RIIIIIIDGE RACER!
Wait, no, that’s not right. It’s on the 3DS, but since the 3DS’ screen doesn’t translate well, let’s go anaglyphic.
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDGGEE RRAACCEERR!!
That’s better. Ridge Racer 3DS
This is yet another solid third-party 3DS launch game that is both fun and serves as pure 3D porn. At heart, it’s basically the same Ridge Racer we’ve come back to again and again, but it’s spruced up with a very pretty graphical engine that would look pretty good on the PSP, and it’s all served in a nice 3D package. From the moment when you start the game, after you see the 1:43 car model rotate in 3D on the 3DS main menu, you know this is going to be full of parallaxed eye candy.
Like any good racing game, there are several modes. For a campaign with a steady progression of difficulty in cars, tracks, and opponents, Grand Prix offers multiple paths with multiple races that will keep you busy for hours. For casual racing, there are the usual single race modes. For multiplayer, you can pick up other racers’ ghost images through StreetPass and race them when you get home, or race against up to four people total in local matches.
Through all of these modes, you can earn points to buy new cars and upgrades. There’s no Gran Turismo performance tweaking here, but you can change the type of nitro you use and choose from a few different racing variants of each of the many cars. Of course, you can also select the finish and one of three different body styles, one of which will consistently be a piece of Namco nostalgia talking about Galaga or Tower of Druaga.
The racing itself is fun and simple. Drive, drift, use nitro, repeat. Fortunately, plenty of tracks and plenty of conditions keep things varied, so it seldom feels like you’re constantly driving around the same loop. It’s Ridge Racer, and that’s pretty much all you can expect. The physics are just realistic enough to be satisfying and just loose enough to be entertaining.
The 3D looks good in the standard Ridge Racer view, but it really shines in first-person view. In the usual view, the game looks like you’re watching a toy car through a small window. It has depth, but it doesn’t seem to be moving very fast. In first-person view, you really get a better sense of speed. The buildings rush by, the road blurs under you, and even items like ticker tape and leaves stick to your “windshield” when passing the stands and forest areas, producing a great 3D effect.
Once again, a third party game stands out as one of the better launch titles for the 3DS. It has more depth and lasting appeal than Pilotwings Resort, and it does a good job of showing off the 3DS’ screen. Better racing games will inevitably appear on the 3DS, but until then Ridge Racer 3D’s a good choice for fans of the genre or the series.
