Ridge Racer 64

Developer: Nintendo Software Technology Publisher: Namco

Released: February 14, 2000 8/10 Rated: E

Nintendo probably didn’t need another racing title in its library by early 2000, with the genre easily being one of the most prolific on the system, both for its good and bad titles, and offering up just about every interpretation of the concept on some level, if not two or three times over with games both worth their salt and not. And yet, there’s something admirable and clever about putting an in-house team at the newly-formed North American studio, Nintendo Software Technology, on the task of bringing a franchise that was already a feather in the cap of the PlayStation. The franchise was one of the representative examples of the PS1’s tremendous first party support, with the port of the original arcade game being a launch title for the system, and the fourth, arguably definitive entry of the PS1 era, Ridge Racer Type 4, having released less than a year before the N64’s entry would hit shelves.

And in a way, RR64 was somewhat dated by the time it released because of this, unable to offer the high water mark of Type 4, as I assume it would have been somewhat unethical to hand an in-house studio the framework of the game you just released exclusively for their biggest competitor, but what RR64 amounts to instead is still a strong blend of content and mechanics from the original Ridge Racer, Ridge Racer Revolution, and some tweaks offered by NST with Namco’s blessing and assistance. In all, there are only 10 unique tracks and their mirror variants to race on, but the sense of progression as you unlock new cars via various game modes and methods is still solid, and it’s an exceptionally balanced game as well. With the difficulty curve is tied to the series’ iconic drift mechanics, which can be set to the feel of the older titles or NST’s newly curated, N64-focused system, the reward of syncing up to the feel of a system that is, to use the cliche, easy to pick up, but hard to master, is its own reward, though a full garage and rival cars left in the dust on the breezy shores of Seaside Route 765 are pretty satisfying too.

Ridge Racer 64 rounds out the package with a strong presentation and sense of style that the series was already known for. Though the cars aren’t licensed, the quirkiness of the Namco-inspired branding and designs are always a treat. It doesn’t look anywhere near as good as, say, World Driver Championship, but maintains an excellent frame rate, and doesn’t overextend itself by opting for a high-resolution mode with the Expansion Pak, which always seems to spell trouble for playability and feel because of frame rate issues. Along with the motion-blur, it can be tough to say that it looks amazing by comparison to some other racers in the genre, but along with the infectious techno soundtrack that fits right in with the rest of the series, you can’t argue with the sense of speed and style. While the PS1 might still be the more well-remembered home of the franchise, particularly for ‘90s gamers, this easy-to-forget entry on the N64 is more than deserving of its title, and worthy of a place in the rotation of N64 racers right in between the iconic titles like Mario Kart 64, and the hidden gems like Beetle Adventure Racing.

Continuing Legacy

What was previously a staple of launch windows for several generations running has been alarmingly absent from console libraries as of late, with the last entry in the series outside of phone releases being Ridge Racer: Unbounded in 2012. And while it’s easy to forget this unusual Nintendo-centric entry in favor of its more lauded releases over the years, Ridge Racer 64 was remade as Ridge Racer DS, where it was a launch title for Nintendo’s dual-screen handheld in late 2004.