Ridge Racer 3DS

[Lyrical Donut]

So, you have to go into SP Duel first, race against one of the default times, and it will transfer that data to another user?

Yep!

[Red Alignment]

RR3D is the best 3DS launch title, so I'm pleased to see some much-deserved love for the excellent racer.

[Count Buffalos]

I wish. Much like most other Ridge titles, it's far too easy, to the point of tedium in fact. Give me RR5 or even the original / Revolution any day.

[Professor Puzzles]

I wish.

*PING* Your wish is granted, now get out.

[Count Buffalos]

I just want a good, challenging game

[Professor Puzzles]

Try playing it whilst on a treadmill or holding your breath, there are many enjoyable ways to increase the difficulty of videogames beyond the level provided; why just the other week I completed Demon's Souls on a pogo stick and Dead Space 2 wearing a diver's helmet full of angry sparrows.

[Sprite Machine]

The 'expert' GP is fairly challenging, it just takes a while to get there. Not as long as took RR6 to get difficult, but then RR6 could be played online for a real challenge...

[Fatsam]

I just want a good, challenging game

I think it's an enjoyable game, but with the grand prix structure, lack of challenge for such a long time, and multiple menus to get through, they have definitely tried their worst to inject as much tedium into the whole thing as possible.

I generally bung it on for something not particularly challenging to play as I'm half watching a football match I'm not particularly interested in.

Then I pop on Motorstorm Apocalypse for something truly amazing. I just wish I had the ability to play that one in 3D. Mario Kart 3D can't some soon enough.

[Slartibartfast]

I think it's an enjoyable game, but with the grand prix structure, lack of challenge for such a long time, and multiple menus to get through, they have definitely tried their worst to inject as much tedium into the whole thing as possible.

I generally bung it on for something not particularly challenging to play as I'm half watching a football match I'm not particularly interested in.

Then I pop on Motorstorm Apocalypse for something truly amazing. I just wish I had the ability to play that one in 3D. Mario Kart 3D can't some soon enough.

Having had this since launch, but having limited chunks of time to play, I'm rather sad by the lack of challenge. I love everything else about it, the 3D is fantastic, love the courses...it's all good. But the fact that several weeks in and I've yet to lose a race is frustrating. Obviously in terms of hours spent I haven't slogged away on it and I haven't finished the Basic Grand Prix yet. But why oh why does the software force me to grind away for hours before getting to something challenging? Highly annoying for a game that otherwise would be a lot of fun to play.

I shall keep playing with the hope that by the summer I might get to a race I actually don't win. And that will be a win for me!

[Sprite Machine]

If you want a challenge, why don't you race against yourself? Surely you don't think that, just because you've won a race against some AI cars, that your lap times are beyond improvement?

Pretty sure the AI cars rubber-band like a bastard anyway. They definitely do in the expert duels - I recently won the Rally-X (8-bit!! ) car, and that appears to drive at the speed of bullshit.

[gizmo1990]

Just got the rally x car too and completed the expert gp. It certainly gets hard once you get to the advanced and expert gps so I don't know what people are complaining about.

Regarding the rubber banding I do have to agree, it is kinda off-putting having a opponent stay with you regardless of how well you drive. Anyway, ho hum still enjoying it.

[Fatsam]

I think I'm 3 races short of completing advance and it's not got anywhere near being hard yet. At least on advance level I do come second or third half the time, but then I'll win on a second attempt. Not used any support items yet. I have played almost all of these tracks before in the PS3 Ridge Racer, which had a similar morale sapping grind feel to its cmapaign, but the couple of new tracks this one has I'm finding even easier if anything, so familiarity with the courses isn't much of a factor in how piss easy the whole thing is.

You can challenge yourself in time attack, but that just illustrates another issue with the game. There's neither a proper ghost system or leaderboards.

It all makes me think that they are doing the right thing in letting another developer take Ridge Racer by the balls and make something properly amazing again. Sadly it looks like Bugbear are taking it in some shitty gritty openworld direction. Fingers crossed that the Unbounded teasers are a bit missleading.

[gizmo1990]

Surely the whole point of these games is actually winning the races..? If I come second or third then I don't think I've completed it or that the race was easy.. I lost and I want that 1st cup.

[Sprite Machine]

I'd say the point of these games is to have stupid giddy fun powersliding sideways around corners and feeling cool about it, but sure.

[Fatsam]

Surely the whole point of these games is actually winning the races..? If I come second or third then I don't think I've completed it or that the race was easy.. I lost and I want that 1st cup.

When I've come second or third it's generally because I have been distracted while playing, like I've had to scratch my nose near the end or something, not because it has been particularly challenging. I don't think I've ever had to do a race more than twice yet.

But yeah, the game still has the ace Ridge power sliding, features some amazing music, and the 3D definitely adds a lot. It is enjoyable to play. I'll try and get on to some expert challenges later. I might start enjoying it more.

