Ridge Racer 2
Eight-player link-up racing with day-to-night transitions.
It is a sequel to Ridge Racer that emphasizes quality-of-life improvements over major new features, most notably supporting up to eight human players. The game was followed by Rave Racer, while the PlayStation version of Ridge Racer was succeeded by Ridge Racer Revolution, which used Ridge Racer 2's soundtrack.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Namco
- Composer
- Shinji Hosoe
- Ayako Saso
- Nobuyoshi Sano
- Takayuki Aihara
- Series
- Ridge Racer
- Platforms
- Arcade
- Released
- 8 June 1994 (JP); August 1994 (NA)
- Genre
- Racing
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Arcade system
- Namco System 22
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Gameplay closely resembles the original Ridge Racer, but unlike the single-player original, Ridge Racer 2 allows up to eight players to race simultaneously when four two-player cabinets are linked. A player's number determines their car. Six new songs, including remixed tracks from the original, can be selected using the gear shifter at the start. A rear-view mirror at the top of the screen lets players see cars approaching from behind. A day-to-night change occurs: a car entering the tunnel during the day emerges at night.
Reception
In North America, RePlay reported it as the fourth most-popular deluxe arcade game at the time, while Play Meter listed it as the thirty-seventh most-popular arcade game. Next Generation rated the arcade version four stars out of five, noting that the eight-player link-up allowed it to compete with Sega's Daytona USA and Namco's Ace Driver. In 2023, Time Extension ranked the game 11th on its list of best Ridge Racer games.
More in Arcade Game Library of the 1990s
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