R4: Ridge Racer Type 4
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009) |
| R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 | |
|---|---|
 North American Cover box art of R4: Ridge Racer Type 4. |
|
| Developer(s) | Namco |
| Publisher(s) | Namco |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, PlayStation Network |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation PlayStation Network
|
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single player Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E (Everyone) |
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 is the fourth game in the Ridge Racer series on the PlayStation.
Unlike some of the other titles in the series, this game is made only for a home console, and does not have an arcade machine version. It is the final Ridge Racer series game released in the PlayStation console before Ridge Racer V released exclusively on PlayStation 2. There are eight tracks and 321 vehicles, all of which are fictional. This iteration was one of the first games on the PlayStation to feature gouraud shading on the polygons, giving the game a visual depth that was previously missing. It was also the first Ridge Racer game on the Sony system to feature a two-player split screen mode, and featured two different driving models.
Contents |
[edit] Game features
[edit] Gameplay
The main mode of the game is "Grand Prix", where players take on the role of a racing driver new to the game's fictional "Real Racing Roots '99" Grand Prix. The Grand Prix is split into four stages - two qualifying races, two quarter-final races, three semi-finals and one final race on New Year's Eve 1999 - between which the player receives either a new car or an upgrade to their current one, based on their performance in the stage. In order to unlock every one of the cars, the player must race with every racing team and every manufacturer, in every qualifying position possible, hence enhancing the longevity of the game.
[edit] Teams and vehicles
There are four fictional racing teams available, each one managed by a different character who briefs the player between races. All the team managers have their own backstories.
- Dig Racing Team - a former front-running team led by Robert Chrisman, this American organization has recently fallen on hard times after the team's director cut back on funding. This team features cars with "expert" tuning, and they are the hardest team to drive for in the game.
- Pac Racing Club - the newest entry into the Real Racing Roots '99 championship this Japanese team led by Shinji Yazaki tunes their cars to a normal standard making them the more moderate of the four teams available and ideal for intermediate-level players.
- Racing Team Solvalou - this elite Italian team led by the charismatic Enki Gilbert are currently dominating the Real Racing Roots '99 championship. Their cars are widely regarded as the fastest in the game.
- R.C Micro Mouse Mappy - this French team has a new owner, Sophie Chevalier, replacing her ill grandfather this season. Ideal for beginners, cars are easier to control than those of the other racing teams and the CPU car's speed is low. It is notable for its unusual headquarters which is a building inside a garage.
There are four fictional car manufactures to choose from and one special car available:
- Age Solo - a French manufacturer which specialises in compact designs with grip handling. Their Ecureuil supercar is able to tackle corners at high speeds. The Age Solo cars are Prophetie (resembles Mazda MX-5), Dirigeant, Bataille (resembles the coupe version of AC Cobra), Megere, Antilope (resembles Jaguar E Type), Averse, Licorne (resembles Panoz Esperante GTR-1), Sorciere (resembles McLaren F1), Supernova (resembles Nissan R391) and Ecureuil.
- Lizard - an American machine company who creates outrageous, dynamic designs with flamboyant drift handling. Their Nightmare supercar - alike to the "Devil 13" from previous games - boasts ferocious speed. The Lizard cars are Bonfire, Detector (resembles Ferrari F40), Wisdom (resembles Chevrolet Corvette (C2)), Officer (resembles Chevrolet Corvette (C3)), Colleague, Comrade, Ignition, Tamer, Cataract, Reckless and Nightmare.
- Assoluto - an Italian manufacturer which designs cars with sleek, aerodynamic curves ideal for drifting. The Vulcano special machine levitates and hence can tackle corners with very little speed loss. The Assoluto cars are Promessa (resembles Ferrari 308 with modernizations), Bisonte (resembles Ferrari F355), Regalo, Fatalita (resembles the R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R), Rondine, Cavaliere, Infinito, Aquila, Estasi, Squalo and Vulcano.
- Terrazi - a Japanese manufacturer with stylish yet minimalist designs and cars which stick to the road. Their Utopia prototype is shaped like a rocket, boasts acceleration just like one and is therefore the fastest car in the game (399 km/h). The Terrazi cars are Ambitious (resembles Toyota Supra), Troop (resembles Toyota MR2), Rumor, Wildboar, Capital, Cowboy, Starlight (resembles Lotus 49), Decision (resembles Honda NSX), Terrific, Destroyer, and Utopia.
- Pac-Man - when the player unlocks all 320 cars, they are awarded with a secret 321st car shaped like Pac-Man and a bonus music track Eat 'em Up!
[edit] Courses
The game has eight courses, six of them have a shared portion. The courses are:
Heat 1
Heat 2
- Edge of the Earth - in New York;[Intermediate]
- Out of Blue - in Yokohama.[Intermediate] The finish line straight are shared with Helter-Skelter;
Final Heat
- Phantomile - in Yokohama;[Expert]
- Brightest Nite - in New York.[Expert] The finish line inside the airport are shared with Edge of the Earth;
- Heaven and Hell - in Fukuoka.[Expert] Half of the circuit are shared with Wonderhill;
- Shooting Hoops - in Los Angeles.[Pro]
By winning at least one time the Real Racing Roots '99, these circuits are available in Normal and Reverse directions for Multiplayer and Time Attack game modes.
[edit] Other information
Special edition box sets of R4 were packaged with the Namco Jogcon controller designed specifically for use with the game. The portable PocketStation device could also be utilized in R4 to trade cars with friends.
[edit] Reiko Nagase
R4 featured a CGI animated intro with the Ridge Racer "mascot girl" Reiko Nagase, who first appeared in Rage Racer set to an acid jazz piece called Ridge Racer: One More Win by Kimara Lovelace.
[edit] Ridge Racer Turbo/Hi-Spec Demo
The game includes a bonus disc containing a new version of the original Ridge Racer, called Ridge Racer Turbo (known in Europe as Ridge Racer Hi-Spec Demo). This game runs at 60 frames per second with gouraud shading utilised on the car models, as seen in R4.
[edit] Soundtrack
[edit] Reviews
The game was critically acclaimed and a commercial success both in Japan and the United States.
- Official PlayStation Magazine UK: 9 out of 10 (90%)
- IGN: 9.4 out of 10 (94%)
- GameSpot: 8.7 out of 10 (87%)
- Edge: 8 out of 10 (80%)
[edit] External links
- R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 at Namco (Japanese Site)
- R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 at IGN
- R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 at MobyGames
|
|||||||||||
