Rave Racer
| Rave Racer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Namco |
| Publisher(s) | Namco |
| Composer(s) | Shinji Hosoe Ayako Saso Nobuyoshi Sano Takayuki Aihara |
| Series | Ridge Racer |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Arcade system | Namco System 22 |
Rave Racer (レイブレーサー, Reibu Rēsā) is an arcade racing game that was released by Namco on 16 July 1995. It runs on Namco System 22 hardware,[3] and could be played by two people per cabinet for up to eight players total when up to four of them were linked together.[4] It is the third (and last, until Ridge Racer V: Arcade Battle in 2000) arcade title in the Ridge Racer series and the follow-up to Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer 2.
Unlike Ridge Racer 2, Rave Racer is more than a simple update. It adds two new tracks as well as the ability to play the original two, various handling changes, force feedback steering, and improved car and racetrack graphics.[5] Like Ridge Racer 2, Rave Racer features a brand new soundtrack. The new tracks contain various sideroads, but some of them take more time than others to complete a full lap of the track.
It was the first game to feature high resolution 3D texture mapping, a feature which was not boasted by other platforms until the Dreamcast over three years later. Rave Racer ran at a high 640x480 resolution and a full 60 frames per second.
A Microsoft Windows version was originally under development for NEC's PowerVR graphics processor,[6][7] and was demonstrated in early 1996. However the game was cancelled, thus no games in the Ridge Racer series were released for PCs until Unbounded in 2012.
While there was never a home release, the game's exclusive tracks were later included in the PSP Ridge Racer game in 2004, also including some of its soundtrack in either original or remixed form.[8]
Reception
A critic for Next Generation remarked that while the game makes few changes from its predecessors, those changes are important enough to make it a dramatic improvement. He found the more accurate and responsive control particularly pleasing, saying it allows players to pull off more impressive maneuvers and race without having to compensate for the controls. He also praised the fast-paced music and graphical touches. Concluding that "despite only four courses, one of which is a rehash, this racer kicks", he gave it four out of five stars.[9]
References
- ^ The Arcade Flyer Archive: Rave Racer (Namco)
- ^ The Arcade Flyer Archive: Rave Racer (Namco)
- ^ "Arcade Race Restarts". Next Generation (10). Imagine Media: 20. October 1995.
- ^ Rave Racer Twin Upgrade Kit Manual. Namco. p. 4.
- ^ "Rave Racer". The International Arcade Museum. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
- ^ "Rave Racer". Next Generation. No. 19. Imagine Media. July 1996. pp. 54–55.
- ^ "Rave Racer Youtube Video". Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ^ http://www.giantbomb.com/rave-racer/3030-23244/z
- ^ "Rave Racer". Next Generation (10). Imagine Media: 130. October 1995.
External links
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