Ridge Racers 2
Encyclopedia
Ridge Racer 2 is an arcade-style racing game
developed by Namco
for the PlayStation Portable
hand-held console, marking the 14th release in the acclaimed Ridge Racer series
and also the sequel to the PSP launch title
Ridge Racer
. Originally published under the title Ridge Racers 2, it saw release in Japan
on September 14, 2006, followed by its October 13 European launch and October 19 release in Australia
(the title being changed to the singular: Ridge Racer 2, for the latter two markets). Unlike its predecessor a North American release for the title was absent.
The game also features a Full Motion Video
opening, that shows series mascot Reiko Nagase.
is drift racing
, that is traditional lap racing against opponents with the added twist of intentionally oversteering and sliding the car through sharp corners and turns, known as "drifting", which earns the player several bonuses during a race. In most respects Ridge Racer 2 can be considered more of an update
than a true sequel
to the original PSP title - it shares the same game play engine, user interface and game design as the previous title, and includes almost all of the elements, cars, and tracks of its predecessor.
Featuring three times as much game play time as its predecessor however, the differences lie in the addition of a total of 42 new racing tracks (of which 21 are unique tracks, with a reversed sequence counting as a separate track), while 18 are taken from previous titles in the Ridge Racer series
. Two tracks are from the original Ridge Racer, three tracks are from Ridge Racer Revolution
, four tracks are from Rave Racer
, eight tracks are from R4: Ridge Racer Type 4
, and four tracks are from Rage Racer
. Every track from every Playstation
Ridge Racer game released is included as part of this package. Numerous new game play modes are included to supplement the originals of the previous title such as: Arcade, Duel and Survival modes. As with the previous title, the Wireless Battle mode is still included, which supports up to 8 player multiplayer over the PSP's ad-hoc, Wi-Fi
network capability (see PSP Wireless Networking for further information).
The game also features a total of 62 fictional cars (referred to as "machines" throughout the game) from seven fictional manufacturers (Kamata, Age, Danver, Gnade, Assoluto, Himmel, and Soldat) that are staple throughout the Ridge Racer series. The full complement of cars is available to the player after completing four tours (consisting of 16 races each) of increasing difficulty levels (Basic, Pro, EX and Max) and several various mini-games. In addition to newer cars, Ridge Racer 2 features "prizes" that are unlocked after the completion of a tour, such as opening movies of previous Ridge Racer titles and E3 demo presentations.
The eight Special Class cars from Ridge Racer (PSP)
have been modified for this release and categorised into two, tiered categories. Special Class 1 denotes cars embodying more traditional supercar
designs and appearances, while Special Class 2 is made up of radical or novelty designs that boast the highest top speeds attainable in the game. Specifically, the 'Kamata Angelus' (Special Class 1) is now a more traditional supercar design, similar in appearance to the Angel car from Ridge Racer Revolution, and no longer powered by jet engines. The 'Soldat Crinale' (Special Class 1) appears similar to its previous incarnation; while the Pac-Man
car (Special Class 2) now resembles a miniature aircraft in design (with Pac-Man himself depicted as piloting it), and is no longer powered by propellers. The New Rally-X
car has been removed entirely and replaced by the 'Danver DigDug Hijack' (Special Class 1); a large, super-charged Pickup truck
. The 'Yamasa Raggio' (Special Class 2), which appeared in the 2006 Tokyo Auto Salon
as a variant of the Honda NSX
, is unique to Ridge Racer 2 and also appears in a "prize" movie that is unlocked after completion of the game's "EX tour". The three other special class cars from the previous title are still present: the Age Angelus Kid (Special Class 2), Age Crinale Kid (Special Class 2), and the Terrazi Drangonsaber Wild Gang (Special Class 1).
boost" system from the previous game, which works in the same manner as before. The player has a Nitrous Gauge made up of three nitrous tanks, which at the start of a race are either completely depleted or only partially full. As the player drifts through the corners (especially at very high Slip angle
s) during the race, their nitrous gauge fills up. When the player fills up one of the three nitrous tanks, it can be activated to achieve a temporary speed boost. The nitrous tanks cannot be recharged while any tank is in use though, but the residual speed increase when the nitrous boost expires can be used just before entering corners to recharge the player's nitrous tanks at a faster rate than normal. (Ultimate Charge)
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
developed by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
hand-held console, marking the 14th release in the acclaimed Ridge Racer series
Ridge Racer (series)
Ridge Racer is a series of arcade racing games developed and published by Namco for both the arcade and various gaming systems. In each of the games, players race on courses set in and around the fictional Ridge City while utilizing the concepts of drift racing to quickly traverse...
and also the sequel to the PSP launch title
Launch title
A launch game, or launch title, is a video game released to consumers synchronously with the release of its respective video game console, meaning they are the only available games at the time of the console's launch. Several of these games are also packaged with the console...
