Ridge Racer DS - DS Game Reviews - The Armchair Empire


	Platform DS Genre Racing Publisher Namco Developer Namco ESRB E (Everyone) Released Q4 2004

- Smooth gameplay - Good graphics - Good use of audio - Powersliding is cool - Single cart multiplayer is an option - Great game to play on the go

- Can get frustrating - Using the stylus is too hard - Not a large variety in environments - Collisions could’ve used some more work - Too easy to hit walls

Review: Ridge Racer (PSP) Review: Pokemon Dash (DS) Review: F-Zero Maximum Velocity (GBA) Review: Gran Turismo 4 (PS2)
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Ridge Racer DS

Score: 8.0 / 10

The first time I played a Ridge Racer game was back in my N64 days. There have been many Ridge Racer games produced for different consoles but this is the first handheld Ridge Racer I have ever played. Not only is this the first Ridge Racer game that I’ve played on a handheld, but it’s also one of the only decent games that I’ve played on the DS.

Ridge Racer DS reminds me of an old school arcade racing game. It’s very similar to the Ridge Racer game we’ve seen years ago on the N64. It was good back then and it still is today. Powerslides have always been in the Ridge Racer games and the DS version is no exception. The top screen on the DS shows the race and the bottom screen shows the steering wheel. I don’t think showing the steering wheel was completely necessary but it’s a nice filler for the bottom screen and cars can be steered via the touchscreen – the game can be played with the wristband, the d-pad and/or the stylus. I personally prefer the d-pad, but try out the wristband. Using the wristband is neat but there’s a learning curve for it. For your first time playing the game, I would highly suggest the d-pad. Using the stylus is very difficult and I would not recommend it.

Grand Prix is the mode where players will spend most of their time and it can be really frustrating. In order to be able to move on to the next course, players must somehow manage to get to first place in every race. It’s not that hard at first, but as the levels progress, so does the difficulty. There are a total of 20 Grand Prix races.

Multiplayer is fun. If your buddy has a DS, but doesn’t own a copy of RR DS, there are no worries. There’s an option for single cart multiplayer and your friend can just

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enter the race as a guest and use a car from your file. I found no problems or limitations in multiplayer and found the experience enjoyable.

In Car Attack mode, players race against a single AI opponent in a one-on-one race and if the human player wins, he or she will unlock the car they just faced. Unlocking some cars can be tricky, but again, this game is meant to be hard. There are about 30 vehicles in total in the game.

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The only beef I had with Ridge Racer is that sometimes the collisions aren’t realistic and it’s very easy to bump into a wall, which can really hurt your position in the standings.

Graphically, the game looks pretty impressive, especially for a handheld. The game is really smooth and the cars have a nice touch to them. The environments aren’t bad, but a lot of the tracks look the same. Namco got a bit lazy here, but it will do.

The soundtrack is good and it goes very well with the gameplay. The sound effects are nice and crisp. I particularly like the sound effect of the powerslides. My compliments to Namco.

Ridge Racer DS is a great game if you’re looking for a racer that you’ll spend a lot of time on. It’s also great for those of you who are constantly on the go.

- J’Tonello

(May 2, 2005)