Ridge Racer Revolution is a bit of a funny one – it’s widely regarded as being a very good game, yet it’s arguably the least-praised of the series’ PlayStation outings. But while Ridge Racer might have had more impact, Rage Racer more attitude and Ridge Racer Type 4 more depth, it’s Revolution that will always be my go-to game for a quick hit of Ridge Racer nostalgia.
As a sequel, it’s actually faintly disappointing. Not only does it look very similar to its predecessor, there’s not a great deal more content – three tracks are available, each sharing common elements. Even the Galaxian loading game has been replaced with a section of Galaga 88. The main innovation is the addition of a two-player mode, but it is inaccessible to many as it requires the cumbersome link cable to work. It’s hardly the revolution that the title suggests, merely more of the same. Yet it’s hard to complain about all that, because as a game it’s still a bit of a corker and of course, the complaints matter even less in this day and age when a copy of the game will set you back as little as a few goes on an arcade racing game.
The fact is that Ridge Racer Revolution is still a real looker by early PlayStation standards, and Ridge Racer is one of the best arcade racers of all time anyway – dismissing an extra serving of it would be churlish to say the least. Just blast down the sunny roads, crank up Drive U 2 Dancing and see if you don’t have some fun.