Ridge Racer
Ridge Racer (PSP)
Ridge Racer for the PSP is an arcade racing video game developed by Namco. It is named after the eponymous Ridge Racer video game series to which it belongs. The game was released in Japan as...
. Originally published under the title Ridge Racers 2, it saw release in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on September 14, 2006, followed by its October 13 European launch and October 19 release in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(the title being changed to the singular: Ridge Racer 2, for the latter two markets). Unlike its predecessor a North American release for the title was absent.
The game also features a Full Motion Video
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
opening, that shows series mascot Reiko Nagase.
Gameplay
The core aspect of the entire Ridge Racer seriesRidge Racer (series)
Ridge Racer is a series of arcade racing games developed and published by Namco for both the arcade and various gaming systems. In each of the games, players race on courses set in and around the fictional Ridge City while utilizing the concepts of drift racing to quickly traverse...
is drift racing
Drifting (motorsport)
Drifting refers to a driving technique and to a motorsport where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a high exit speed...
, that is traditional lap racing against opponents with the added twist of intentionally oversteering and sliding the car through sharp corners and turns, known as "drifting", which earns the player several bonuses during a race. In most respects Ridge Racer 2 can be considered more of an update
Update
Update may refer to:* Patch , also known as a software update* Update ,a SQL statement for changing database records* Update , 2007* Update , 1987* Updated , M...
than a true sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the original PSP title - it shares the same game play engine, user interface and game design as the previous title, and includes almost all of the elements, cars, and tracks of its predecessor.
Featuring three times as much game play time as its predecessor however, the differences lie in the addition of a total of 42 new racing tracks (of which 21 are unique tracks, with a reversed sequence counting as a separate track), while 18 are taken from previous titles in the Ridge Racer series
Ridge Racer (series)
Ridge Racer is a series of arcade racing games developed and published by Namco for both the arcade and various gaming systems. In each of the games, players race on courses set in and around the fictional Ridge City while utilizing the concepts of drift racing to quickly traverse...
. Two tracks are from the original Ridge Racer, three tracks are from Ridge Racer Revolution
Ridge Racer Revolution
Ridge Racer Revolution is a racing game developed by Namco for the PlayStation in 1995. It is the sequel of the inaugural game Ridge Racer. The game's covers between the Japanese version and the European & North America version are different in this game. The game's cover of the Japanese...
, four tracks are from Rave Racer
Rave Racer
Rave Racer is a racing game created by Namco. It was released on July 16, 1995 for the Namco System 22 arcade platform. It is the third arcade title in the Ridge Racer series.-Cars:*Car #1: R.T. Derota*Car #2: R.T. Steel Gunner...
, eight tracks are from R4: Ridge Racer Type 4
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4
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...
, and four tracks are from Rage Racer
Rage Racer
Rage Racer is the third title in the Ridge Racer series of racing games on the Sony PlayStation. Created by Namco, it was first released in Japan on December 3, 1996. This game uses the same game's covers for both the Japanese version and the North America version.-Gameplay:Visually the game...
. Every track from every Playstation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
Ridge Racer game released is included as part of this package. Numerous new game play modes are included to supplement the originals of the previous title such as: Arcade, Duel and Survival modes. As with the previous title, the Wireless Battle mode is still included, which supports up to 8 player multiplayer over the PSP's ad-hoc, Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
network capability (see PSP Wireless Networking for further information).
The eight Special Class cars from Ridge Racer (PSP)
Ridge Racer (PSP)
Ridge Racer for the PSP is an arcade racing video game developed by Namco. It is named after the eponymous Ridge Racer video game series to which it belongs. The game was released in Japan as...
have been modified for this release and categorised into two, tiered categories. Special Class 1 denotes cars embodying more traditional supercar
Supercar
Supercar is a term used most often to describe an expensive high end car. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive, fast or powerful car"...
