Ridge Racer 64 (N64)

Ridge Racer 64 was shown off at ECTS London, early in September 1999, which is pretty significant as it was the first time that Nintendo had allowed anyone to see the title in motion. In fact, the title wasn't even presented at its own Space World show in Japan later that month.

Based on the original Ridge Racer title, which first appeared in arcades and then on the PlayStation, the game features new tracks that fit the mould of the original. How the car moves, how the game feels and even tinier details such as sound effects all replicate the original title's style very well. It's strange that a game is being based on Ridge Racer, though, and not on one of the more recent outings in the series. For example, the recently released R4 on the PlayStation features many changes from the original racer - natural evolutions. It's almost like a step in the wrong direction to model the game on an older title. But then again, many would say that earlier games in the Ridge Racer series are actually better than the later titles, so perhaps it's a good choice on Nintendo's part.

Graphically, the game didn't seem as good as the PlayStation version, simply because the Nintendo 64's graphic effects give it a blurrier look. It's pretty close though. And as for other aspects, such as music or control, the game seemed to perform quite well.

Nintendo doesn't have a release date listed for Ridge Racer 64, but hopefully the game will see a release in early 2000. Keep checking back for more screenshots and info on the game.