[gizmo1990]

Right, I've had 4 streetpasses on this so far and if it wasn't for the splash screen that comes up telling you you've got ghost car data I'd still be non the wiser! After the first street pass all I've got are 3 duels and all their times I've beaten. After each subsequent streetpass they haven't seemed to update so I'm just stuck with the same ghost.. Also there's no names of individual ghosts I've got either. Is this normal? It's seems really badly thought out.

[Sprite Machine]

Right, I've had 4 streetpasses on this so far and if it wasn't for the splash screen that comes up telling you you've got ghost car data I'd still be non the wiser! After the first street pass all I've got are 3 duels and all their times I've beaten. After each subsequent streetpass they haven't seemed to update so I'm just stuck with the same ghost.. Also there's no names of individual ghosts I've got either. Is this normal? It's seems really badly thought out.

I don't understand it either. The three duels are the default ones already in the game - I have the same.

Despite meeting a few people via streetpass (and having the message/green light come up in Ridge Racer), those same three duels are all that's available. Which must mean that I'm meeting people with Ridge Racer who haven't done any duels themselves.

But what I don't quite get is that if you have to do the duels in the first place to add to your streetpass data, does that mean you can only do streetpass races on those three tracks?

[JonnyLaurence]

Yeah, I'm assuming so. I've had a few streetpasses for the game, but never had a new duel to beat.

I'm assuming it also swaps all your top times for every track, but not the ghosts. If I look in 'My Ranking' then i've got one rubbish time on one track by some guy called Phil. Hopefully it gave him all my times to beat on every track though.

I've been playing this with 3D turned off recently, since I tend to get a bit excited and wave the DS around on the faster races. Weirdly, I still notice what looks like ghosting whenever I nitro! I guess it's just a really crappy motion-blur effect.

[gizmo1990]

Bah I still don't get it.

I've started putting some time attacks in now tho. When I've gone to 'my ranking' I noticed loads of peoples times, so I've gone through a few spanking them. Reading the lower screen though it seems that only your latest saved ghost is transfered during streetpasses. Where do these appear, under peoples streetpass duel?? Who knows! Why can't I just select which time attack I'd like to be sent via street pass? Who knows either!

[Popo]

I’ve hit a complete brick wall with this, trying to beat the Angel and Devil cars on the advanced GP. I’ve come within a tenth of a second against the devil - I’ve got that course down pat - but can I fuck do it. 
 

Asking this question 11 years after most people played and enjoyed the game is unlikely to bear fruit I suspect, but any advice on which car to roll with against this guy?

 

Amazing game, like! I’m so close to finishing it I can almost taste the champagne. 

[Popo]

Classic ‘muk - did the first race right after posting. 
 

The second race has proven that the CPU cars just cheat. You know how in older movies, to simulate very high speeds, movies would sometimes just speed up the footage of a car driving away? And it looks completely fake and ridiculous? That’s this game! I went from ahead by a whisker to losing by 5 seconds in the space of a single corner. Fuming! 

[Popo]

And done!

 

Spoiler

Cheatin’ bastard, get it right fuckin’ up ye!! 
 

 

I guess it only gets more difficult from here. 

[Calashnikov]

Is this game any good? I bought it at a big retro games market in Glasgow recently, purely for Tha Culture, albeit on the cheap. I haven’t played it yet.

[Popo]

1 hour ago, Calashnikov said:

Is this game any good? I bought it at a big retro games market in Glasgow recently, purely for Tha Culture, albeit on the cheap. I haven’t played it yet.

Very good! It’s probably my favourite of the series now - the 3D effect works extremely well, the handling is perfect and there are loads of tracks (of the road and music variety). 

[Calashnikov]

Cool, I’ll try and give it a wee go soon.

[Keyboard Koala]

On 19/04/2011 at 19:46, Professor Puzzles said:

Try playing it whilst on a treadmill or holding your breath, there are many enjoyable ways to increase the difficulty of videogames beyond the level provided; why just the other week I completed Demon's Souls on a pogo stick and Dead Space 2 wearing a diver's helmet full of angry sparrows.

 

Damn! Professor Puzzles sure was hardcore back in the day

[Popo]

Playing 3DS on a treadmill, or any form of transport, is a sure fire way of making yourself nauseous. 

[Professor Puzzles]

I'm still picking beaks out of my hair.

[New York Mikey]

9 hours ago, Calashnikov said:

Is this game any good? I bought it at a big retro games market in Glasgow recently, purely for Tha Culture, albeit on the cheap. I haven’t played it yet.

A massive yes if you're a ridge racer fan.

 

My only criticism is that the difficulty curve is slow to ramp up so you run the risk of burning out before you hit a competitive threshold.

[Popo]

Oh my god! The last round - 4 elimination-style races, where you have to pass at least one of the 3 other cars each lap and win to progress - was gruelling. But I did it! 
 

That was really tough. I had to load up on nitrous and an auto-boost in the Devil car to do it, and even then it was a challenge - the computer-controlled cars don’t seem to power slide round most corners, but always seem to have double and triple nitrous boosts at the ready. I hope my save never gets deleted because I am not doing that again. 
 

What a brilliant game though. 15 hours of race time in the clock - Ridge just never gets old, does it?