designs and appearances, while Special Class 2 is made up of radical or novelty designs that boast the highest top speeds attainable in the game. Specifically, the 'Kamata Angelus' (Special Class 1) is now a more traditional supercar design, similar in appearance to the Angel car from Ridge Racer Revolution, and no longer powered by jet engines. The 'Soldat Crinale' (Special Class 1) appears similar to its previous incarnation; while the Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
car (Special Class 2) now resembles a miniature aircraft in design (with Pac-Man himself depicted as piloting it), and is no longer powered by propellers. The New Rally-X
New Rally-X
New Rally-X is a maze arcade game that was released by Namco in 1981. It runs on Namco Pac-Man hardware but uses a system similar to Bosconian and, as the name suggests, is the sequel to Rally-X, released in the previous year...
car has been removed entirely and replaced by the 'Danver DigDug Hijack' (Special Class 1); a large, super-charged Pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
. The 'Yamasa Raggio' (Special Class 2), which appeared in the 2006 Tokyo Auto Salon
Tokyo Auto Salon
The is an annual auto show held in January at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, Japan for Performance and custom dress-up parts and technology display. Hosted by the Nippon Auto Parts Aftermarket Committee ....
as a variant of the Honda NSX
Honda NSX
The Honda NSX, or Acura NSX, is a sports car that was produced between 1990 and 2005 by the Japanese automaker Honda. It is equipped with a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, powered by an all-aluminium V6 gasoline engine featuring Honda's Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control ...
, is unique to Ridge Racer 2 and also appears in a "prize" movie that is unlocked after completion of the game's "EX tour". The three other special class cars from the previous title are still present: the Age Angelus Kid (Special Class 2), Age Crinale Kid (Special Class 2), and the Terrazi Drangonsaber Wild Gang (Special Class 1).
Nitrous
Notable also is the "nitrousNitrous
Nitrous oxide is a chemical compound used as an oxidizing agent to increase an internal combustion engine's power output by allowing more fuel to be burned than would normally be the case.-Nitrous and NOS:...
boost" system from the previous game, which works in the same manner as before. The player has a Nitrous Gauge made up of three nitrous tanks, which at the start of a race are either completely depleted or only partially full. As the player drifts through the corners (especially at very high Slip angle
Slip angle
In vehicle dynamics, slip angle or sideslip angle is the angle between a rolling wheel's actual direction of travel and the direction towards which it is pointing...
s) during the race, their nitrous gauge fills up. When the player fills up one of the three nitrous tanks, it can be activated to achieve a temporary speed boost. The nitrous tanks cannot be recharged while any tank is in use though, but the residual speed increase when the nitrous boost expires can be used just before entering corners to recharge the player's nitrous tanks at a faster rate than normal. (Ultimate Charge)
Music
King Records release a music album of the game called Ridge Racers 2: Direct Audio (titled as RIDGE RACERS 2: DIRECT AUDIO). It was released in Japan on October, 2006.Track List
- 1. Scream
- 2. Departure Lounge 2
- 3. Rage Racer Remix
- 4. Rotten7 Remix
- 5. Kamikaze Remix
- 6. Hearts 2 Hearts Remix
- 7. Heat Floor Remix
- 8. Paris Remix
- 9. Pearl Blue Soul
- 10. Burning Rubber
- 11. Quiet Curves
- 12. The Objective
- 13. EXH*NOTES
- 14. Euphoria [Ridge Racer 5]
- 15. Mellow Curves
See also
- Burnout LegendsBurnout LegendsBurnout Legends is a game in the popular Burnout franchise, specifically released for the PlayStation Portable on September 13, 2005, and the Nintendo DS on November 29, 2005. The game features many of the tracks and gameplay modes from the first three Burnout games, but repackaged for the handheld...
- OutRun 2006: Coast 2 CoastOutRun 2006: Coast 2 CoastOutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast is a racing game developed by Sumo Digital and released in 2006 on behalf of Sega-AM2. It is the eighth title in the series. Despite its name, is not a direct continuation of the original game. Outrun 2006 is a re-imagining of the first game in the series, and has a...
- Formula One 06Formula One 06Formula One 06 is a video game developed by Studio Liverpool. It is the fifteenth game of the official Formula One video games series.-Summary:...
- Wipeout PureWipeout PureWipeout Pure is a 2005 video game in the Wipeout series for the PlayStation Portable. The game was released simultaneously with the release of the PSP during its North American launch. The developers expressed a desire to return to the handling of Wipeout 2097 and to make various changes to the...
- Burnout Dominator
External links
- Official site
- Import Review at GameBrink
- Ridge Racer 2 at GameSpot
- Ridge Racer 2 at IGN
- Ridge Racer 2 at Gamespy UK
- Ridge Racer 2 at Gamespy Australia