R4: Ridge Racer Type 4
Arcade racing with drift styles and 321 unlockable cars.
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 is a 1998 arcade-style racing game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation. It is the fourth home title in the Ridge Racer series, following Rage Racer, and was released in Japan on December 3, 1998, with global releases in 1999. The game introduces a Grand Prix mode with four teams and over 300 vehicles, and was later re-released on PlayStation Network, PlayStation Classic, and for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Namco
- Publisher
- Namco (JP)
- Namco Hometek (NA)
- Sony Computer Entertainment (EU)
- Producer
- Shigeru Yokoyama
- Programmer
- Masatoshi Kobayashi
- Artist
- Kazutoki Kono
- Composer
- Kohta Takahashi
- Hiroshi Okubo
- Asuka Sakai
- Series
- Ridge Racer
- Platforms
- PlayStation
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 is an arcade-style racing game centered on powersliding around corners. Vehicles use one of two powerslide styles depending on the car make: Drift cars require a single brake tap while turning, while Grip cars need alternating brake and gas inputs during turns. Players earn vehicles through the Grand Prix mode, selecting one of four teams—R.C Micro Mouse Mappy (France), Pac Racing Club (Japan), Racing Team Solvalou (Italy), or Dig Racing Team (United States)—each with varying difficulty, and one of four manufacturers—Age Solo (France), Lizard (United States), Assoluto (Italy), or Terrazi (Japan)—which determines the car style and powerslide type. In each race, players must reach a qualifying position; later stages require higher placements. Better cars are awarded for consistently higher positions, with 320 vehicles available through every combination of team, manufacturer, and qualifying result. Unlocking all 320 adds a Pac-Man-themed car, totaling 321. Time Attack mode lets players set fastest lap times, and VS. Battle offers split-screen two-player racing, the first in the home console series. An undocumented PlayStation Link Cable mode supports four players. Players can create custom car decors and attempt Extra Trials against prototype cars. In Japan, the game is compatible with the PocketStation for trading cars.
Development
Development of R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 began in May 1997, with all 33 staff members having worked on the original Ridge Racer. It was the first Ridge Racer on PlayStation to use Gouraud shading on polygons; developers removed much waste to achieve this and high polygon counts. The team used SCE's Performance Analyser devkit, similar to Gran Turismo. They initially did not expect to achieve all graphical advances but succeeded and added features during development. The art director drew inspiration for sky effects from Ace Combat 2. The opening movie, featuring Reiko Nagase, took over six months including planning. Hiroshi Okubo served as sound director and lead composer, with contributions from Kohta Takahashi, Asuka Sakai, Tetsukazu Nakanishi, and Koji Nakagawa. Unlike previous games' rave and hardcore influences, R4 explores funk, breakbeat, acid jazz, UK garage, progressive house, and neo soul. Okubo described the music as more mature and fashionable. Several tracks feature vocals by American singer Kimara Lovelace, whom Okubo discovered at a club in Nishi-Azabu in May 1998, impressed by her powerful voice fitting the game's keywords of urban and cool.
Reception
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 received generally favorable reviews according to Metacritic. Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot and Next Generation gave positive reviews. Keith Stuart of Official UK PlayStation Magazine praised the light and shadow effects in a preview, noting that the game combined immediate gameplay with real depth, offering the best of both worlds compared to Gran Turismo and Motorhead. Famitsu scored it 35 out of 40. James O'Neill of Push Square called it the best PS1 Ridge Racer game. Jeremy Peeples of Hardcore Gamer in 2018 stated that R4 remains a high mark for the series. Time Extension ranked it first on their best Ridge Racer games list in 2023. Polygon and GamesRadar ranked it among the best PS1 games. Den of Geek included it on their list of 20 PlayStation One games ahead of their time, noting its balance of arcadey and realistic elements and its strong visuals. The game was a commercial success in Japan and various European territories, becoming the 18th best-selling video game in Japan in 1998.
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