Ridge Racer (PS1, Japanese)
A truly classic cover, complete with spine card — Image: Anthony Dickens / Time Extension

With Formula 1 now on its summer break, we needed to get our racing fix this weekend, and there are few better places to start than Namco Namcot's PlayStation classic: Ridge Racer.

You could argue that seeing Ridge Racer running on your TV at home was a seismic moment in gaming history, it felt like arcade-quality games were now available at home.

With striking colours, ridiculous physics and a stonking soundtrack Nacmo's racer was an assault on the senses; but in the best possible way. Whilst only having "one" track felt like a step backwards in some respects, it was the replayability that kept people coming back again and again, shaving those lap times.

We've been longing for an HD remaster of this one for what feels like decades now with no sign of it happening. Please, someone, have a word and do the right thing... we've already been waiting far too long for it.


What are your memories of Ridge Racer? Which version did you first play? Let us know in the comments below.