Review gatorShins 5/5 · Jun 27, 2024
The best arcade racer ever made
Arcade racing perfection. Incredible aesthetics. Soundtrack stuck in my head forever.
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 (1998)
Android · PlayStation · PlayStation 3 · PlayStation Portable
3.86 from 125 ratings
316 members have it in their collection · 6 playing now · 57 backlogged · 29 wish listed
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 is the fourth game in the Ridge Racer series. It includes eight tracks (with reverse variants, for a total of 16 layouts) and 321 vehicles, all of which are fictional. This iteration was one of the first PlayStation titles to feature Gouraud shading on polygons, giving the game a visual depth that was previously missing. …
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R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 is the fourth game in the Ridge Racer series. It includes eight tracks (with reverse variants, for a total of 16 layouts) and 321 vehicles, all of which are fictional. This iteration was one of the first PlayStation titles to feature Gouraud shading on polygons, giving the game a visual depth that was previously missing. It was also the first Ridge Racer game on the system to feature two-player split-screen mode and offered two different driving models.
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Details
- Developers
- Namco
- Publishers
- Namco, Namco Bandai Games, Sony Computer Entertainment
- Genres
- Racing
- Themes
- Action
- Franchises
- Ridge Racer
- Series
- Ridge Racer
Release dates
- Dec 03, 1998 (Full Release) (Japan) PlayStation
- Apr 16, 1999 (Full Release) (Europe) PlayStation
- May 04, 1999 (Full Release) (North_America) PlayStation
- Mar 08, 2011 (Digital Compatibility Release) (North_America) PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable
- Jul 06, 2011 (Digital Compatibility Release) (Japan) PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable
- Apr 12, 2012 (Full Release) (Worldwide) Android
Also available on
- R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 (2023) · PS4, PS5
Related
Bundled in
- PlayStation Classic (Dec 2018) · Plug & Play
- PlayStation Classic (Dec 2018) · Plug & Play
Rating distribution
5 stars
30
4 stars
55
3 stars
33
2 stars
7
1 star
0
Community All Reviews Statuses
Review SIGINT 4/5 · Feb 6, 2023
If you ain't first, you're last
This is one of very few games from a PS1-era deep dive I did a few years back that I actually find myself wanting to revisit occasionally. Its racing action is simple to get into with a fun arcadey feel. Tracks are all fun, with layouts and AI opponents just challenging enough to require some clean drifting to win, but …
This is one of very few games from a PS1-era deep dive I did a few years back that I actually find myself wanting to revisit occasionally. Its racing action is simple to get into with a fun arcadey feel. Tracks are all fun, with layouts and AI opponents just challenging enough to require some clean drifting to win, but easy enough that you can do fine even on a casual first attempt. A simple but engaging Grand Prix mode offers a nice fair challenge across eight of those tracks, as well as some light story stuff that adds a dash of character and weight to the game (and thankfully knows when to stop talking and just let you race in peace).
The presentation is a big reason this is worth playing decades after release. Its best aspect is the soundtrack, one of the best of its era with a cool set of original songs that are worth listening to outside the game. That soundtrack has a chill electronic feel that fits especially well with nighttime races. The game's good lighting/shadows and backgrounds also shine in those night races, and overall the game has a really appealing kind of early 3D look. The best visual moment may be the final race of Grand Prix mode which looks cool and ends with a fireworks show to celebrate the new millennium, a fun little Y2K time capsule moment. The clean, boldly-colored menus may be the most standout, recognizable part of the game's visual style—very nice.
As a whole package, it's a very good, no-nonsense classic racing experience that really doesn't have much I can say against it. I don't necessarily think it has enough going on to justify playing for hours and hours on end these days, but it's a very nice pick-up-and-play title that has some unlockables for those who want them.
