Ridge Racer DS - A Brave but Flawed Racing Revolution

In the early 2000’s, Ridge Racer was an arcade franchise that needed little introduction. The series shot to fame as a launch title for the original PlayStation. While the years between had been less kind, Ridge Racer still had a keen fanbase following every release. Ridge Racer DS was part one of Namco’s big push at the launch of the Nintendo DS, and it came with much promise coupled with expectation.

Racing the Ridge

As might be expected, Ridge Racer DS is a racing game. No surprises there. What may come as a surprise however, is exactly how you control your high speed vehicle.

At the launch of the Nintendo DS, every game was trying to make innovative use of the touchscreen. A commendable effort, though it didn’t always work out as planned. Here, you could use the stylus to interact with a virtual steering wheel on the lower touchscreen. It’s an enjoyable experience after you become attuned to it, a few races in. However there’s no denying it’s pretty gimmicky. If you’re trying to seriously win races, it’s likely you’ll soon return to the default D-pad configuration.

Repetitive Racer

In the era of Ridge Racer DS‘ launch, the series wasn’t exactly known for its variety. The gameplay is of a high standard, but the heavy difficulty curve may make the game a little repetitive. It’s most certainly frustrating to be stuck on one race for hours on end, with no rewards being offered for trying. Given the appalling state of the collision detection – rear-ending the car in front causing you to fly miles backwards – overtaking can be a chore. Not exactly beneficial to progress.

There aren’t a very large number of different tracks and cars, but those featured are reminiscent of both the first arcade title and also Ridge Racer 64. Basic tracks, expansions, and mirrors.

Multiplayer Mayhem

At the time of launch, the multiplayer was excellent. Presenting both single card and multi-card play, with the only difference being that on single card you cannot use the cars you have unlocked as you progressed through the game.

The visual design of the game doesn’t suffer in multiplayer, either. Many complained about the graphical quality in Ridge Racer DS, but even today the visuals stand up for a 20 year-old handheld. The cars are modelled crisply and the title never noticeably drops frames. The beautiful lighting effects, along with gorgeous settings make great viewing. Overall, Ridge Racer DS is by far one of the most graphically talented launch titles on the Nintendo DS.

Furthermore, the audio presentation in Ridge Racer DS is fantastic. Although the background music may seem non-existent due to the loud engine effects, it adds an overall nice atmosphere. Ridge Racer DS certainly tries to compliment its base platform’s versatility; from tires screeching, to rubber burning, Namco brought a stable version of the arcade’s effects to the Nintendo DS, if not quite as fluid.

Is Ridge Racer DS Still Worth Playing?

Ridge Racer DS‘ gimmick was just as questionable in 2004 as it is now. However, that doesn’t detract from the game being an enjoyable port of its Nintendo 64 brother in its own right. It mirrors the original with an impressive degree of pedigree, and remains essential for any fan of the series.

As far as racing titles and Nintendo’s innovative dualscreen handheld go, there aren’t many titles offering more than what Ridge Racer DS manages. With the technology not lending itself to racing titles entirely, it seems that Namco brought a beloved franchise to the system with the basic principle of the Nintendo DS in mind – originality. It may not be an original title, but it is certainly an original Ridge Racer.