Ridge Racer 6 Delivers Arcade Racing at its Finest!

Damn I wish that I had not played so much freaking Ridge Racer when I was the proud owner of a Sega Dreamcast gaming console. You know the 32-bit piece of junk that collectively—with poor marketing a shoddy budget and the frustrations and market failure of Sega CD—helped to bankrupt Sega and force them out of the video game console business for good. And who says that there are not extraterrestrial forces at work within the video game business. At Any rate…Ridge Racer was one of my favorite games for the Sega Dreamcast, and it would not be for several years later, until Ridge Racer 6 was unveiled and released for the Xbox 360, that I would get to enjoy of my favorite arcade styled racing game again. But now, it has been out for quite some time and I have not had a chance to review for you all up until now. (Yes I am playing catch up. I still have some four hundred games to review before being officially caught up, at which time I will have another hundred new ones to yap about.)

For all you avid fans of racing games, nobody can forget one of the most popular racing games of all time: Ridge Racer! With the sixth installment, available on PS3 and Xbox 360, boy did they out do themselves this time around! So for you asphalt cranking, tire twisting, high speed racing nuts out there, this Ridge Racer 6 is most certainly to quell your unrelenting thirst for 92 octane thrills at uncanny speeds. 

Firstly, think of Ridge Racer the same way that you would of Madden Football versus 2k Sports football, Madden is more Arcade and 2k is more simulation. That being stated, if you like arcade racers, Ridge Racer will appease your inner workings. However, if you prefer more simulated racers like GRID or Grand Turismo, then veer clear of this game because you will hate it. For all gamers, you can easily find a used copy of this puppy for about ten bucks. Well worth the money spent if you ask me.

Once again the boards are the main theme of the game. You get ten awesome levels in here, and you can unlock several more once you beat the game. The AI in the computer drivers is tough, a lot tougher than in previous versions. This means that you will have to work even harder to win. Xbox Live play yields some pretty amazing battles against friends and other gamers. You can also play same console two player via the split screen modes. The boards are filled with rapid twists and turns in the neon jungle styling of the first five versions. In order to win at Ridge Racer, you must pay your dues prior in time spent getting your ass handed to you over and over again until you master the racetracks. But, spend the time and learn the twists and turns, and you will be king of the races in no time. With plenty more cars and tracks, and better controls, this is the best Ridge Racer Yet!

My Score: 8 out of 10