Ridge Racer 2 (2006 video game)
A drift-racing update with recycled tracks and new modes.
Ridge Racer 2 is a 2006 racing game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation Portable. It is the twelfth main installment in the Ridge Racer series and a sequel to the launch title Ridge Racer. The game was made available worldwide on PlayStation Plus Premium in December 2022, marking its first North American release.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Namco Bandai Games
- Series
- Ridge Racer
- Platforms
- PlayStation Portable
- Released
- 14 September 2006 (JP)
- 13 October 2006 (EU)
- 19 October 2006 (AUS)
- Genre
- Racing
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The core gameplay of Ridge Racer 2 centers on drift racing, where players intentionally oversteer and slide through corners to earn bonuses. The game shares the same engine, user interface, and design as its predecessor, and includes almost all elements, cars, and tracks from that title. It offers three times as much gameplay time, with 42 new tracks: 21 unique circuits and their reverse variants. Eighteen tracks are recycled from earlier Ridge Racer games: two from the original Ridge Racer, three from Ridge Racer Revolution, four from Rave Racer, eight from R4: Ridge Racer Type 4, and four from Rage Racer. Every track from every PlayStation Ridge Racer game is included. New modes are Duel and Survival, while Single Race is renamed Arcade and Wireless Battle remains. The game features 62 fictional cars from seven manufacturers: Kamata, Âge, Danver, Gnade, Assoluto, Himmel, and Soldat. Players unlock all cars by completing three Tours (Basic, Pro, and EX) of 16 races each, plus mini-games. Prizes include opening movies from previous titles and E3 demo presentations.
Reception
Metacritic gave the game an average review score. Critics praised the same points as the previous title but were disappointed by the lack of significant differences. The graphical engine and visuals are nearly identical, with the main change being additional courses. Famitsu scored it 32 out of 40. Edge magazine ranked it 70th on their 100 Best Video Games in 2007.
More in Bandai Namco Games of the 2000s
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