terrible 100% completion requirements, but other than that, it's a masterpiece through and through.

A, hook, line, and sinker.

 

[Moglet]

A superb game. I played this one an obsessive amount and loved every minute of it. The general design was super stylish, the soundtrack was great and the visuals were stunning for the time. Add in the chatter with your team owner, a variety of well designed tracks and cars with genuinely different characteristics and you're on to a winner. That's before you even get to the novelty cars!

 

[Mike458]

You would be mad NOT to give this thing anything less than an A.

The cars look absolutely incredible (Age Solo Espion, Supernova, the Assoluto Bisonte, Aquila, and Squalo, the Lizard Officer and Cataract), the gameplay was challenging and fun (time trials on Out of Blue with the Stage 4 cars is so much fun), and the unlock system is really rather cool.

If there's one downside of the game, I'm slightly disappointed that we couldn't get any of the Stage 3 cars tuned up to Stage 4...

 

[Cowboy]

Never played it, but looks like a fun game.

 

[SomePlayaDude]

Main character is so chill he picks up hot babe AND still wins the heat.

That and they managed to squeeze a way to satisyingly make the game replayable.

 

[Tornado]

There weren't too many games more stylish, especially not so purposely devoted to being so, than this one during the generation.

 

[MisterWaffles]

This game honestly looks like GT1 on steroids. Would be a nice virtual console/PSN pickup.

The level where the plane does a barrel roll over the track before the tunnel is pretty impressive for the PS1 too.

 

[VXR]

I absolutely love the aesthetic of this classic, to the point where I made a sweet homage on Forza 6 with the Nissan IDX concept.

If there's one game that deserves a HD remaster, this is one of the very top contenders in my book.

 

[ULTRAVIOLENZZ]

"Yeah! It's a new record! Two laps to go!"

SZ

 

[ThrasherDBS]

Played it for a bit, and remember having fun with it. I'll have to pick it up again sometime and finish it up. It felt refined enough to be not as frustrating as Ridge Racer or Ridge Racer Revolution. Having completed all of Ridge Racer V, it's clear where a lot of the refinement came from.

This earns a B.

 

[JohnBM01]

ICE. FREAKING. COLD. That is how cool Ridge Racer Type 4 is. If you're going go out for one console, make your final appearance be your best. Ridge Racer Type 4 had just about the best action and the most solid driving in an engaging and fun game. To me, only two problems with this game- "Burnin' Rubber" and "The Objective." Those are the only two songs I didn't like. You maybe could even complain about how to actually get all 320 cars as being overwhelmingly tedious. But still, if you are ANY kind of gaming fan (let alone racing game fan), put this game into your gaming collection.

 

[dice1998]

Here's why I chose Sub Zero for R4:



The music, the cars and the story behind every team. It was amazing and I haven't found a similar racing game yet.

 

[Rallywagon]

I got this game with the Jogcon. Had a lot of fun playing this game.