Gameplay Today - Because You're Always Gaming

No console launch would be complete without a Ridge Racer game and the 3DS is no exception. Ridge Racer 3D is the latest in the long running arcade racing series by Namco that made its console debut on the first PlayStation. So what does Ridge Racer 3D bring new to the series? Ridge Racer 3D has all the usual play options one should expect of an arcade racer.

Grand Prix is your standard career mode where you compete in many events each comprising of four races. Quick Tour creates a event for you based on how long you intend to play. Standard Race, One-Make Race, Time Attack and a StreetPass mode that shares ghost replays of your best times to challenge round out the single player options.  Multiplayer is two to four player local play only and is limited to Standard Race, One-Make and Team Battle.

The first thing you will notice when playing Ridge Racer 3D are the 3D visuals themselves. Namco has made great use of the 3DS hardware, giving Ridge Racer 3D a very impressive depth effect that really makes you feel like you’re actually driving the courses in front of you. Confetti pops out at you as you pass crowds, water splashes on your windshield and rival cars seem right in your face when you ride their bumpers. Likewise, the road seems to stretch out forever into the distance. While the 3D effect is great, the graphics themselves leave a bit to be desired. A smooth framerate does little to hide the almost painfully low resolution of the textures on the cars themselves, though the scenery looks good as you speed through the 15 unique courses.

The game sounds great. The music is the expected techno sounding pounding beats to drive the racing action and the sound effects of the cars themselves are fitting, with satisfying tire squeals that differ depending on the surface you are driving on. The female announcer actually does a good job of sounding excited about the race, if a little repetitive. The volume of each aspect of the audio can be controlled or muted if a particular part gets tiresome, though I have had no such problems.

Ridge Racer 3D contains all the latest game play revisions of the recent Ridge Racer games, nitro boosts of the PSP Ridge Racer and Xbox 360’s Ridge Racer 6 and slipstreaming of PlayStation 3’s Ridge Racer 7. The innovation to the drift heavy game play of Ridge Racer that Ridge Racer 3D tries to bring to the game is the addition of a dedicated drifting button that allows you to easily drift any time you like. Well, in theory anyway, as I have found the button to be more bothersome than helpful and usually just use the standard method of easing off the gas to enter a drift. Thankfully you can choose a driving setup that does not use this new feature. The racing physics is classic Ridge Racer, so expect to take 90 degree turns sideways while losing little to no speed.

Ridge Racer 3D is a pretty good launch title for the Nintendo 3DS. It showcases the 3D effect beautifully and plays well, if very similar to the series’ past games. Keep an ear out for classic Ridge Racer tunes from previous games. A great racing game that I have no problems recommending to fans of the arcade racing genre.