Ever since the PlayStation was released in the US, Ridge Racer has always been the racing series that all other racing titles were compared to. Ridge Racer and its sequels have always been regarded as the best arcade racers.  The problem was that if you wanted to play any of them, you had to own a PlayStation. Now, thanks to a licensing deal with Namco and the coding work of NST, Ridge Racer has finally shown it's face on the Nintendo 64. Thankfully, despite being on a different console, very little has changed.

Aside from the obvious differences in the graphics and controller configuration, you wouldn't even know a completely new team developed Ridge Racer 64. The solid gameplay that made Ridge Racer so popular has been preserved by the folks at NST. It's almost hard to believe that Namco had no part in the development of this title, providing only the name and icons associated with the Ridge Racer series.

In some ways, the gameplay in RR64 is improved upon by giving the gamer a choice between drift modes and collision modes. Drift options are original Ridge Racer, Ridge Racer Revolution and a new model called RR64. Between the first two options, I didn't find much difference. They both felt very much alike, although it seems that the Ridge Racer model is a bit more restrictive on how you complete a drift. The RR64 drift model is an improvement on both of those early titles by giving the gamer complete control of the drift, allowing some spectacular 360-degree drifts. Even the PlayStation’s Ridge Racer Type 4 doesn't allow this amount of control.

Collision detection is also improved from the Ridge Racer series, however I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing. You are given two choices in collision detection, Ridge Racer Revolution and RR64. The Ridge Racer Revolution style is your basic "crash and bounce" that every Ridge Racer title thus far has used. When you hit the side of the road, your speed drops considerably but you bounce to the middle of the road requiring very little correction. The RR64 style is very similar to EA's Need For Speed series in that the collision doesn't bounce you at all. You do have a speed drop, but it's not severe and you can almost use the side of the road as guide rails around corners. Personally, I'm not exactly ecstatic about this change, since the RR64 mode seems to make the game entirely too easy.

The graphics in RR64 aren’t exactly flashy but they get the job done nicely. Cars have a nice, shiny reflective look to them that isn't over-done like the Gran Turismo series. NST also added the brake light blur that was first introduced in Ridge Racer Type 4. Aside from these two effects, there isn't much else going on with the game. The cars have a nice but simple design to them and the tracks themselves are relatively simple as well. One big bonus, however, is that there is absolutely no slowdown in this title and, as far as I can tell, no pop up either. This is especially interesting since every Ridge Racer on the PlayStation has always been limited to roughly two or three cars on screen. Not so with RR64 where you'll often see four or more cars in the near horizon all competing for the number one spot.

One thing that has always been the staple of all Ridge Racer games is the pumping techno soundtrack. RR64 makes good on this tradition by including several tracks that are fast and furious. Unfortunately, because the N64 lacks the storage space, these tracks are confined to MIDI instruments and don't quite have the quality of the PlayStation Ridge Racers. Aside from this one nitpick, the music fits the game quite nicely.

If there is just one thing to really complain about in RR64, it would be the sound effects. The Ridge Racer series has never been known for its realistic sound effects but it seems that RR64 is worse than its cousins. The car engine itself sounds more like a lawn mower than a precision-tuned racer. Collisions between other cars and the walls are average at best and can even get irritating when they're looped.  In light of all the good things about the game, the sound effects are easily forgivable but are definitely not the high point of RR64.

If you consider yourself a racing fan, this is a must buy title. Never have I played a racer on the N64 that gave me such a rush of adrenaline or excitement. Minor annoyances like the sound effects and announcer voice are immediately forgotten once the starting lights go green. This is easily the best arcade racer on the system.  Even if you aren’t into racing titles, this game just might change your mind.