[This is the sixth entry in a countdown of the best Ridge Racer games. I recommend you read the introduction before reading this; it includes a brief history of the series and links for each entry.]

Ridge Racer Revolution - Sony PlayStation, 1995

Remixed

It's funny to think about it, but even after over a decade of iteration, Ridge Racer Revolution holds up. I've been through the game's cour- alright, look. Ridge Racer Revolution is so much like the PlayStation port of Ridge Racer that I could mirror almost everything I have to say about that game here. Revolution has exactly what I love about its predecessors, but with an extra edge due to the inclusion of a new, more technical course, features from Ridge Racer 2 (the rear view mirror, link-up multiplayer, better soundtrack, etc.), and a few extra trinkets here and there.

Your preference of Ridge Racer or Revolution is likely going to have a lot to do with which game's course you like more, and while Seaside Route 765 is a classic, Revolution's course has more to it. Each of the difficulties transforms the course, giving you three different routes to master (six if we're counting the reverse versions). The visual flavor of the course is very much the same as what's seen in Ridge Racer (beaches, mountainsides, and skyscrapers abound), but there's a little more detail. Roadsides are more populated with palm trees and buildings, and stilt houses line the beach while blimps and airplanes join the helicopter that normally flies by. More importantly, your skills are tested to a greater degree in Revolution's course, with even the starting track featuring some devious sections (there's a hairpin turn right after a jump that's a real pain to navigate with faster vehicles). Seaside Route 765 is more suitable for a quick casual race, but Revolution's races feel like they're made for those who mastered that track.

In addition to the new course, some subtle gameplay tweaks also give the game a more compelling difficulty curve. Revolution feels a great deal faster than Ridge Racer, as speed limits are no longer tied to course difficulty. You can mix and match vehicle classes (think Mario Kart's 50/100/150ccs) and have higher-speed races on earlier tracks, which can be especially helpful when it comes time to race the boss cars, which feel like less of a secret bonus and more of a legitimate endgame this time around. Revolution introduces two more cars to beat and unlock: the miniature "kid" version of the 13th Racing Devil Car and debuting White Angel that adorns the box art. The White Angel in particular is a real bastard, but it's much more feasible to beat these bosses thanks to the addition of the rear-view mirror, which lets you block cars as they attempt to pass, buying you precious seconds to dart ahead before they catch up again. With speeds of up to 200 miles an hour and a fleshed out boss mechanic, there's a bit more to do here after the credits roll than there is in the original, which helps shake the feeling that you're playing a glorified arcade port.

There's some interesting stuff around the edges of the game, too. The introductory loading screen's been upgraded from Galaxian to the Galactic Dancing minigame from Galaga '88, and while clearing out the enemies will still unlock a gang of cars, there's a few other secrets attached to it, too. A perfect score without wasting a shot (or just using a cheat laser that kills everything) will unlock "Pretty Racer" mode, where everybody's car is shrunken down to resemble a buggy (or perhaps more appropriately, the cars in Rally-X), and a pacifist run will unlock time-of-day settings, something normally unlocked after completing the game. The most fascinating secret, however, is the Spinning Point mode that scores your drift rotations across various checkpoints. Doing sick 360s across turns is a Ridge Racer tradition, but you never really had a reason to beyond screwing around or showing off, and this mode is the closest the series ever gets to focusing entirely on the drifting instead of standard racing. It isn't quite Need for Speed Underground, but it's a fun little diversion nonetheless.

Finally, there's the soundtrack. The SamplingMasters are at full force here, with Takayuki "J99" Aihara joining the ranks of AYA, MEGA, and sanodg to give us one of the greatest soundtracks in the series. The soundscapes of Grip and the synth overdose of Drive U 2 Dancing are Ridge Racer electronica at its most infectious, and J99's contribution, Maximum Zone, fits right in. As if a set of original tracks wasn't enough, all but one of Ridge Racer's tracks are present in the form of remixes (a remixed "Ridge Racer" is missing, but was present in Ridge Racer 2 as the post-race victory theme). The best remix of the group is probably Rare Hero 2, which breaks from the usual samples to sneak in an homage to the main theme from New Rally-X, but pretty much every track here is good stuff. I guess it's a positive sign that it was harder than normal to pick three favorites for this game.

If you look back at magazines from around its release date, you would see many complaints from people calling Ridge Racer Revolution more of the same, and that says a lot coming from a time where many publications would happily recommend whatever garbage came their way (I don't even think the people that like the Simpsons: Road Rage would give it a 92, Nintendo Power). Frankly, considering that the most notable change the game makes is to its locale, "Revolution" is about as laughable of a subtitle as it could have. That being said, this is 2019: you're not going to be paying Chips & Bits or FuncoLand 50 bucks to play the game these days, so it's easier now to see Ridge Racer Revolution as an improvement even if it's arguable just how big that improvement may be. I might be picking up my PSP for Ridge Racer (be it the original or the 2004 game), but once I'm warmed up, a round of Revolution is sure to follow.

[Key Tracks: Grip, Drive U 2 Dancing, Maximum Zone]

[Key Remixes: Rare Hero 2, Rhythm Shift Remix, Speedster Overheat]