RGG Game Of The Month DEC '14: RIDGE RACER
It's the month of merry X-Masness, but this December brings about a special landmark anniversary for a rather revolutionary machine and to celebrate we here at RGG kick out the snow and have some more days in the sun...On the road...With a particular launch title that turns 20..
When you think of early PlayStation, y'think of Namco(t)'s Ridge Racer - it's really as simple as that. Which is why the choice for this particular Game Of The Month was so obvious and apparent, what with Sony celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the ridiculously successful PS branding.
Ridge Racer was of course a launch title not just in Japan, where it has the iconic status of being production code SLPS-00001 (yeah, got there first on Sony's first!), but also immediately helped gain widespread acclaim and attention as a system seller with it being an exclusive arcade port with full 3D polygon graphics making an early showcase of the PlayStation's power. Combine that with a high quality soundtrack and addictive gameplay and its easy to see why people were exchanging cash hand over fist to get a chance to play Sony's new 32-bit console and of course Namco's now classic title.
Not only is it a game that helped kickstart a revolution, but it's a game very close to many people's hearts. Especially that of this very sites co-founder Mr. Fury. Seriously. That man fucking loves Ridge Racer. He once stated "I need any console that launches with a Ridge Racer". Dedication. A legacy began on the 3rd of December 1994 and it's one that continues to grow...That's without even mentioning it came with a pre-load screen version of mothertruckin' Galaxian! How cool is THAT!? Retro inside retro. Mindblown. Don't forget the copious amounts of other references to other Namco properties littered throughout the game, in the form of team badges, sponsors, etc. Genius!
Here's what Megatrons_Fury had to say on the homepage:
If you build it they will come...
In 1994 something special was born, well two things actually but they both went hand in hand like young lovers, Starsky & Hutch, Beans on Toast, Sam 'n' Max and of course videogames and snack food. Today RGG proudly shows it's love and respect for Namco's moment of driving excellence... Ridge Racer, for the Sony Playstation console.
Originally released in the arcades in 1993 this adrenaline fuelled drift style racer took the world by storm with everyone falling in love with it's in your face high tempo action and even faster soundtrack. At the time of it's arrival home consoles couldn't get anywhere near it's level of graphical detail, speed and overall intense experience and whilst in Japan games using the 'Drift' technique were more common the west woke up to find the rules had changed. If Outrun had made an impact in the mid 80's for Sega (and boy oh boy did it) then the loud and brash 1990's would belong to Namco and this baby!
Sony at the time were working behind the scenes on their new 32-Bit games console, mostly in secret after being betrayed by Nintendo a year or so ago over an Add-On device for the Super Nintendo console. Sega had mascot after mascot and Nintendo themselves had more franchises than you could shake a stick at so Sony knew that if they were going to gain revenge and market saturation they would need at least 1 heavyweight title to launch with... Enter Namco!
Behind closed doors a deal was made to have Namco arcade games ported exclusively to this new console, titles like Tekken, Cyber Sled etc were all lined up along with ports of other hits such as Starblade Alpha but the big daddy of them all was RGG's game of the month for December, the arcade racer everyone in Japan was going crazy over. This deal led to the game you are looking at today have the honour of being the very first game for the Playstation and having bestowed upon it the product code of SCHP 00001.
In December 1994 this would literally walk the new console into so many homes in it's home region of Japan that stock shortages would continue for nearly 6 months whilst at the same time ramping up the pre-launch hysteria in North America and Europe where believe it or not excitement was not what you may have thought. The Playstation had arrived with a must have, near arcade perfect game the day of it going on sale, it absolutely was responsible for a machine many thought would never work gain overnight recognition, by partnering with one of the main arcade game makers Sony had pulled off a master stroke. Namco and Sony sitting in a tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G!
Although critics praised Ridge Racer for it's arcade feel and especially the soundtrack they were not happy that it only really had 1 actual course. The game cleverly tricked you into thinking it had more by opening new routes depending on difficulty selection and a mirror mode that activated after you completed certain criteria. Some to this day see it as a very shallow experience however it was never made to be anything else other than a pick up and play speed thrill that made you look and feel cool while you played it...Mission accomplished!
Ridge Racer's enduring legacy is that it was the missing piece of the jigsaw for Sony who had no real in house experience of making games, it is the game that started a complete revolution in how games were made and was the closest bridge between playing something in an arcade then walking home and carrying on the fun.
Never underestimate the power of Playstation... And the part NAMCO and RIDGE RACER played, go give this another play today. Oh and whilst you are it it put your own music CD in the console and race to the tunes you like to play. 1994 gamers mind's...BLOWN!
So we here at RetroGameGeeks hope that you, during this cold winter month; can transport back two decades ago to a time and place of new frontiers and general sexiness...
Now, go get up on it coz it's GAME OF THE MONTH, y'know what to do by now! Vote in the poll, discuss below and get'cha game on, suckah!! Don't forget to check out the banners, home page and share the word. Ridge Racer!
PS: Don't forget you can go vote on this GOTM's worthiness on the GOTM official thread on the RGG Forum! Much love as always!
