Ridge Racer, now 64bit

Released in 2000 and was the first Ridge Racer that was released not on the PlayStation. Very similar to Ridge Racer Revolution but with a different track appearance and a new soundtrack.

There are signs of a limited draw distance, as you can see a billboard-like objects that pops into view when you move close, this occurs on long stretches of the track, mainly near the start line. The N64 exclusive track does not seem to suffer from the issue, possibly due to it being designed for the console’s limitations, the other tracks were designed for the arcade hardware and the PlayStation respectively.

On the actual console itself it is not as noticeable. But on an emulator with an increased resolution, you can definitely see the pop-in.

A minor annoyance is the same replay audio track plays after each race. Why not play another track at random like Type 4 does?

Tracks

All tracks from Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer Revolution appear here and are considered updated versions with some scenery changes. Given this game was released in 2000, that’s 7 years compared to the arcade original released, Let’s see what changed in Ridge city:

The original Ridge Racer track has appears since the arcade original to Revolution. There the city looks similar to how it’s presented in Ridge Racer V, which also came out around the same time for the PlayStation 2. Below is a comparison of the arcade version of Ridge Racer, and Ridge Racer 64, Showing the differences between the track details.

The seaside area has been updated with different shop buildings but remains the same with its palm trees

Hmmm, one of the shops on the left appears to have been removed

Still some construction on the add-on section, you would think this has been completed by now but after 7 years – nothing. Funnily enough, Ridge Racer V shows this to be a grass area, with no construction at all.

Maybe planning permission is an issue in Ridge City?

An exclusive track appears that only appears in this game, set in the desert which is a significant departure for the Ridge Racer series.

Cars

Most cars from the earlier games also appear here and are the main focus of the game as there is a dedicated car attack mode to unlock new cars, which can be used in Grand Prix mode. The teams from Ridge Racer Type 4 also make an appearance in car design form only, it does not feature the managers from Type 4. Car designs from the early Ridge Racer game also make an appearance.

Nintendo DS

The game was ported, or remade somewhat on the Nintendo DS. The graphics have seen a downgrade due to the limited 3DS graphics capabilities.